The Guides Just Know, (It's Why They Get The Big Bucks).

If you are wondering, most guides are on either the EB or the BR. Why? That's the question. For starters both the WB and the UEB are quite low and difficult to navigate without interfering with wade fishermen and banging the bottom of an expensive drift boat. There is, however, a second reason. The EB and BR almost always warm up first and everyone wants to be the first to fish the Hendricksons. This morning four boats went by the fishing camp between 10:30 and 11:30, a good two hours earlier than usual, and two more were anchored in the home pool. Hmm.

I know that the guides know, and that I should have taken the hint and headed downstream, but I had already decided to spend the day, either driving over to the Neversink, or doing a recon of the river system. Making what was probably the second mistake of the day, I opted for the drive around. Used 2/3s of a tank of gas, and saw but one fish rise, (once), before 4:00pm, and not more than a dozen paraleps on the water all day.

Heading back to the Lordville Estate  at 4:00 pm I stopped on the Lordville bridge and saw a fish rise down in the flat water. Parked and went upstream into the riff. (There was some kind of a group spaced out downstream, ((at least eight of them)), learning how to cast). Waded out and saw my first "big bug" of the season, (a red quill). In the next half hour I saw at least a couple dozen more red quills and three splashy risers, (chasing nymphs), never got a look on my red quill, but waded back to shore knowing that it's about to happen, and maybe, just maybe, I'll be downstream tomorrow, somewhere between Long Eddy and Callicoon when it does.