Posted on September 22 2023
Despite Tuesday's debacle this has been by far my best week in September. Why? Water temps and water levels levels are both low enough that I can fish where I want to, not where I have to. Monday it was on the UEB, Tuesday the BE, Wednesday the BR and today I was on both the BE and the WB.
Decided to get out early this morning and give it a try before the bright sun got a chance to quiet things down. Was on the BE as the fog burned off. Saw a total of three rises all morning (each one of the risers refused my fly). Blind casting was a different story. As the sun warmed things up there were brown caddis in the air. The fish were unimpressed with mine. What they did like were my spinners. Hooked a dozen fish (mostly 11/13 inch rainbows), landed only five of them but had lots of action in less than three hours of fishing.
Went out again at 4:00 and tried a different place on the BE. There were some good fish making boils that wouldn't give me a look but I hooked six rainbows blind casting, (landing but two). Got back into the car at 6:00 when things quieted down and drove over to the lower WB where I fished a run and pool for the last hour. There was a huge pseudo spinner fall which the fish ignored but there were a good number of fish up feeding on both pseudos and the few larger olives that came floating by. Hooked five more fish and was able to bring all but one to net. A 17.014 inch brown was fish of the day.
There are a lot of what I believe to be 17 month old rainbows in the freestones. Their mouths are much more delicate than the browns and small hooks often rip out while playing them. On the BR yesterday I landed the first 10 fish I hooked, today I was 11 for 23. So far this week I have not fished in sight of another angler except for one boat that came by me as I was walking back to the car tonight.
“BE” is short for Big East. It begins where the Beaverkill and Upper East meet.
Lafayette (!!!) we are here. And now we are gone. Stayed one step behind or one ahead of A119. Several inquiries produced nothing. Locals are tight-lipped as to his Richard Kimballesque program.
By the third float. The crew paid more attention to spotting rise forms and less on the scenery. Met some old river friends and made some new ones, who opened with: “ you build that ?”
Drank the kool aid fished iso parachutes where we could. Most riffles and runs had the no vacancy signs out. Somewhat crowded for mid-wk. no Ted Williams percentages, but did alright. A pair of caddis was the winning hand.
Ed smith and Dennis:keep the pressure on him. Maybe incorporate a stronger cross-examination.
I’ll leave you with this from Hunter S. Thompson … “As long as I’m learning something, I figure I’m OK— it’s a decent day.”
Angler 119
Thanks for all your reports. It is a 3 hour drive for me to Hancock, I find your reports very helpful to decide if and when I should commit to the long drive up.
Two Q’s:
Has the algae on the WB subsided?
Given how much you hop around from steam to stream, do you take off your boots each time you change locations? If not, how do you handle the mud that you would track into your truck?
Thanks
Jack
Angler119- I second Dennis’s comments. Congratulations. On the BK today hoping for rising fish. Ed
I’m still trying to figure out what BE stands for. Thanks for the reports. I read them everyday. I’m in Philadelphia so it influences my decision to come up or not.
All I can say is wow!!!!!! What a great day. That is really impressive. I’ll be there over the weekend and hope to do half as well