Good day before the storm. Fish, patient, fish, patient, fish. Although spring is here and there are signs in each stop, this weekend we are bracing for a potential Bomb Cyclone. What is a bomb cyclone? According to Scientific American, "A bomb cyclone is a large, intense midlatitude storm that has low pressure at its center, weather fronts and an array of associated weather, from blizzards to severe thunderstorms to heavy precipitation. It becomes a bomb when its central pressure decreases very quickly—by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours." That will slow any real progress towards spring, at least for a few days. Some spots are having a banner early spring, others waiting for things to pop.
First stop and the Early Brown Stoneflies were out in numbers. The other day I was covered with them and while in the hospital one was crawling around my lab coat. They have been stuck in my car and every time I leave it I have a few hitching a ride. Water temps bumped down to 41 so it'll be a week or two until the first bass chases a fly, some in the know say they are probably already here.
Stop 2 was really promising, as I saw about a dozen fish caught, of course none on the fly, I seem to be the only guy anywhere carrying a fly rod. I took a long walk and found a spot just after the flip of the tide that had good backcast space. When those reeds grow in it's game over for the fly rodder here. But it really didn't matter, as I continue to be hitless and fishless over 11 days.
The cool thing of spring here was a, group of snakes which are referred to a den, pit, nest or bed. The term is not used as a noun- like say a snake cave or snake den, more like an adjective, if I have it right. There were more in the bunch, well whatever, but they sought cover or went back down the hole, to their, well den. So after I was done and ran into my Facebook friend Jimmy Jam, I stopped and watched
what was going on. As I spoke with another guy and fishing, the above gentleman comes over, readies his rod, takes out his bait, which was, drumroll please, store bought frozen shrimp for human consumption. I looked the other guy and said, "Really". So he makes a cast, puts a bell on it, and as he placed his rod down it started to ring, 'Must be a cat or a big white perch". Needless to say we were
speechless when he brought in a 28-1/2 inch striped bass that, you know, went into the truck of his car. And with that I was like, "You gotta be kidding me", and any okayness I had with not catching was shot.
So after the afternoon office visit I figured what the hell and hit the local river again, this time at the bottom of the tide. Maybe there was one that kinda got warmed up today as the river hit 43 degrees, nope, no takers. Did see a catfish and shad caught so things are moving in the right direction. Near the bottom of the tide is a great time to scout and before it gets going I have to go and get this large. and fly eating branch out of the way. I thinking the weekend is shot and it'll take a few days to clean the waters and get them heated up, prediction, first bass, March 18th.
