Memories Are Made Of This.

I'll admit it, my confidence has taken a hit. Ever since I quit the Sulfur Zone back in mid- August I have struggled to find and catch fish. Have had two or three good trips on the BR, but when the only reliable hatch you can find is on the UEB and the fish of the day doesn't make it to twelve inches you just might begin to doubt yourself.

Awoke to 44 degrees on the porch and 67 in the fishing camp.The water on the entire system was in the 50's and I was hopeful that that would get the bugs hatching earlier in the day. Left the estate at 2:30 and headed up the PA side. No bugs at Buckingham, but five trailers and six cars in the lot. Stockport was busy with boats both putting in and taking out. Sat down on my high water rock, (had my shoes on), and actually saw some olives, (some is NOT a big number but way better than none). Alas, there were no risers. Drove up to Balls Eddy and it was also busy with drift boats departing and pontoon boats arriving. No bugs to be seen even with the binocs. Did a U-turn and headed east.

Have fished the BK and BE once a week since the water came down from the 20,000 cfs flood. Prior to today I had hooked three fish in the BK, (lost them all), and seen one rise, zero bugs and caught no fish on the BE.

The bugs - On the BK, there were actually were some, the occasional caddis, a very few isos and enough Hebes that I actually saw more than one on the water at the same time. Saw nary a bug on the BE.

The fishing - Beyond my wildest dreams. On a season long basis, a good day. For the last month, don't wake me up, I'm enjoying the dream. Caught at least one fish at every one of my four stops. Actually had two fish rise and then eat my fly. Landed two nice rainbows on the EB, that I needed to make ten, in the near dark, with my polaroids on, and my regular glasses in the car.

Beating all odds - The first two places I fished are a blind casters dream. You know where the fish should be and you can be in and out in less than an hour having covered a high percentage of the fish. The third spot is a very good pool but you need to have rising fish to have a chance, there were none. The pool is a couple hundred  yards long, with no obvious spots where fish lie. If the fish aren't rising, you're done. Stood on the bank, saw several bugs in the air, a Hebe floated by on the water, but there were no rising fish. Walked upstream a couple hundred feet, waded out from shore and made a cast. The sun was behind a bank of clouds and I decided to switch glasses. Tucked the rod under my arm and started to reach into my shirt pocket for my clear glasses when the fly, that had not floated two feet, was engulfed by a big brown. Grabbed the rod, hooked without having the line in my hand and was fast to what turned out to be the fish of the day. Landed the fish, turned around, and headed for the car, (sometimes you just have to know when to quit).