TR: Top secret - do not read

I stole away from work today for a few hours of fishing at the top secret spot
g. It was a gorgeous day in New England and it didn't seem fair to be stuck in
an office and let it go to waste. This is the time in this part of the world
when everything is changing from the cold, gray world that has been the last 5
months and bursting back to color. It brings to memory the scene in the Wizard
of Oz where Dorothy opens the door of her house after the tornado ride and the
world is all color. The grass and new leaves right now are almost chartreuse in
color, with the reds of oak buds and the white of the birch bark framing the
scene.

These days, my back doesn't allow for very long fishing trips because standing
for too long in one place makes it sore for days afterwards, so I pumped myself
full of aspirin and headed out for the two or so hours I could muster until it
told me I had to leave. The drive to the river was so nice I hated to stop, but,
after suiting up to do battle with trout, it only got better as I walked along
the stream. What was normally a four or five minute walk to the fishing spot I
had in mind took fifteen minutes or more. Watching the river make its music as
it rushed past and hearing that sound again had me stopping regularly to watch
and listen. As I passed a few other fishermen and exchanged greetings, I noticed
they were also in the near-euphoric state I had reached. Oh, they said the fish
were nowhere to be found, but it was an afterthought.

I fished for about an hour and managed one small brook trout, and that only from
a hole I thought should be holding fish, and then only by dredging a GRW near
the bottom. The only other fish I saw was a school of large suckers. I did
manage to see a full-tailed red fox as we stared at each other from opposite
banks after I left the normal fishing area and wandered a mile or so downstream.
I didn't wet a line again for the other two hours I was out, not for any reason
other than I was enjoying my half-day off so much I forgot. It's kind of fun to
wander off by yourself sometimes and just do what you want instead of what's
expected, IMHO. Then my back started speaking to me while I was standing there
taking it all in, and I headed back to the car.

Since standing is bothering me so much this year, I think I'll probably spend
much of the fishing season in my canoe, but days like today will keep me going
back to stand in the river periodically, pain or no pain.
--
TL,
Tim
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

From: "Tim J."

Nice report on familiar area snipped

It's always good to see failiar surroundings through someone elses eyes. Very
nice indeed. As one of my mentors told me many years ago....the catching may
not be great, but the fishing is always good.

Sorry to hear your back is giving you so much pain. FWIW, if it's your weight
that's giving you grief, I took off one layer of svelte, (22 lbs), in seven
weeks on the Atkins diet, and , contrary to popular opinion, I've taken off a
couple more in the few weeks I've been off it. Plan to do it again for a month
or so in the fall.


George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller

On Fri, 07 May 2004 02:57:22 GMT, "Tim J."
wrote:

I stole away from work today for a few hours of fishing at the top secret spot
g. It was a gorgeous day in New England and it didn't seem fair to be stuck in
an office and let it go to waste. This is the time in this part of the world
when everything is changing from the cold, gray world that has been the last 5
months and bursting back to color. It brings to memory the scene in the Wizard
of Oz where Dorothy opens the door of her house after the tornado ride and the
world is all color. The grass and new leaves right now are almost chartreuse in
color, with the reds of oak buds and the white of the birch bark framing the
scene.

These days, my back doesn't allow for very long fishing trips because standing
for too long in one place makes it sore for days afterwards, so I pumped myself
full of aspirin and headed out for the two or so hours I could muster until it
told me I had to leave. The drive to the river was so nice I hated to stop, but,
after suiting up to do battle with trout, it only got better as I walked along
the stream. What was normally a four or five minute walk to the fishing spot I
had in mind took fifteen minutes or more. Watching the river make its music as
it rushed past and hearing that sound again had me stopping regularly to watch
and listen. As I passed a few other fishermen and exchanged greetings, I noticed
they were also in the near-euphoric state I had reached. Oh, they said the fish
were nowhere to be found, but it was an afterthought.

I fished for about an hour and managed one small brook trout, and that only from
a hole I thought should be holding fish, and then only by dredging a GRW near
the bottom. The only other fish I saw was a school of large suckers. I did
manage to see a full-tailed red fox as we stared at each other from opposite
banks after I left the normal fishing area and wandered a mile or so downstream.
I didn't wet a line again for the other two hours I was out, not for any reason
other than I was enjoying my half-day off so much I forgot. It's kind of fun to
wander off by yourself sometimes and just do what you want instead of what's
expected, IMHO. Then my back started speaking to me while I was standing there
taking it all in, and I headed back to the car.

Since standing is bothering me so much this year, I think I'll probably spend
much of the fishing season in my canoe, but days like today will keep me going
back to stand in the river periodically, pain or no pain.

A good read. I imagine the lower Swift water temp is still in the forties?

