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| A big, young eagle did not spook easily, but the trout did. |
After the minor beat down on the Brodhead on Wednesday, I loaded up and drove up to a section just below where we fished that day and took another shot, believe it or not. It just seemed too promising. Some years the creek is flowing way too high to fish effectively this early in the spring, but that is not the case this year. Well, the water was still nice, and even 55 degrees, plenty warm, but still no consistent insect activity. For all the driving and walking and boulder hopping, I tangled with one stocked fish, which I lost. A skunk by any other name…. At least I saw a mink and a juvenile American eagle, which means the nesting pair up-river successfully reared at least one, who is huge now. He is mottled still, but clearly the size of an adult, though not quite as spooked by humans. No doubt, there have been people and dogs and people with dogs under his/her nest since day one. As I was leaving for the day, I saw a dude with a float stocking barrel, his wife or lady friend spotting from the bank, so there’s that for next visit, I guess, and I think this is a fingerling stocking year too. Still, I want to tangle with Walter and Walter Jr. sometime this spring, summer or fall so more long drives to my home away from home stream are in order, skunks or not.
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| I ain't mad at ya. |
I have just started using my new 10 foot 4 weight rod, and I am definitely not as quick with the hook set as I have gotten with my shorter, lighter TFO BVK. I missed a couple strikes on Wednesday and Thursday that I am confident that I would have gotten under most circumstances with the rod I use 90% of the time. Convinced that I just need to have the 10 footer in my hand more, I headed to the Bushkill near Easton on Friday. I figured fishing the long, long rod on another larger creek would help my body adjust. I started right by the parking lot, working out the kinks on some stocked rainbows and one brookie. But the plan was to venture into the “unstocked” special regs section.
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| A warm-up with some stocked bows |
After warming up with a handful of fish in the open section, I started hoofing upstream, watching for rises. The water was still stained, so I guess the rain was for real in SEPA earlier this week, and tree pollen was everywhere. As I got into view of the first bend, I was surprised to see another fly guy on the other side of the creek—so much for my plan to cover a 400 or 500 yard stretch of pocket water. I let him have at it, but when he vacated a nice run at the top of the bend, I slipped in and made an afternoon of it. Because it was swift and deep, I tied on a big tungsten golden stone, but I also saw small dark caddis in the bushes and my cloths (even my car on the ride home), so I dropped a black beadhead from the big fly. I was frustrated when I missed another strike, especially because I expected a pretty wild brown to be on the other end of the line, but I concentrated with the long, long rod and hooked the next strike with authority. A moment of disappointment followed when I brought a brook trout to the net. He had taken the black copper john, so I re-rigged with a couple of Sam’s tungsten nymphs, a caddis pupa and a sexy walt’s worm. They would get deep without the bulk. I even put on a new 9 foot, 5X leader. Like I said, I was resigned to make a trip out of this run/hole.
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| Sam's sexy Walt's worm works. |
This brook trout was a pretty one, though, and feisty, so I was not mad at him. I have found huge rainbows in this stretch, but I assumed they came up river seeking cool water and maybe even love if they held over the summer and winter in the stocked stretch below. Even below one of the limestone tributaries today, however, the water was 60, so I don’t know if that plan will work this summer! That said, I have caught brookies here too, while targeting the elusive wild browns, mostly over the last 5 years or so (which correlates with the declining quality of the creek’s wild population). I sent an open letter to the local TU chapter on a certain fly fishing site, but if they are stocking, they may not own up in such a judgmental forum. I am glad for the action, so I am not judging, and these fish are hardly pelletheads, but I wonder if it’s a sign that the stewards are giving up on the lower end of the catch and release section.
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| Industrial trout fishing, |
When not contending with the closely overhanging trees and a back eddy of tree pollen (no, the fish below did not bring a bouquet with him) I landed about four more nice brook trout before I had to call it quits to get the boy at the bus. I only saw one splashy rise the entire time I was there, and that could have been a pissed off recently released fish for all I know. Kevin reminded me on Wednesday that there is short April lull on bug activity before the carnival of May and its bigger meals, so better times are coming with sulfurs and march browns and more caddis.
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| No, this 14 incher did not bring me flowers. |
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| Nice fins and liked Sam's caddis rolling on the bottom. |
I did get better with the 10 footer, and I left it rigged up to fish next week, even if where I go is not the perfect place for the tool. I am also going to start fishing for stockies with a sighter line, so I am better prepared for the pocket water nymphing to come. I can see some advantages, especially when trout’s vision is in play. The plop factor, i.e. the sound of the indicator striking the water, is over-sold, I think, probably by the sighter line companies (like the one in my YouTube feed all the time J). If a thingamabobber makes a noise when it lands that scares trout, how is that not the case with the heavier flies and split shot needed to tightline nymph? Each method has its place, I think. With my 8’6” I am pretty good high-stick nymphing without an indicator or a sighter, so I would hope that the sighter line would only help. Of course, that will be another learning curve with the long, long rod!
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| They saved the day, so I am not judging! |
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