This rhododendron plant has curled up its leaves due to the below freezing temperatures. Next month, the bud will produce a white-purple flower.
Rhododendron: green before spring.
When we think of evergreens, pines usually come to mind, as we have an abundance of white pines and hemlocks throughout the area. If you took a walk in a moist slope of a forest, or perhaps even in your own garden or yard, you may have spotted a plant with green leaves rolled up as if to keep itself warm through the bitter cold of winter. This would likely be the rhododendron, a very hardy plant.
“I mean to fish in comfort, to try not only to match the hatch but also to match the weather.”
— Dr. Tom Sutcliffe
As I sit at my fly tying desk this morning, writing my column, it is April 1. This is the day the trout season opens on all the major trout streams of New York. Fly fishers who sally forth on opening day should remember that it is also known as “All Fools Day.”
