Turn Out The Light's The Party's Over

Enjoyed a weekend at home with Jean that included a quiet 40th anniversary dinner at Dashers Pub in Homer. Ran well water into the trout pond all last week as both the inlet to the pond and our little stream, Rainbow Creek are bone dry. The fish perked up with the cold water and I was able to feed them for the first time this month. While I was watching the feeding trout, a kingfisher flew over the pond. It's the first one I've ever seen there. No doubt it has discovered the fat head minnows in the pond. The heron that fed on the pond trout for at least 10 years is gone, haven't seen him for two years and the trout population has remained constant. Walked down to the pond to feed the fish this morning and ran into three hen turkeys with 7 -10 young. It's the most young turkeys I've seen all year.

Arrived at the Lordville Estate about noon after stops to pick up apples, gas, groceries, and a "What's new", chat with Dave at the Troutfitter. Both the temperature and humidity are more pleasant than last week but the Beaverkill still hit 77 degrees, Lordville, despite the increased flow topped out at 71, while the EB at Hancock was at 80. 

Even after the weekend I was in no hurry to head out to fish, left at about 5:45 with a bright sun shining down from a cloudless sky. Drove as far up as Hale Eddy then came down the PA side, (you know what I mean), stopped at river friend Ray's house and was surprised to find him there, (he also has a place at Balls Eddy, where he's been staying). He said he was moving to a senior citizens community near Scranton where he will be closer to his sister and other family members. Apparently Ray needs a valve job and a new set of plugs and he thinks chances of finding a mechanic that has enough experience to do the job is more likely to be found there than in Balls Eddy. Hope he is back at his river home next spring, it wouldn't be the same without him.

The fishing - Waded out from Ray's thinking I had the place to myself, and I did, until one fisherman stood up out of the grass and a second angler appeared out of nowhere, the boat was the third strike. Reeled it in and moved downstream where I shared a pool with a lady in a pontoon boat. She could cast and landed a nice fish while I lost two and landed a 9 inch rainbow. When she rowed down river I was able to move downstream where fish were starting to eat spinners. This time I put on a spinner sooner and actually saw the first fish eat it, the second and third fish ate when the fly was in the area. The evening ended when the hook came out of the third fish and stuck in the net with the line still  running through the fishes mouth. while trying to get the hook out of the net with the flashlight in my mouth, it died, (the flashlight, not the fish). Cut off the fly, released the fish, pulled out the spare flashlight, which was also dead, and waded slowly to shore and walked back to the car. Put a Lithium battery in one tonight, and will stop at the drug store tomorrow for some aaa's for the other.