Fly tying season... Tie or buy

Every year at this time I dig out my fly boxes and take inventory. I make lists of my favorite and best producing flies. I organize the bobbins, spools and tools on the the fly tying table. I realize that today I have more money than time when it comes to flies. And I don't have enough to buy the 3 capes I need to restore the contents of my fly boxes. There was a time when time and money didn't seem as hard to find. Time is so scarce these days.
This year I've taken a critical assessment of my fly stocks only to find that most of my flies are used and real old! Used and old... Over 10 years old! I realize that it's been that long since I've spent much time at the vise. It's funny but that surprised me.

This year my New Years resolution is to get back to serious tying. Not in quantity but quality. Oh and to to buy some of Ivan's beautiful ties at Bright's Shop.

My opener

Saturday the 24th was my opening day. And it was good. The weather was nice with only slight breezes. Just enough to keep the black flies away but not enough to really screw up too many casts. I met a guy who makes bamboo rods and was fishing a brand new one. A 5 weight. Real nice. I'm not a bamboo sort of guy being a litle clumsy at times but it was a beautiful piece.
I mentioned in an earlier post that I cracked a leg bone this winter and that the idea of wading heavy water was making me nervous. Well the water level was down to a near perfect level and the were hatches and fish snapping throughout the pool. There were fish slashing on emergers and sipping what looked to be spinners. There were a million size 14 spinners with little yellow egg sacks dancing above the pool. It seemed that the activity was greatest when they wer in the air. If anybody can identify the mayfly with the yellow egg sack please let us know.
I caught four fish and lost one beauty. The guy with the bamboo rod said I had lost it because I was horsing it in too fast. He was right. I like to get my fish in as quickly as possible so they don't croak. But the big ones need a lot more finese. I just feel so bad when I kill a fish by over playing it. Anyway I did land a nice rainbow and two really beautiful brookies and a small rainbow before I decide not to press my luck, my knee luck not my fising luck, and get out of the water. It was a good idea. I sure appreciate getting in the stream this year a lot more than the last few years.
Fish on.

Opening weekend a little too cold

Maybe I'm getting a little too old or maybe it's the heated seats in my ride but damn it sure seemed cold this weekend. Cold enough that I didn't even suit up. For the past several weeks I've been watching the fish in my pond. They've been sunning and cruising around. Not this weekend. My fish aren't stupid. And except for the occasional typo neither am I. I don't especially like fishing the bottom with a lot of lead nor do I like freezing my _____ off. So after cruising the Tow Path, some long studies of the complex current patterns and a few close-up looks at the river I fled to my heated seats. There's always next week.

I wasn't alone in staying in the heated seats. There were a few old soles –– and I do mean old –– 'round and about but for the most part the river was empty. Only the easy wading holes had anyone in them. I did see one worm killer trudging up the road with a very sorry looking 8 inch rainbow swinging from his stringer.

Wow! We made it through another winter

This winter was a rough one. Record snowfalls. Broken legs. Thankfully I'm getting better just in time to go fishing. I going to go up to Roscoe this weekend and see if I can muscle into a easy wading spot or two and drown a few flies. Who knows.

There been a lot of noise this winter over gas drilling. There a lot of scare tactics from the anti side reminissant of the 70s. Red herring stuff. Gas is here. They beefed up one pipeline and built another. It's not going to happen it's happening. Our world is changing. Farms are disappearing. Suburban sprawl isn't far behind. We have to manage our future. We need to promote outdoor life. Fishing. Hunting. Real conservation and stewardship.

Let's go fishin'.

It looks like a good week ahead

At least foe access to the river. PPL has posted this coming week's schedule. Generation isn't scheduled to start until noon every day. that will allow for fishing right up to about 2 o'clock. Why didn't they do that when I was on vacation 2 weeks ago. I'm gonna fish on Sunday. What hatches , if any, are on right now? I should know but I'm swamped.

This has been another year of big rains. It's been that way for nearly the last 10 years. How has it affected your fishing?

PPL Updates Schedule - In Our Favor!

I just checked the schedule for power runs and noticed that PPL has decided not to run power on Sunday. I'll see you there.

Delaware River Water Trail Map

Here's a Delaware River Boater's map. A nice job. You'll need Acrobat Reader.

In the summer when the trout are sleepy and PPL is running full bore a canoe trip on the Delaware can be a fantastic experience. Bald Eagles. Smallies. Trout!

Did I mention the smallies.

Do it on a weekday.