That's the ting about fishing that is part of what keeps us coming back. What am I going to miss if I don't go? And that usually occurs after you have a banner night or even a dead night. Last night good example. Had to go, probably could have passed, but I went back to O.C. anyway. Same tide. Different wind. Same spots. Saw less bait and less fish on the chase or blowing up in the distance.
Since any of the tying I've done this past winter was for the Delaware I had to dig through some stuff to find my assortment of smaller flies. Some are the rejects, some have yellowed or started to rust, others are just wrong. It'd didn't matter becasue the 9pm -1230am shift that I fished left me fishless.
But it wasn't all a waste. On the bigger water I waded to places I hadn't that early in the tide. I now know "I can get there" without being in danger, as long as I have the tide correct. The other thing I was able to read was how the bait holes up in different spots even towards the end of the outgoing, it's like they are holding on for dear life trying to stay off the drop and deeper water where they know predator fish are just waiting for one wrong move.
So I didn't feel I was taking the drive-of-shame home last night as it was all a good learning experince and these fish are tough to catch when there is that much white bait around and they are moving looking for the schools to blow up on. But after passing the Statehouse and looking over to the river and seeing the height of the water I circled around to take a look. Zero wind, tide just starting to move right to left, and the only sign of life was herring and or shad fry that is making it's way to the ocean.
Interestingly yesterday during the day I spotted the above keeper plus sized bass swimming lazily on the incoming tide. I watched him or her from about 30 feet below me to about 30 feet above me and just swim in a straight line like it was going somewhere with a purpose. I wasn't fishing, but I stop at that river every chance I can because there is always something to see or learn.