November 9, 2016 – Poking around the Oley Valley for a Bit on the Day After...

Despite the low water, and likely warmer water temps this summer, last year's crew seems to have made it.

I had a little time in the morning to fish before an 11 AM meeting.  I was up a lot checking election results, so I was in no rush to get to work either.  This is not a “Deep Thoughts” post, but let’s just say the morning was rough for everyone in the house.  I was trying to comfort Tami and the boy, as if I had it figured out (I don’t), but deep inside I was also wondering how I was going to comfort my students on the day after the election.  At both of my jobs, I work with groups of students, and most of them are students of color, the vast majority black and Hispanic, from 17 year olds to adult students in their 50s and 60s.  All of them would be upset, and they would be lining up to talk to me like I knew something, like I could help them figure it all out.  I needed a mental break from it all to feel what I was going to feel and then get on with life.  Fishing helps, although passing so many Trump signs on my way west, even seeing some batty lady dancing on her lawn asking cars to honk for joy, did get to me a bit.

It was raining all morning, but it barely moved the water level.  I put my thermometer in the water to take a water temp, and it’s still there sitting on the bottom reading about 50, I bet.  I will need to get another one of those…  I caught dozens of chubs, which means this creek in the Oley Valley probably got warm this year.  It was still very low.  The good news is that I did land two little 7 inch browns, so the yearlings did survive the summer.  In the first deep hole I fished, I lost the only decent fish of the day.  I was not on my mental A game, so I missed a couple, but I was glad to get out for a bit and walk and fish before returning to the real world on Wednesday afternoon.  As expected, I had an office full of young people with a lot of questions I couldn’t answer and a lot of fears.  At least I could be an old bearded white guy who listens to them and helps them keep defying expectations.

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