No Sulphurs, but...

[FIN-ITE 34]

Fished a LV stream late Sunday afternoon with plans to nymph the upper and then drop back down for a possible evening Sulphur hatch. Well I nymphed up a few small wild browns in the upper section and then dropped back down stream about a mile to the area I wanted to be in for a possible hatch. I continued to nymph that section, catching a few more small browns while waiting for the bugs to come off. At about 1915 I sat down between two pools waiting for the hatch, which never materialized. The numbers of bugs coming off were extremely thin and I probably saw two or three fish rise once or twice, but nothing worth tying on a dry fly. So just before eight I decided to go back to nymphing while I waited to see if anything else would happen with any kind of rising fish to hatching or falling bugs. I have been having really good success with a size 16, silver bead quill nymph and once again it did not disappoint. At the head of the pool my indicator stopped and I set the hook to that feeling when you know it's a good fish. You know the hook set, where when the rod bends and nothing happens. Just before the fish realizes, f-you man, I'm outta' here. Well it was a great ending to a nothing hatch evening, with a heavy 21" male brown. After removing the hook and releasing the fish, I noticed that the hook was straightened to the point that another good run and it would have been hasta la vista baby, no fish and only a bent hook to show for my efforts.

 

[flyI4]

beautiful fish. U have shown me enough to make me return to this stream. The power of the internet, look what you've done.

 

[trico mike]

That's a big fish for the monacacy.lol

 

[FIN-ITE 34]

That's a big fish for the monacacy.lol

It sure is, isn't it. Who'd a thought.

 

[Trout Nazi]

Nice fish, looks like a bruiser. I had a fish up on the D last week straighten a size 10 heavy nymph hook in about 30 seconds of fight. I couldn't even move it, and then a couple of heavy head shakes and a run and that was all she wrote. Too bent to bend back without breaking.

 

[mudbug201]

Nice fish, looks like a bruiser. I had a fish up on the D last week straighten a size 10 heavy nymph hook in about 30 seconds of fight. I couldn't even move it, and then a couple of heavy head shakes and a run and that was all she wrote. Too bent to bend back without breaking.

Sounds like a shad. Sure it was a trout?

Every time I hook a fish on a nymph in the Delaware or Lackawaxen that just holds in heavy current, like I've hooked a log, before shaking and running, it turns out to be a shad. Way stronger swimmers than trout. Never disappointed when I bring one to hand when trout fishing.

 

[Trout Nazi]

Sounds like a shad. Sure it was a trout?

Every time I hook a fish on a nymph in the Delaware or Lackawaxen that just holds in heavy current, like I've hooked a log, before shaking and running, it turns out to be a shad. Way stronger swimmers than trout. Never disappointed when I bring one to hand when trout fishing.

Saw it roll, looked like a very big brown. Caught enough fish that day that I got over it pretty fast though.

 

[flyI4]

Shad on the dry will suprise you- Mudbug- I hit the upper east last weekend after your story (u ruined the stream via internet too- just like finite) and had some good action but no fish like the one u described. Have had a lot of high fish number days but not a lot of real big fish over 20'' this year. A funky season where fishing has oddly been better than normal at times but unpredictable. i keep looking for that monster fish rising but haven't seen him. Not small fish but no huge fish either

 

[mudbug201]

Shad on the dry will suprise you- Mudbug- I hit the upper east last weekend after your story (u ruined the stream via internet too- just like finite) and had some good action but no fish like the one u described. ... Not small fish but no huge fish either

I'll generally take a double digit day over one monster these days - I know that might put me in the minority, but I don't get out as much as I'd like to, so stalking big game is sometimes not what I'm looking for. Whatever... big fish vs. lots of fish... first world problem.

Sorry for ruining the upper east. My cousin went to roughly where I was during the big wind gusts last saturday and netted a rainbow the same size (22-23) as my brown, again bank sipping in shallow water. This time a large cdc rusty spinner did the job. Never seen so many big fish in that particular area.

My current theory about it is that the fish distribution up there is wacky this spring. Anchor ice had the fish stacked up in deep holes. Then the water turned warm and low. I don't think the fish have really had a chance to spread out.

Anyway, heading up this weekend and will try to get my first float of the season in.

 

[golden beetle]

I saw a sulfur on Sunday night.

Also a yellow stone - tiny...

Also a hendrickson.

And also a March brown.

And at least two species of caddis...

But not many bugs, in concentrations....

Fish were rising at Stockport, but I didn't cast to them.

I retreated to Shehawken with the dog. And we watched the drift boats pull in at 7:30 pm or so...

There were guides taking their clients off the water before the spinner fall...

I was surprised.

Another guide said he put in at Stilesville, and was gonna go all the way down to Jersey.

With an orange bobber beside the boat and a tandem rig of nymphs.

Not one rise at Shehawken until 8:50 pm or so.

Not kidding.

 

[Mail]

You know the hook set, where when the rod bends and nothing happens. Just before the fish realizes, f-you man, I'm outta' here.

I have had that exact feeling a few times this season. Set the hook and it feels like a log, then when you try to get the "snag" off it takes off down stream.