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| Caught some wild trouts. |
We may finally
be turning the corner with this more sustained climb into the 60’s and 70’s. I am not putting away the snow shovels just
yet, but I did spend some time in the garage on Saturday prepping my fishing
stuff for spring, and I even took a trip on Sunday morning that netted me four
wild trout in a really pretty place.
There was some new wood in a honey hole, which made for an interesting
approach to the spot, but it had to be done.
This creek was locked in ice just a couple weeks ago, so I knew the fish had
retreated to the deep holes. This one particular
hole is over 5 feet deep, I bet, so an interesting challenge when fish are
pecky in 40-degree water temperatures. If
they were stacked down there in the depths, they stayed stacked way down there
on the bottom. I did get one to take a
bugger on the fall before resorting to dredging up the remainder of my catch from the depths
with a big stonefly or heavy perdigon and a bobber. I was hoping some fish would rise up off the
bottom to take midges, and early black stones were crawling out, which prompted
at least two rises to struggling adults, but nothing really developed in the
time I was on the water. It was all
good. I had to quit around noon today anyway.
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| Skinny from a tough winter, but the snow is nearly gone and bugs are hatching. |
I started early
in the fog and did not see another fisherman until I was walking out around
11:45 AM. I had the first shift to
myself, and I hope he had the second to himself. Honestly, this is the kind of spot where I
keep rolling if I see another car in the lot, but some dudes don’t care, I
guess, or maybe wouldn’t know where else to go after driving a distance. I just wanted to catch some fish, so I put a
time limit on my outing and was happy with a handful. The boy is home for
spring break, so we had plans with my mom later in the afternoon. My students are off this week too, so I may
have to get sick on Tuesday or Wednesday before the weather turns and the chill
returns. I am due for an adventure, and
it’s been since Eric and I fished early in January that I have caught a real,
adult fish. Not only am I due for an
adventure, but I am just plain due, I guess.
I am working and have a couple meetings on Tuesday, and even an all-day
symposium on Friday, but Wednesday is looking promising on all fronts, at least early in the day, which I prefer anyway.
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| A tough winter sent some new wood into the wintering hole, but flowers and bees are back. |
The boys were
out or at least thinking about the near future. Ward texted early in the morning to tell me
these mornings make him remember Opening Days of yore. Pete was itching to get after some
walleye. The group chat had some fish and
nature pics from Josh and company. Larry
sent some flowers, which made me notice bees all over the crocus popping up in
my own beds and lawn. Robins have
been around for at least a week, maybe longer in pre-mating and therefore quieter
stealth mode. Snow piles are still
melting, and you may even notice some residual snow in my crick pics from today. The shady sides of the hills may take a bit
longer yet. We need rain, but flows were
decent today, decent enough that I may try a bigger crick next time. I do have a second meeting with the Mayfly
Project crew on Wednesday night, however, so Wednesday's trip might just be another
SEPA excursion, maybe a NEPA one, but probably not a trip chasing olives in Central
PA, not yet anyway.
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| Pretty morning in a pretty spot. |
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