I'm Feeling Sad; It's Bad All Over.

Making a conscious effort this week to take care of things that have been on the to do list since April, and to fish places I haven't visited this year. Didn't mow until the sun dried the dew off the lawn but was able to prune the apple and peach branches that the deer have jumped up and pulled down, while the grass was still wet. Love having the deer around but for such gentle creatures they sure can do a lot of damage to the fruit trees and a garden. Didn't finish the yard work until almost two then had lunch and worked on a crossword puzzle. Left at a little before 4:00 and stopped at the town office to get a dump sticker for the new car. The sticker is free for seniors but they want you to get a new one each year. The one on the car I traded in was from 2019.

From the town office I drove up to Deposit, sometimes everyone does stupid things. Yesterday it was ok to get there at 4:30, it was overcast and there were bugs and fish. Today it was sunny and both the bugs and fish were no shows. Drove up route 8 and came down River Road past the two cars at Stilesville and the three at the Red Barn, saw no bugs or risers on the river. Trip down to the Men's Club was the same, nada.

Headed for the UEB to fish a pool that is in the shade early, had lots of big rainbows in it at this time last year and I  hadn't fished it yet this year.  To my surprise the tornado/wind event of a few weeks ago sent two big Sycamores into the river, (much like the tree at the Men's Club). One was no problem but the other shut off about 2/5s of the stream and the current going around the top of the tree was, for me, uncomfortable. Not a problem in the daylight, but I decided I didn't want to go upstream around the tree top in the dark. I left early and fished another place farther upstream that I haven't visited in a couple of years.

The fishing - Is dreadful. Perhaps those who postponed their yard work and fished from 11:30 until 3:00 knocked the spots off 'em, and if they did, good for them. I had the distinction of losing nine straight fish. The first three were yesterday, two of which were good ones. Today's six were comprised of five 7/9 inch yearlings and one very big, hot rainbow. Snapped the string of losses by landing an 8 inch rainbow. At 8:20 with the skunk brazenly dancing on the shoreline and me having no idea where my olive was, I felt the line go tight and was fast to the second non-yearling fish of the day. Played what turned out to be a nice 17 inch brown very carefully, (the hook came out and tangled in the net), measured him, let him go, reeled it in, crossed back to the car side of the stream, made what was quite a long walk to the car, and headed back to the Lordville Estate, thinking of more things I can do tomorrow before having to put on the waders.