Posted on April 24 2024
It's 6:00 pm on Tuesday night and I sitting out on the back porch with my PC and my PM for the first time this year. The apricot tree blossoms are done, the plum and peach trees are in full bloom. Only the blossoms on the apple trees and red buds remain closed. The last two mornings we had heavy frost with temps in the high twenties. Not sure what that means for the apricots and plums.
I am expecting company tonight. The last two nights two small does (yearlings I'm sure) showed up, one obviously pregnant, the other not. I was getting a little concerned that I hadn't seen the little yearling buck that was orphaned last year and spent the late summer and early fall bedding down in my flower garden and eating the drops from the peach tree. He also showed up the last two nights. They obviously remember me from last year because when I talk to them they come running right over to the porch expecting me to go out and shake some apples out of the tree.
The blue birds have constructed their nest (I peeked while I was stabilizing the rebar it is attached to, to keep the nest box from swinging around in the wind). Blue birds want the opening of the nest box facing east and they want a perch in front of the box for the male to sing to his nesting mate. Give them those two things and they will take a thirty-four year old, leaky old box instead of the brand new one from Walmart.
The fishing - I had a really good day, so good that I quit at 3:45 and just drove around checking out hatches, rivers levels, fishermen and drift boats, BUT I'm not going to tell you a single thing about what was happening. Why? Because, with the exception of Ed and Dennis, no one has made a meaningful comment about the fishing (or anything else for that matter), so far this year. I do my best, but no one can be everywhere every day. Where did you go, what did you see, what was hatching, were any fish rising, how crowded was it, what was the water temp, what was the flow level, did you see any interesting wildlife?
As you request sir, and great to have your contributions, as always. With your encouragement I headed down yesterday. I picked my spot of the lower WB based on your good counsel over the years and my monitoring of the temps and flows. Picked the right pool and had it all to myself. Tons of Hendricksons. More rising fish than one could imagine being possible, from 2ish-4. Plenty of 1s and 2s to target before that. But far far too much wind in exactly the wrong direction. I left without any skunk but with fish still rising but unable to make a good presentation. All good fun and enjoyable. I just knew when I was beat and when enough was enough. I consider this progress!
Addendum. I forgot to mention the five mergansers fishing and flying around in tight formation.
Took the long ride down to the mainstem yesterday. The flow was 4060 cfs and the temp peaked at 10.5 C. Fish were ignoring the abundant caddis in the early afternoon. Mayflies started around 2:30 (Hendrickson’s, red quill, quill Gordons, and maybe olives). The fish were few and far between and needed to be spotted from a distance and walked up to… not the usual situation in this locality. The downriver wind gusts made presentations difficult. But I could see calm bits coming down the river annd get ready for them. Only one other wading fisherman seen and two boats. Two fish landed; both browns: 21” and 17”. I left by 4:45. Thanks for your reports.
I should have added in my update that the flows on the WB were around 2000 (all spill, they had shut releases off)
Ok, Angler 119, point taken. I fished the UEB last Saturday, which was high (1300 cfs) and cold (mid-40s), but I was able to wade the tail of a pool, which I had to myself all day, apart from a steady stream of drift boats.
A sporadic Hendrickson hatch was underway when I showed up around 1:30, and I quickly spotted and hooked a lone riser. After several long runs, I was getting ready to net what looked like an 18-20-incher before he slipped the hook—which it turns out he bent during our battle.
After that, a biblical hatch covered the water with carpets of Hendricksons. But for the most part, the trout were indifferent. Couldn’t touch another fish all day, and neither could any of the drift boats. After a front rolled through, game over. Your turn. . . .
I have always put faith is your advice, so when you wrote yesterday “You waited all winter for this, get here” I made the long drive. The water level and temperature graphs seemed to optimize mid-afternoon. Found some cold flat water and saw Hendricksons rising and fish consuming them.
The wind, however, was horrible and my casts were way off no matter what I did. If the surface turbulence could make the fish less discriminating, I’d have had an incredible day.
Got fitted for some new golf clubs today and I’ll be fishing all weekend ( 2days) I hope.
A119 What a great day you had!!! I can only hope for one myself.
Thanks for the reports
OK, you asked for it, and bear in mind that I’m just starting on these rivers after a lifetime out west. I am usually a WB guy but fished the BK for the first time on Tuesday. Not much bug activity until about 1, so I nymphed under an indicator for a couple hours, 3 different holes above the mouth, and had 2 short takes. Ended up a few miles beneath Roscoe when the hatch kicked in a bit before 2. Encountered about a dozen fishers over the 20 mile stretch. A big pod of risers across the river that I couldn’t reach (deep water and high bank on the near side), but I got a couple in the current on CDC Hendos. It seemed to me that the ratio bugs/rises was huge, except for that pod. Saw some huge green-body mayflies that I could not identify (too early for green drake, right?).
Love your updates, here’s mine. I was on the west branch near hale eddy last Thursday and Friday. Wonderful dry fly fishing in the mid afternoon. Hendricksons and quill Gordon’s were the ticket. I used some 14 Bwo flies for Gordon’s as the real ones had a very dark greenish cast to them. No takers on the blue quills I tried.
The only fun wildlife I saw were two crows dive bombing a red tail hawk in the field across the river. They were really getting after the hawk which doesn’t strike me as a great plan but they had religion.
New to posting here but have been following since last year. Can’t add anything yet as I’m still in Florida and won’t be back till about 5/5. Yea, I know I mostly miss the hendrickson hatch but usually catch the caddis when I get there. Just bass fish down here but looking forward to trout fishing when I get back. Keep up the info, I thoroughly enjoy reading and hopefully will be able to comment in the future. I’m located at lake wallenpaupack
In the summer. Maybe see you on the river.
P.S. off the water at 3:45.Must have been a fantastic day. Congratulations Ed
P.S. off the water at 3:45.Must have been a fantastic day. Congratulations
Angler119- Thank you for your always entertaining and informative posts. I’m limited to once a week fishing( granddaughter’s high school lacrosse, life) and live vicariously through your fishing adventures. Please keep them coming. I’ll be on the BK/ Willow on Monday and let you know what transpired. Ed