Traditionally, Memorial Day (the real one, not the Hallmark Greeting Card/government mandated long weekend) marks the end of early season fly fishing.  Normally the appearance of the Green Drake mayfly within a few days of this national holiday marks the beginning of the mid-season.  I saw my first Green Drake this year on June 2.  Right on schedule.  A good time to sit down and review some of my experiences so far this fishing season.
    
     The season opened with some wonderfully warm and pleasant days and cool, occasionally very cool, evenings.  Overnight temperatures kept the water from warming too rapidly so the fishing was reasonably productive.  As late as the last week of May I was still recording daytime water temps in the 50 - 56 degree range.  Water levels remained slightly above normal and stayed that way for a couple of weeks.  All in all, conditions were favorable and while I didn't think I had done all that well in this period, upon comparing last year's log with this year's I discovered I was doing better ( about 50%!).  About 75 trout brought to hand. Clearly the pleasant weather was a factor as last year I didn't get out as much.

     Opening week saw the usual gangs of worm and spin fishers, though, in my opinion, not in the numbers we've seen in the past.  Perhaps the worsening gasoline prices have effectively thinned the ranks from out-of-county anglers.  However, the number of anglers I actually met on stream was a paltry 4, mostly because I fish wild trout streams and in the late afternoon and early evening when a lot of these folk have either headed for home or the nearest source of liquid refreshment.  The few fishermen I did meet and talk with seemed to be pleasant enough and eager to share their experience with me.  Alas, this warm and fuzzy feeling of the brotherhood of the angler was badly shaken a few days later when I learned (from the landowner himself) how two visiting anglers to our Allegheny River managed to violate the simplest forms of courtesy.

     The landowner, known locally as being very generous with access to his property, had given the two non-locals permission to fish his property.  Indeed, he  permitted them to drive across it and park alongside the stream. Most decent fishermen would consider this "above and beyond" the rules of the road.  Our landowner is in the process of improving his acreage and has applied for and been granted a permit by the DEP and state to dispose of burnable refuse.  Guess what - the two fisherman do their fishing, then proceed to call in a complaint on the owner's disposal site.  You may not be aware of the procedure, but anyone can call or email a complaint anonymously, and the government agency has to respond [see endnote].  So, instead of asking their host first, the two visitors set into motion a full-fledged "trucks roll" visit from the agency officer based in Ulysses, a new appointee, who has to grill the landowner and discover from him that he was in possession of  the proper permit.  Not only is this a waste of taxpayer's money (why not check the office files first?), but forever sullies the owner's perception of non-local fishermen.  Could anyone blame him if he decides to put up "Posted" signs?

    Perhaps its only proper to complete this report with an observation and a tribute relating to my visit to Mill Creek on May 30.  For more years than I care to count, I've more or less made one particular hole on this stream a favorite starting point for the evening's fishing.  Many years ago its depth and size led to a local reputation as a swimming hole.  I have heard stories that, indeed, a youngster once drowned in it.  Well, all streams change and today the pool is but a poor shadow of its former trout holding capacity.  As recently as 10 years ago I had no trouble landing a dozen or more robust browns in the half hour before darkness.  No more.  One good trout is about it today. Where before it was unwadeable even with chest waders, now I can traverse it with only hip boots.

     But I'm not the only local angler who remembers the glory days.  So on the evening in question I came upon one of the brothers - Tom Leete.  Tom has fly fished for most of his eighty-some years.  Tom owned the swim hole property at one time.  Tom's specialty was to fish the sulphur hatch with wet flies upstream (where the style today is to use the dry, preferably a spinner version). Shades of Pinney, Bashline, and others who taught Tom the angling trade many, many years ago. What makes this so remarkable is that neither time nor infirmities seems to deter Tom.  Every Memorial Day, year after year, you can count on meeting him here. It is obvious to the observer that this is the man's tether to his youth.  The stream may go to hell, the body and its parts may not function as sprightly as they once did, but by God I can still throw a cast and by the same maker,  I will!  And I thought:  "In a few years another youngster of seventy years will observe me tottering around in the stream and wonder - do they ever give up?"  I waited until he finished, gave him a hand getting up the bank, and we both acknowledged that while the hole was not like former days, poor fishing is still better than none.

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End Note
"Note - your e-mail address is required. If you would like to make an anonymous complaint, you can sign up for a free e-mail account with Hotmail. This will enable you to remain anonymous while still providing DEP with the ability to contact you." This is a direct quote from  the Department of Environmental Protection Website page, Evironmental Complaint Form, Northcentral Region.  [http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=1177&q=480784&ncregionNav=|]


Copyright June 9, 2008 Thomas P. Dewey