Blow ye winds

In the last column, I had mentioned that all of the Delaware tributaries were flowing at very low levels. The rain prior to and during the Memorial Day weekend caused considerable improvement of the flow levels. Despite the heavy showers, I noticed quite a few fishermen trying their luck along the main stem. Despite good insect hatches, the fishing results have not been consistent. Billy Fraser, the guide from Hankins, told me of a recent experience. On back-to-back days, with the same client, over the same water, they took nine fish the first day and only one on the second float.

Rick Miller, a guide from Roscoe, moaned about a recent extremely windy day. Said he, “When I came down the West Branch into the junction pool, there were waves with white caps on them rolling upstream.” Rowing a drift boat downstream under those conditions takes a strong back and arm muscles, such as those sported by professional wrestlers. Ah, for the carefree life of a river guide.

At this writing, the green and brown drakes are about through hatching and the sulphur duns will be coming on. The sulphurs that I have seen on the cabin screens are mostly between a size 16 or a size 18. I had one fellow tell me that he had seen some isonychias hatching. Seems a bit early for that fly, but May fly emergence dates are not graven in stone.

I have my fingers crossed for good weather and water for the 30 and 31. Mr. Norm Goheen, the rodmeister of the Dallas, Texas Fly Fishers Club, will be fishing with us those two days. He is hoping that I will get him into a big Delaware rainbow. Before he gets his hopes too high, I will have to remind him to review my nickname. Norm was my supervisor last winter, while I put together two fly rods for the Upper Delaware Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Due to Norm’s eagle-eyed quality control inspections, both rods came out far better than my expectations. The eight-and-one-half-foot rod will be used first as a donation prize. This rod takes a five-weight line. The seven-and-one-half-foot rod will be used as next year’s prize. The Upper Delaware Chapter will sell a maximum of 100 tickets at $5 per donation. Those are pretty good odds. The winning ticket will be drawn at our October 6 chapter picnic. You do not have to be a member of the chapter or need to be present at the drawing to be a winner. Proceeds from the drawing will be used to purchase more willows to be planted along Delaware tributaries in spring 2002. Remember… getting two tickets will half the odds. Good luck to all the buyers.

It is now Thursday afternoon. Norm Goheen has come and gone. Norm managed to dodge the rain showers but not the horrendous winds that came after. The howling gates did not even die down on Wednesday evening. On Wednesday afternoon, Norm took three small rainbows, all about a foot long on a #14 Adams. When we returned to the river after dinner, we found a tremendous hatch of sulphur May flies in progress. Trout were rising everywhere. In a burst of enthusiasm I called out, “Oh Norm, we’re gonna kill ‘em.” Alas, I had momentarily forgotten about the wind. To catch a rising trout it is necessary to float the fly right over the fish’s nose. Cast after cast, the wind blew our flies every which way but where we aimed them. Norm finally did manage to hook a heavy fish. Unfortunately, when the fish wallowed at the surface, the hook lost its hold. Glee turned to despair. The hatch gradually petered out and the rise ceased. All the while the wind was trying to tear my cowboy hat from my head. Luckily, I had remembered to use my stampede stringy so I foiled even the strongest gusts.

Thursday morning the water temperature in the Delaware was down to 57 degrees. The air temperature at 10:00 a.m. was a cool 52 degrees. Since discretion is the better part of valor, I perched on a large on-shore rock, while Norm waded out into the Delaware. The highlight of the morning was the sighting of a bald eagle soaring gracefully over the river. No sooner did Norm begin to cast than the wind tunnel sprang back into action. Texans are tough and stubborn people. For an hour and a half he waded along, trying to fly fish despite the breezy gusts. Norm had great faith in the bamboo rod he was using, since he had made it himself. Starting with a seasoned culm of bamboo, he had split, planed and glued six strips of material that when turned into a beautiful fly rod, cast a fly line perfectly. If only the Tangler had the skill, knowledge and patience to undertake such a task. Ah well, if it were not for the duffers in this sport, how could we tell the great ones?

The days of the trout season are slipping away. As soon as this dratted wind blows itself out, go fishing!