Passages

I made the right decisions: a warm base layer beneath fleece lined khakis and a 300-weight fleece pullover, topped off with one of my favorite Thermoball jackets. The day featured the promised sunshine, and to some the winter wear might seem excessive, but wading waist deep in 45-degree water will take the heat right out of the body.

As it was, I remained relatively comfortable and made the right decision regarding fly pattern too, tying on a freshly tied Pale Isonychia 100-Year Dun and putting my faith there for the duration.

The rainbow surprised me somewhat, grabbing the fly as it had nearly drifted back to me. There was no doubt he was a quality fish, for the Paradigm had arched into a full bend straight away and stayed there, it’s tip bouncing with each frantic thrust. We were in faster water too, just where a Delaware rainbow likes to be, even it seems in forty something water.

I got him in the net on the second try, all seventeen inches of him, and I thanked him for his service. I never found another in all that lovely fast water, eventually turning downriver and working some favorite lies. The Red Gods obviously felt I was being greedy on this autumn day, for they conspired to take one away from me just to keep my enthusiasm in check.

It was near the place I had missed a big fish two days prior, and once more the confounded glare played a role. The sun you see is in a different quarter than it likes on a summer morning, and that complicates my usual downstream casting approach. My foot began to slip into a deeper spot during the drift you see, and I was already dunking the lower pockets of my vest. I glanced away from the fly, resettled my foot up and to the rear, glanced back just as the gentle plop revealed another of those coffee cup sized rings. There was never any hope of hooking him…

The Catskill Fly Tyers Guild held our last live meeting of the year yesterday, a very well attended gathering in the Wulff Gallery of the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum. Our Catskill authors and legends were well represented by Ed and Judy Van Put, Dave Catizone, John Shaner and Tom Mason. A couple of members came from rather long distances to join us for a comfortable afternoon of tying Catskill flies. I’ll miss the comradery of this fine group of gentlemen until we gather again in spring, though we will continue our online Zoom meetings during the long winter.

One of the travelers showed me his ties for my CDX caddis pattern which I had demonstrated in one of last winter’s Zoom sessions, and I was pleased to see the fine job he did tying them. The Guild is all about sharing patterns and ideas and we all enjoy it when another angler finds some appreciation for our craft. May those flies catch your dreams my friend!

I am still holding out for another spark of dry fly magic before winter takes a firm and unrelenting grip upon the rivers of my heart. The popup weather report on my computer this morning claimed it was 31 degrees outside but felt like 26. We are often a degree or two colder here in Crooked Eddy, though that tends to be compensated for during summer days with a few degrees of extra warmth.

There is a certain serenity walking a deserted Catskill river corridor under an autumn sun. Carrying a favorite bamboo rod adorned with a crisply hackled dry fly completes the mood.