I'm Not Done Yet

When it comes to autumn fishing and gardening, four words, delusional in the face of the impending cold weather, define my outlook.  Those words are, “I’m not done yet.”

            The folly of these words in the garden becomes quickly apparent.  The late planted peas never got started and tomatoes, even the prolific cherry tomatoes, are wasting away.  The savior for home grown produce this week are the cool weather crops, such as kale and chard.

            With fishing, the delusion that it will last forever is easier to maintain.  The fishing right now is wonderful.  Saltwater fish like striped bass are migrating.  Some trout and salmon are on the move to spawn.  Fish in general are said to be feeding more aggressively now, to bulk up for the coming winter.

            The fall can be a great time to learn something new about fishing.  My friend Seth is getting ready to take up trout fishing from a kayak and that has started a conversation and research that has expanded to include my friends Seymour and Phil.

            During a break at a recent meeting, my co-worker, Keith, told me about his favorite fly fishing tackle: a three weight fly rod that is six and three-quarter inches long.  Keith likes this rig as it is nimble enough for fishing the small streams he likes the most; the light weight makes the fight of even the smallest fish, “feel like a tuna.”

            If you are not trying something new, there is much delight in the tried and true.  My recent fishing has been saved by an elk hair caddis pattern tyed by my friend Dennis.  It has also been saved by one of the Woolly Buggers that my friend Barbara gave me, a tough, durable and beautifully tyed fly that her cousin Steve gave her.

This brown trout took Steve's Woolly Bugger 

A California fishing trip saved by one of Dennis' flies

 






















          One caution: If you are out in the next few weeks, be prepared for cooler weather and have a back-up wardrobe in case the weather gets even cooler or wetter.  This past week, my waders sprung a leak while I was fishing Salmon Creek, a tributary to Cayuga lake in central New York.  Even with the car heater turned to “high,” driving home in wet jeans afterwards was no fun

            Angling should be good to great on waters still and flowing on all three coasts.  If you have a story you want to share, please post - - or share it and I will update this blog!