Brown and Blue 6 May 2024

 On the Delaware coast, it did not look like the best of conditions for surf fishing.  Temps in the low 60s, but a persistent east wind made it feel cooler.  There was a 4 - 6' surf with overcast skies.  A further bad omen was the sight of a beached fin whale about a mile north of the Indian River Inlet.  From the looks of her at the scene, the odds of recovery looked slim.  Undeterred, I grabbed some frozen mullet at Old Inlet Bait and Tackle and thought I would give the surf a try if the weather improved.  

With a few house chores completed and winds shifting more to the southeast, I decided to cast into the surf with about an hour to go before sunset.  It has been some time since I wet a line in Bethany Beach.  There are some passing stripers and reds in the fall, but without a lot of structure, the fishing is generally hit or miss.  

There was little to no action for the first 30 minutes or so, but a dolphin in about 100 yards out soon grabbed my attention.  Generally, dolphin is usually no bueno for fishing.  As he was cruising south, he suddenly made a turn toward the beach.  It looked like he was chasing a meal.  Thirty seconds later, the rod doubled over, and line began stripping from the reel before I could pull the rod from the sand spike.  As I took and gave line, I just hoped that I wasn't dealing with a dogfish.  The flat tail that emerged from the surf was relief, and the 30" bluefish that I landed was a personal best.

 Meanwhile, a few hundred miles north....

Finally scored on dries.  The weather has jumped from warm and sunny to cold and dreary.  But today the clouds broke and the temps warmed.  But, despite 6.5 inches of rain in April, the trees have been sucking the ground water out as they leaf out, bringing down water levels. 

May is prime for dry flies in Potter County.  Gray Foxes, March Browns, Green Drakes, and Sulphurs all make their appearance this month.  This evening I lit out to the Pavilion Hole to see if I could entice a trout on a dry.  Not much bug activity; a few March Browns and Gray Foxes.  But the fish didn't seem to mind.

I tied on a size 10 March Brown.  Fish started rising around 5:45.  And, keeping to form, I missed and lost the first couple of fish.  Fortunately, the trouts humored me, and I knocked the rust off on a wild Brown and a stockie Rainbow.

I moved down to the Lower Hole (haven't figured out a name for it) to give the Pavilion Hole a rest.  The hole doesn't have much in the way of character, with two exceptions.  The middle of the run has decent depth.  And a suken tree sits off the far bank, providing some decent cover.  

A few days earlier I'd noticed a fish rise between the tree and the far bank.  So this evening I figured I'd give him a shot.  Casts to the inside of the sunken tree went unnoticed.  So decision time.  If I cast to the other side, and the fish takes the fly, chances are he's going to dive under the tree and break me off.  But it had to be tried.  First cast on the far side and fish rises.  I pulled the fly away, not wanting to lose it.  But then the itch was too much.  Another cast and he attacks the fly.  Again I chickened out and pulled away at the last second.  I decided to go for broke, and on the third cast I let the fish take the fly.  And, as luck would have it, his momentum took him over the tree and into open water.  A nice Rainbow, which spit my fly as I tried to get him into the net.  

Back to the Pavilion Hole for a few more casts, and was rewarded by a 15-16 inch nicely-colored Rainbow.  No photo, as this fish put up a fight and and I needed to get him back in the water most scosh.  In fact, after I released him, he went belly up.  Not good.  So I got in the water (no waders) close enough to nudge him fins up with my net, and he swam off to fight another day.

Soaked socks and shoes will dry out.  Worth it to keep a fish like that around to fight another day.  Unless a Mink or a Heron gets him....

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing