Got the word mid-afternoon that the brown drakes had started hatching on Neshanock Creek. Called a few fishing buddies and was pleased to hear that two were crazy enough to join me on the trip. Bounced out of work a few hours early to beat the traffic. Arrived at the stream around 6pm and proceeded to head down the path a mile. The stream was recovering for recent rain and had a tea stained clarity that reminded me of the Au Sable in Michigan. Spent some time before the show teaching a first timer the basics of nymphing. Geo took off down stream to nymph a big hole that haunts him from seasons past.
Before we knew it the drakes started to appear around the tops of the trees. The waiting game began with growing anticipation as we studied the water for rises. The drakes grew more and more abundant as the day grew nearer to darkness. With no bugs on the water there was no fish looking up. But there sure were a lot of bugs moving upstream. Good to see big mayflies on my hand.
Just as I spotted the first spinner on the water the skies grew dark with a storm and we marched back to the truck. Half way back I managed to knock myself flat and break my headlamp on a downed tree. The storm was angry, “like an old man trying to return soup at a deli” but we managed to limp home in time for me to catch a beer at the bar.
beer
