"mu" wrote

Well, on the water, I had thought I had just been shown some keen
insight into the fish of Spring Creek. I may have actually been
exposed to something that is more generally applicable to trout
anywhere. A few months have gone by but but it's still not clear
exactly what is the proper lesson learned from that encounter. Maybe
there is no lesson other than that I had witnessed a bit of
Pennsylvania trout magic.

Mu
San Jose, California


Wonderful story, thanks ... I have to make it to that area, someday

As for "more generally applicable" lessons, much of what you recount would
sound right on if you changed the names to fit some spots I fish each year.
Well educated fish don't give much indication of their presence, walking
right on by them is more common than noticing them. Beetles can work
wonders almost all year long, and grizzled old locals can not only see the
impossible to see, they know where they have seen it many times before.

I was reminded of a brief moment last year. I was deep into the Ranch and
walking out, when I met a Japanese couple walking further in. In
exchanging the usual passing remarks it became obvious they hadn't seen any
fish that day and HE was pretty unhappy. I had watched them coming
towards me and it was clear from the way they moved, where and how, they
looked that they could use some help, so I started to try and provide a bit
of info over the language barrier. I looked at the water searching my
mind for words to describe what to look for (it's not 'rises' ) and saw a
fish working about 40 feet off shore. I pointed to it with my rod and
tried to get him to see it, but he didn't. I convinced him to get in and
move very slowly towards the spot, and called out each time the fish showed
itself. He never saw the disturbances. He said something in Japanese to
his partner and I don't think it reflected belief in what I was saying G.
I had to caution him to slow down and not make waves a couple times, he
clearly wanted to "fish," not hunt. Then, when he got to about 15 feet
from the fish and I called out another 'rise' he saw it and exclaimed in
obvious amazement, in both languages.

I wish the story ended well, but he was far closer to that fish than he was
used to being to a target and probably was 'full line' caster. His first
effort shot well past the fish, which then moved up and over a few feet. I
helped him see it again, but the second effort moved it somewhere far, far,
away.


Um, another evening right at the popular ( easy to get to ) log jam area
there were several anglers sitting on shore looking forlorn as I moved
slowing about and hooked seven fish. When I got out, one that was close
said he was surprised that I had success "fishing the water" and commented
that he always waited for the fish to rise before getting in. He said it
in a very slightly hostile tone, maybe trying to imply that my being 'in'
had been a factor in his "no risers." I simply told him the truth, "I
never made a single cast unless I saw the fish first." His look showed
he thought that a total lie, but it was god's honest fact. One of those
seven, I had to watch rise half a dozen times myself, from only a few feet
away, before I was certain it was a fish and not just an odd wavelet or
weeds moving the surface, and he was close to 18" !!


Next trip to Hot, get down in the canyon early, way before the other guys,
or the hatches, and look, hard, right along the shore, inch or two from the
bank. Once you learn what to see, it will astound you how much there is to
walk right past. G, they move out after the crowds start "fishing" so hunt
early. ( try a beetle ;-) ( or #20 black caddis )