Posted on June 01 2023
Last week when I made my somewhat shaky return from a bout with "Montezuma's Revenge", it was at two easy access pools on the Beaverkill. Not to be a sentimental sop but the first thing I noticed was that the toads were singing their hearts out. No, not for me of course, but there they were, lined up along the shore doing there springtime thing. I don't know when they started (heard the last ones this week) but walking along the shore today I saw tens of thousands of the little pollywogs, some as big as a pea and some as small as the head of a pin. Just wondering, fish will devour any baby frog that they can get to but won't touch a toad. Will fish eat pollywogs?
Foxes - Have seen four foxes this week (three red, one gray). the gray one I've seen twice near the Cow Lick on rte. 97, which strangely, is not yet open.
The fishing - Since it has been demoted to #3 on the list, you probably think there will be more moaning and groaning about bright sun, hot temps, low water, and fish that won't eat may flies real or artificial. Well, you are wrong! Had my third straight morning of solitude and rising fish willing to eat a fly with a hook in it. The evening fishing started by me leaving the camp at 7:15, (way too early), nine boats went by me without bothering me a bit, and I found two dry flies that five WB fish ate, four of which ended up in the net. The four fish was double the previous four nights combined. All told (and I had to look it up) it was the most fish I've hooked in one day this year and the second most fish I've landed.
On the way out to fish this evening I stopped on the Lordville bridge and counted seven wade fishermen in the Lordville riff. Please check temps before fishing. If the water temp is 70 or above (it was) head to the WB like everyone else.
I'm not staying up to see if they max out the releases as previously planned, but I'll sure give it a look early tomorrow. Clearly the streams need more cold water but with the absence of any rain for over a month, would you want to authorize the drawdown of the reservoirs starting tomorrow? I wouldn't! My money says they postpone the project for yet another year.