TR: Makin' the spincasters look good

Word on the grapevine was that the hickory shad were in the Susquehanna
River, and possibly Deer Creek, so today I decided to completely screw off &
go check it out. Probably the first and best hotspot on Deer Creek is the
hole at Stafford Bridge, so I stopped for a look-see. Three guys fishing,
nobody catching, no fish visible in the pool. What the heck, let's try the
big river.

Headed down to the Susquehanna at the mouth of Deer Creek. If there are to
be fish, they would be here. A nearly full parking area portended the crowd
on the point, so I headed down a hundred yards or so, suited up, rigged up,
& headed in.

The river was up, apparently the turbines were going full out at the hydro
plant upstream; but I was able to get far enough out of the shoreline trees
to manage a cast. I had my doubts that the sink tip was enough to get down
deep in this flow. After a half hour skunking, though, I was pretty sure,
so I hiked up to the mouth of Deer Creek to maybe catch a bit of slower
water.

I tucked in below a mess of spin casters who seemed to be hitting a fish on
every cast and optimistically began flailing the water again. I gotta
admit, I just can't roll cast a sink tip. Still, if I were patient on the
back cast, I could shoot out a decent cast from time to time, wait for time
to sink, & be ready on the swing. Nothing. The soin cast guys above me and
below me were hitting 'em like there was no tomorrow; I couldn't buy a fish.
So it went for a couple hours.

I tried adding weight (yeah, try and cast *that*), changing flies, changing
distances, changing the drift. Nothing, and still the other guys kept
nailing them. After a while, it was clear in the close quarters I just
couldn't muster the distance needed to reach the seam where the main school
was holding, so I waded out to stop wasting a perfectly good fishing spot.

So I didn't catch a thing, but inasmuch as it was my first outing in 6
months, it couldn't be a bad day. Mid 60's, sunny, guys catching fish, a
fine cigar. Fun.

Joe F.

"rb608" wrote...
snipped nice TR

So I didn't catch a thing, but inasmuch as it was my first outing in 6
months, it couldn't be a bad day.

Amen, brother! It just feels good to be out again.
--
TL,
Tim
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

"rb608" wrote

I tried adding weight (yeah, try and cast *that*), changing flies,
changing
distances, changing the drift. Nothing, and still the other guys kept
nailing them. After a while, it was clear in the close quarters I just
couldn't muster the distance needed to reach the seam where the main
school
was holding, so I waded out to stop wasting a perfectly good fishing spot.

So I didn't catch a thing, but inasmuch as it was my first outing in 6
months, it couldn't be a bad day. Mid 60's, sunny, guys catching fish, a
fine cigar. Fun.

oh god, my buddy; if you could just come down to carolina and stay with
jeffie or pj for a week end near the end of march, or the first of aprl, you
could catch god's own number of fat, hard fighting shad, maybe 20 inches or
so, shiny as a silver dollar tinged with gold, and surrounded by cypress
older than the constitution.

why not do it next spring?

yfitons
wayno

"Wayne Harrison" wrote in message
oh god, my buddy; if you could just come down to carolina and stay
with
jeffie or pj for a week end near the end of march, or the first of aprl,
you
could catch god's own number of fat, hard fighting shad, maybe 20 inches
or
so, shiny as a silver dollar tinged with gold, and surrounded by cypress
older than the constitution.

why not do it next spring?

mfitons, I can think of few things that would give me more pleasure. Who
knows what next year may bring.

Joe F.

"rb608" wrote in message
...
"Wayne Harrison" wrote in message
oh god, my buddy; if you could just come down to carolina and stay
with
jeffie or pj for a week end near the end of march, or the first of aprl,
you
could catch god's own number of fat, hard fighting shad, maybe 20 inches
or
so, shiny as a silver dollar tinged with gold, and surrounded by cypress
older than the constitution.

why not do it next spring?

mfitons, I can think of few things that would give me more pleasure. Who
knows what next year may bring.

Joe F.

do it, dammit!

I know this might not be for the fly fishing purist but in an instance where
I can't use my flyrod effectivly(thick tree cover etc...casting distance) I
will use a bubble float with a open face rod and reel. That way I can still
use flys. Thanks!! MIKE
"rb608" wrote in message
...
Word on the grapevine was that the hickory shad were in the Susquehanna
River, and possibly Deer Creek, so today I decided to completely screw off
&
go check it out. Probably the first and best hotspot on Deer Creek is the
hole at Stafford Bridge, so I stopped for a look-see. Three guys fishing,
nobody catching, no fish visible in the pool. What the heck, let's try
the
big river.

Headed down to the Susquehanna at the mouth of Deer Creek. If there are
to
be fish, they would be here. A nearly full parking area portended the
crowd
on the point, so I headed down a hundred yards or so, suited up, rigged
up,
& headed in.

The river was up, apparently the turbines were going full out at the hydro
plant upstream; but I was able to get far enough out of the shoreline
trees
to manage a cast. I had my doubts that the sink tip was enough to get
down
deep in this flow. After a half hour skunking, though, I was pretty sure,
so I hiked up to the mouth of Deer Creek to maybe catch a bit of slower
water.

I tucked in below a mess of spin casters who seemed to be hitting a fish
on
every cast and optimistically began flailing the water again. I gotta
admit, I just can't roll cast a sink tip. Still, if I were patient on the
back cast, I could shoot out a decent cast from time to time, wait for
time
to sink, & be ready on the swing. Nothing. The soin cast guys above me
and
below me were hitting 'em like there was no tomorrow; I couldn't buy a
fish.
So it went for a couple hours.

I tried adding weight (yeah, try and cast *that*), changing flies,
changing
distances, changing the drift. Nothing, and still the other guys kept
nailing them. After a while, it was clear in the close quarters I just
couldn't muster the distance needed to reach the seam where the main
school
was holding, so I waded out to stop wasting a perfectly good fishing spot.

So I didn't catch a thing, but inasmuch as it was my first outing in 6
months, it couldn't be a bad day. Mid 60's, sunny, guys catching fish, a
fine cigar. Fun.

Joe F.