Would have loved to have crossed paths with you today but got rung up by Ma
this afternoon to go over to Bedford to fix a broken flush valve, fix a broken
tv/vcr antenna hookup, and chainsaw up some winter deadfall she'd dragged out
of the woods ("we can't be having dead limbs in the woods, can we?" yeah, ok
Ma)...

/daytripper (This close to Ma's Day, how could I refuse? ;-)

"George Adams" wrote...
From: "Tim J."

Sorry to hear your back is giving you so much pain. FWIW, if it's your weight
that's giving you grief, I took off one layer of svelte, (22 lbs), in seven
weeks on the Atkins diet, and , contrary to popular opinion, I've taken off a
couple more in the few weeks I've been off it. Plan to do it again for a month
or so in the fall.

I keep telling you, I'M NOT FAT - I'M BIG-BONED!

Taking weight off would probably eliminate some of the aggravation, but the
problem stems from too many years of superman syndrome when I was young and
stupid. Now that I'm older and stupid, I get to pay for those mistakes. None the
less, I'd like to lose the weight for other reasons, as well.

BTW, how will I recognize you when I see you again? g Congrats on taking off
the pounds. Between you and Stan losing weight, I'll be the only fat. . . er,
big-boned. . . guy left in roff. If you see a canoe in a local pond pointing
toward the sky, that'll be me.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

"daytripper" wrote...
"Tim J." wrote:

I stole away from work today for a few hours of fishing at the top secret
spot
snip

A good read. I imagine the lower Swift water temp is still in the forties?

I didn't have a thermometer with me, but it seemed warmer than that - maybe low
50's. George might have the answer. I hope you're right, 'cause that would
explain the "missing" fish. I'd prefer that explanation to the possibility we're
dealing with a poaching problem again. Last year, there were reports of poachers
with nets coming out in the wee hours to clean out the stockies and sell them to
some kind of underground fish market. It could be true, or it could be the most
elaborate story ever concocted by fishermen for not catching any fish. It kinda
sounds like some kind of "underpants gnomes" hoax, eh?

Would have loved to have crossed paths with you today

The offer's still good for you to get yer ass out here, but now I'm the one with
the bad back you're doing fine. Go figure. You should come out in a few weeks
when we start really getting into the smallies and bluegill and make a day of
it.

but got rung up by Ma
this afternoon to go over to Bedford to fix a broken flush valve, fix a broken
tv/vcr antenna hookup, and chainsaw up some winter deadfall she'd dragged out
of the woods ("we can't be having dead limbs in the woods, can we?" yeah, ok
Ma)...

Look at it this way: I'll soon forget you didn't make a visit, but Ma wouldn't
let you forget for years. Wise choice.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

From: "Tim J."

I didn't have a thermometer with me, but it seemed warmer than that - maybe
low
50's. George might have the answer. I hope you're right, 'cause that would
explain the "missing" fish.

I was driving by the Swift today, so just for ****s and grins, I took the temp.
It was 50, mainly due to the volume of water coming over the top. Normally, it
would be in the mid forties this time of year.


George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller

From: "Tim J."

BTW, how will I recognize you when I see you again? g

Don't worry, I'm still svelte enough to be recognizeable. I need to take off
another 15 or 20 to get where I want to be.


George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller

From: ojunk (George=A0Adams)

I was driving by the Swift today, so just for ****s and grins, I took
the temp. It was 50, mainly due to the volume of water coming over the
top. Normally, it would be in the mid forties this time of year.

I was at the Niss in Pepperall on Sunday and the temp was 62. I wet
waded and had a great time. What do you reckon the temp at Fife Brook
Dam is this time of year? I want to get out there sometime in June.
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=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A 0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A 0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A 0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0

On 07 May 2004 18:59:28 GMT, ojunk (George Adams) wrote:

From: "Tim J."

I didn't have a thermometer with me, but it seemed warmer than that - maybe
low
50's. George might have the answer. I hope you're right, 'cause that would
explain the "missing" fish.

I was driving by the Swift today, so just for ****s and grins, I took the temp.
It was 50, mainly due to the volume of water coming over the top. Normally, it
would be in the mid forties this time of year.

Yeah, that's why I asked, the 'bows are usually still quite torpid this early
'cuz of those mid-forties.

I'm a bit surprised (but thankful) that the Quabbin is full - last time I
checked it was still in the low 90-somethings percent of capacity. I guess
that drainage caught a goodly amount of the deluges we had in March.

That can't hurt....

/daytripper

From: daytripper

I'm a bit surprised (but thankful) that the Quabbin is full - last time I
checked it was still in the low 90-somethings percent of capacity. I guess
that drainage caught a goodly amount of the deluges we had in March.

That can't hurt....

Amen.... We had low flow (30/50 cfs) in the Swift all last year, and only a
brief period of high flow the year before. This may be contributing to the slow
fishing there. Right now the flow is about 120 cfs, and may get a bit higher
before it drops.


George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller