At last, the heavens opened and washed over our Catskill Mountains with a substantial gift of rainfall. Rivers rose rapidly to roily, un-wadable levels, covering acres of riverbeds which have too long baked in the summer sun. Between those aforesaid homeowner duties and this wonderful dousing, I have begun another week without fishing, though I offer no complaints, for our rivers are better off for this sorely needed gift of water.
It is early this morning, well before dawn, and I have studied the usual misleading forecasts with an eye to a few hours of hunting. One boasts ” a steady rain this morning and thunderstorms this afternoon” complete with hail and destruction, yet the likelihood of precipitation wavers among low percentages until Noon. There are times I think the weathermen are trying to scare us away from the outdoors.
River levels are still up, more like spring than summer, though I feel certain that their flows have cleared and offer safe wading. They have predicted stormy days so often this spring and summer when nary a drop of rain arrived, but Monday night’s predictions came true. What to do?
I am leading toward a drive, waders donned and tackle ready, it only takes one cast to take a spirited trout!
Bright Waters Catskill 