March 11, 2026 – I Guess This Is My Annual "Fish Live in Water" Post? – SEPA

A little off and cold still.

I am no stranger to jumping the gun, and it’s hard not to when air temperatures are getting into the 80s, but I got too excited today.  I could have chased stockers or fished a smaller creek close to home with predictable flows and water temperature, or joined the midge and early BWO chasers on Valley or Saucon.  But I got too excited.  It’s the first time I have had a spring break in over 4 years.  Not that I was off all week like when I was faculty, but I had no students to advise this week, so I had days to burn.  Looking at this blog, I often took my first trip to Central PA during this week each year.  Spring Creek olives are pretty predictable, (Big) Fishing Creek a bit more dependent on the lack of snow melt.  I did not have that kind of time today or this week really, but I did want to see one of my favorite creeks an hour from home, at least.  The good and bad thing about having this blog for the last 10 years is that I knew to approach this morning with low expectations.  In two weeks’ time, this creek and its sometimes-dickish wild browns will be ready.  I have the text and pictures in the archives to prove it to myself.  Today, I had to be content with Karen’s northern cousin, who ate a perdigon and gave me a short but lively tussle on a 3 weight.  Since the water was dirty and deep, for 15 seconds I was ready to net my first decent brown of the month.  Too excited.  I did honor him with the "hand with fish shot" as if he was the intended quarry.  The trouts were quiet.  The water was really cold, so even some hatching midges did not get them interested today.  The afternoon may have been slightly better, but the color of crick did not convince me to stay.  Somewhere upstream, snow and ice was melting.  Should have gone to Valley 😜

On the mouth with an 18 perdigon, of course!

I blame Larry, really.  We briefly discussed meeting up today.  In one text, he mentioned chasing redhorse suckers in a local warmwater crick near his house.  Because we did not meet up, I did not take the day off, just flexed the morning hours to allow for some mental health time and aerobic activity.  I marked a spring break with a couple fishing trips, but I did not burn PTO on suckers.  Like on Sunday, I was confronted by some new trees and obstacles to conquer to get into the spots, but that is good intel when the real fishing days begin.  We also had our second meeting about the Mayfly Project this evening and got a lot more information, so it was a fishy week if not a fish-catching week.  I take the boy back to school on Sunday, but with three freshmen in the car with me, I am not sure I can fit any gear in the ‘Ru.  Pocket Fisherman?