Posted on November 04 2016
With an all day rain forecast for Syracuse on Thursday and partly cloudy skies for Hancock, it was a no brainer. I packed my stuff (including three extra sets of underwear in case the fishing was good) and headed down to the Delaware to close up the camp. The hills that were ablaze with red and orange from the maples were now a cold barren gray, but the red and white Oaks were in there glory with their rich gold and brown leaves mixing with the green of the pines in a stately elegance that the maples lack.
Turned on the heat in camp and headed out to fish the pseudo hatch - - - I needn't have bothered. There were Pseudos in modest numbers and it was entertaining watching them being blown across the water (wonder what they think when a 20mph gust sends them cartwheeling across the stream?). It was windy and the fish, that like to sip pseudos in slow water pools, were having none of it. Found a few risers in spots protected from the wind but wasn't able to get a fly to them. My total for the day was three disdainful rises at wind blown (dragging ) flies.
Returned to the camp in time to get the grass mowed and the leaves raked. While sitting on the porch eating dinner I watched a beautiful eight point buck eating apples under the tree not twenty five feet in front of me. Somehow he knew my stick and string were over a hundred miles away. Was up at six this morning, did the "shut down" and was on my way home by 11:30.
It has turned out to be an average year for me on the river. It was very good up until late July, but when I returned from my trip out west the combination of record heat, drought and heavy fishing pressure made for a very poor month and a half. October saved the day as I enjoyed eight straight days of good fishing mid month. November, however, will go down as a zero unless I find a willing fish when I go back to get the neighbors Norway Maple leaves off my lawn in a couple of weeks.
See you on the river next year - - - God willing.
Oh! Almost forgot. Word on the streets of Hancock and Deposit is that the Fat Lady sang on Halloween night. I didn't know.
Turned on the heat in camp and headed out to fish the pseudo hatch - - - I needn't have bothered. There were Pseudos in modest numbers and it was entertaining watching them being blown across the water (wonder what they think when a 20mph gust sends them cartwheeling across the stream?). It was windy and the fish, that like to sip pseudos in slow water pools, were having none of it. Found a few risers in spots protected from the wind but wasn't able to get a fly to them. My total for the day was three disdainful rises at wind blown (dragging ) flies.
Returned to the camp in time to get the grass mowed and the leaves raked. While sitting on the porch eating dinner I watched a beautiful eight point buck eating apples under the tree not twenty five feet in front of me. Somehow he knew my stick and string were over a hundred miles away. Was up at six this morning, did the "shut down" and was on my way home by 11:30.
It has turned out to be an average year for me on the river. It was very good up until late July, but when I returned from my trip out west the combination of record heat, drought and heavy fishing pressure made for a very poor month and a half. October saved the day as I enjoyed eight straight days of good fishing mid month. November, however, will go down as a zero unless I find a willing fish when I go back to get the neighbors Norway Maple leaves off my lawn in a couple of weeks.
See you on the river next year - - - God willing.
Oh! Almost forgot. Word on the streets of Hancock and Deposit is that the Fat Lady sang on Halloween night. I didn't know.
Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your reports. I live in Liverpool, NY and fish the Ontario tribs during the fall and winter and spend thirty days or so on the West Branch during the summer. I appreciate the knowledge you share and I thank you for it!
Fred