Autumn Solitude

I wanted to return to a spot I've only briefly fished twice. This is a picturesque little stretch of the Bushkill near Resica Falls, which is fly-fishing only. The first time I tried this spot, I was successful. It was mid-May & the trout were more than cooperative. About a month or so ago, Chaz & I went up, but we did not have much daylight left & we were forced to give up in the fading light.

This past Monday, I headed up there by myself to give the place another look. The water looked very promising. The surrounding foliage showed off its colorful best, & this fly-fisherman pensively took it all in. I hit the seams along the deep pools & back eddies that came flowing from some plunges & falls. I systematically fished the pocket water & runs moving upstream, but to no avail. If it weren't for a small brownie hitting a nymph on the swing below the plunge pool pictures above, I would have walked away skunked. But, it was one of those days that it was just good to be out. I had time to allow the mountain air, the sound of the rushing water, the fall colors to kind of get me a bit contemplative & thoughtful. I concluded, however, that this stretch was best fished in the spring after it is stocked. In some sense, it was the opposite of what would be coming in the week ahead in Erie. Rather than solitude, I'd be just one of the crowd of anglers trying their luck for a Lake Erie Steelhead on the tribs.

Lake Erie Region Steelhead Report

Sounds like the crowds have hit the Erie tribs. Reports of shoulder to shoulder conditions on Walnut, Elk, et al. are coming out of some local internet board posts. Fish are being caught, but not in any great numbers. The water conditions are very low & clear. Some guys are having success on the shorelines. The fish that are in the streams are very spooky due to the crowds & water conditions. To add to that, the weather report which I've been studying for weeks is a lot like watching the stock market these days: very unpredictable. Whereas a few days ago they were calling for rain for 2 days early next week, now only the possibility of a shower remains. What's more, the temps originally were forecast in the mid-50's to mid-60's. Now, we're talking near 80 degree temps Sunday thru Wednesday! I'll be heading up Sunday afternoon, good temps/conditions or not. Got my reservations for the Green Roof Inn in Girard, PA thru Thursday. Don't know what will come to pass, but it'll be an experience, to be sure!

Erie, PA Weather Report (AccuWeather.com)
Sunday 10/12 Get Details Go Hourly AccuPOP™ Warm with plenty of sunshine High 76 ° F / RF 76 ° F , RF Shade 73 ° F . Low 55 ° F / RF 54 ° F . Max. UV 3 .
Monday 10/13 Get Details Go Hourly AccuPOP™ Very warm with sunshine and some clouds High 77 ° F / RF 73 ° F , RF Shade 72 ° F . Low 58 ° F / RF 53 ° F . Max. UV 3 .
Tuesday 10/14 Get Details Go Hourly Turning cloudy High 68 ° F / RF 65 ° F , RF Shade 65 ° F . Low 55 ° F / RF 52 ° F . Max. UV 3 .
Wednesday 10/15 Get Details Go Hourly Periods of clouds and sunshine