November 9, 2025 - I Get the Sense They Are Way More into Each Other than Me for the Time Being – NEPA

Big native....

Even though I was not fishing in very spawny water, I saw a redd this morning.  Like last weekend, I get the sense that the wild browns are currently just not that into me.  I scroll through the blog and see many successful early November trips over the years, but this year seems like it’s going to be different.  If that’s what it’s got to be, I am okay with it.  I hope they make a lot of babies, a lot, like mad YOY, yo!  I am sure with the drought conditions there was a good deal of predation and even stress from warm water this summer and fall. We may need a good spawn in order to correct.  The fallguys, however, they are living their best lives.  I must have caught ten of them in the places where trout should be.  Heck, I got three of them swinging a streamer, and more than once I had a perfect drift on a bouncy, trouty seam, and got clobbered by what I thought HAD to be a trout this time.  Nope.  Fallguy.  There were size 20 blue winged olives hatching sporadically, and at least the fallfish were on them.  Only one riser, but many of the fallfish took a small BWO nymph on the dropper tag—up off the bottom and actively feeding.  With the conditions this year, I did not expect a lot of rainbows to make it this far into the season, but of course the only trout I messed with was a rather solid rainbow.  She too was up off the bottom and took the size 18 dropper tag bug.  I did not even spook a brown trout this morning.

Did I mention it was gorgeous early this morning?

It was a beautiful morning too.  Rather mild, no wind, gorgeous.  That is until a front arrived about 11 AM and eventually chased me off.  Not before I got soaked to the bloomers, of course.  I guess I was hoping the clouds might really get the BWOs going or at least make the browns less wary and more willing to chase a bugger.  The rain came in waves and at times it looked like it might clear.  I was hearing Carl from Caddyshack telling me, “I'd keep playing…  I don't think the heavy stuff's gonna come down for quite a while...."  We all remember how the Bishop’s round ended.  I did catch a couple more fallguys in the torrential downpour, so I’ve got that going for me, which is nice.  I only saw one other fisherman way upstream, also standing out in the rain, maybe hoping for the same rainy spark to ignite something.

A healthy survivor also noticed the BWOs (while the browns were just chasing tail).

Besides the inconvenience of getting more rain and sooner than expected, I was just glad to be out there.  We finally got my wife a car on Saturday, so I am back in the old, old ‘Ru.  Meet the new ‘Ru, same as the old ‘Ru?  I briefly drove this one as my fishing vehicle before inheriting the Outback when my old man passed.  My wife had been driving it, so it was her turn for something new(er).  We actually found a 2024 Nissan with less than 7000 miles on it, so patience and a few bus rides to the regional rail station paid off.  The car still has half of its original factory warranty on it, and is certified pre-owned, so we did a lot better than I expected based on the total loss pay out we received.  She was not happy that she had to get the new “freedom” PA license plate, but otherwise she was very pleased with her new ride.  I tried to help by telling her that someone in the PA legislature wants us to become “front-platers,” so she avoided that one, at least.  The thing is, she’s originally a North Jersey girl, so born and raised a front-plater.  As for me, I had time yesterday to set up the little all-wheel drive Impreza, which fits my 10-foot rods and all my gear (just not raingear today) so if the fish were ready today, I was ready, no excuses.  They were not ready to eat, more like ready for love.  Hey, fallfish are natives, at least, and because I actually had polarized glasses with me this week, I saw a couple of them eat in the low, clear water.  It’s the little things sometimes….

Low water woes and another decent fallguy.

November 2, 2025 – A Tough One a Couple Days Too Long After Some Rain – Northampton County

One trout landed...

I still don’t have a vehicle, but my wife was kind enough to give me our one car to do a little therapeutic fishing this morning.  I was hopeful that the rain late in the week did some good, until I saw how brief the spikes on the gages were.  Saturday was still blowing after the front, but today’s wind was manageable.  It was cold, however.  With the extra hour of sleep due to clocks falling back, I was up and out bright and early.  I was streamside at sunrise, and it was only a few clicks above freezing, maybe 36F to start.  I did not drive that far from home, and planned to explore a section of creek that gets pounded as of late, so I wanted to be the first mitch out there.  With the water low and only slightly colored, it was not a bad plan in theory, but brown trout are dicks.  These fish in this here crick are no exception, but often times the holdover rainbows don’t get the memo and can keep it interesting.  Not today.  I did not catch YOY or suckers or chubs, which means the conditions had all the finned species feeling off.  I did not see ducks until 9 AM, and I spooked bedding deer twice at a time of day when I’d expect them to be moving around pre-rut—I did see two large bucks who were not happy with my bushwhacking!  I too was off my game.

A bluebird fall morning, chilly too.  Low water woes continue.

I resumed my second campaign on the war on leaves on Saturday, so I was feeling the effects of allergies from all the dust I kicked up with mower and blower. I also forgot to pack polarized sunglasses this morning—I have everything I need in my mobile fishing vehicle (RIP) typically. I remembered a buff and a couple other essentials, but did not remember one of the most essential fishing tools, especially in low, clear water when stealth and vision are necessary for success. I also rigged up with a fresh micro-mono rig last night, and I must of have been half blind from the allergens because I had technical issues (spool tangles) about an hour into my fishing. I had to unwind line and rerig, thankfully before I hooked and landed my one and only fish. I also tied on some potentially effective bugs last night in the garage, and those knots must of have been shite as well because I broke off my first fish with a gentle hookset. Things were just off, but I did connect with a solid holdover rainbow that was in nearly perfect shape when I had to rise to the occasion for a second (and final) time. Had I missed, it truly would have been a missed opportunity. Besides the first fish that I broke off with a normal hookset and bad knots, this bow was the only other taker in 5 hours of fishing! Tough day, but it was good to be outside on an autumn morning, alone on a pressured old favorite. I will get my act together again soon, I hope, at least in time for striped bass.  It is almost time to quit the trouts already!  I saw my first redd this morning....

Bonus shot.  A pretty holdover, anyway ;)