I can't complain about my work schedule this past semester. By contract a Professor is required to teach 30 contact hours from August 1st to August 1st. This past year I taught almost 90 contact hours, with the bulk of those hours in the past semester. But I've been lucky as it seemed timing was on my side, as the semester ended the fishing got good, and I was able to partake. With this the final post for another May I can say fishing the Delaware, either at mile marker 130 or 330 was really good. And this week I'm off to the Vineyard where I'll stand in wait for a fish to swim by. It's my favorite type of fishing, sight fishing, be it trout coming up on mergers or dries or striped bass patrolling the flats.
One question I get asked a lot, and looked at like I'm weird, is why I use a stripping basket when fly fishing the Upper Delaware. For me it's like a security blanket, coupled with a wading staff that hangs off the belt. I like the basket for line management. I hate stripping line off the water every time I cast, especially if those casts are longer. And how many times is the line in a big loop below you swinging in the current. It's like being in a drift boat, but not. When you're floating you don't keep the line in the water?So instead of making a cast, stripping in the line in loops into your hand, you just manage in it and drop in the basket and when you're drag free drift is done you're ready for the next cast. So it's works for me. Now maybe a tad smaller basket would be better, maybe even one of those collapsable ones.
And speaking Upper Delaware Leif is still up there and getting it done. During the day it was more fish pics coming across my phone. I looked at them quickly, mostly in the sun, and they looked beautiful. And then I got home and readied myself for some editing. I love Leif, but sometimes those pics he sends me just kill me. I not talking smack, we laugh at this topic all the time. "Where's the tail" "What about the rod shadow" "It's not in focus" "Why did you cut the guys feet off" "It's too backlit".
So the above fish was a dandy. 19 inches on the tape and a really nice and colorful fish. Now what in the hell can I do with that image? He always loves that angle, I do not, and it's too soft to do anything. But it's a good fish and worthy of the mention. The fish pic above that was another beauty he caught yesterday and that one that I could work with.
And lastly on my trip to Hancock. I realized on Sunday that my truck registration was overdue. I tried to do it online but the grace period was over. Monday was Memorial Day so everything was closed so I made the appointment for yesterday and crossed my fingers. On Wednesday Leif and I were driving in Hancock and somehow missed the New York State Police sting operation near the railroad tracks at W. Front Street and South Pennsylvania Avenue. That's the short road that leads to the Route 191 bridge. Many, many people I know have been pinched there, but we were coming from the Capra direction, and that surely saved me a ticket, or a tow.
So yesterday after mowing the lawn before this weekends rain and getting some things done around the house I hit my local spots where I put a few in the tank. One things for sure, and I was reminded this after switching up which waders I use, boot foots are way easier to get in and out of.