8/29/08 Delaware Water Gap MAX!!!

[sheisty]

Let’s see where do we begin? How about the beginning! Alarm went off 4am, got out the bed 4:30am, on the road 5:30am, arrived at DC 6:30am. I was supposed to make this trip (my first WTS) on Monday for my birthday but the threat of rain killed the idea.

I had a rough start. I hiked Mt. Tammany (wrong trail great view) in hip waders! Such a brutal 20 or 30 minute hike from the parking lot. I heard DC on the way up so I hiked half way back down, cut over off the trail and located DC. I knew it was the wrong trail as I thought about how some of you old guys wouldn't fish that place if you had to climb up that mountain every time. Fishing was good and I also ran into a guy with a hot chick taking stream pics. There were plenty of fish in pocket water and hiding under rocks. I walked upstream a good ways, and walked back down nearly sliding down a cascading waterfall (I got to upgrade to studded waders). At DC I caught one 8inch wild bookie on a TM, a LDR on a 3 inch something and 1 or 2 trout took a swipe at my TM and didn't connect. This is where I saw how skittish they can be, swimming around like there on crack or something.

Next up, VCB. When I got there a lady, her daughter and dog was leaving. As I headed upstream there wasn't much pocket water worth fishing, I did manage a couple of 4-5 inch trout to take swipes at my TM. I guess they were hitting the tail all day and not the hook. Only thing I caught here was a 5 inch sunfish, but I saw far more trout here than I did at DC. The sun was coming high so fish started retreating I guess. On the way out I fell on the trail (rather funny) as I was getting ready to speak to the two fishermen that were heading in the direction I was leaving. Some other guy was there sitting in a lawn chair reading.

Next up BFB. What a waste.......I guess most fish were holding up in the ROY WMA. The sun was high and you can clearly see there were no trout around! I saw one or two little guys. They didn't want a spinner, or TM. Here is where I waste even more time! I started out within the Walpack WMA didn't see anything and where I thought fish were holding I couldn't access there was a sandy shore that wasn't firm and I didn't feel like trying to find a way across to the other side and coming back around. I would have had to hack a lot of brush. So like a dufus I drove across what I think was the Roy bridge (1 hour slow drive on gravel road) I saw a guy in a minivan with a kayak and a guy in a black GMC (I think). I ended up stopping at buttermilk falls and finally hit paved road at the entrance to Tillman’s Ravine. So you if you saw a skinny black dude with a dusty bmw it was me....what a waste of time that was, I was hoping to come across a pond or something but couldn't locate anything on my hagstrom because I didn't know what road I was on LOL.

Next up more driving, I had to bypass FFO waters...I saw some great spots so that really had me in a fizzle. Here is some more time wasted for about 45 mins I headed off 206 to 521, was driving around in a big circle scouting for little bass ponds, I saw some lakes that I want to look up to see if they are public or private.

Next up more BFB, above 206 the majority of BFB was a complete waste!! 2inch trickles. Where I did find trout some there were about 6 blue containers sitting on the ground, the fish didn't want the TM's nor spinners. The trout started rising. I tried to use some crystal river flies, but I couldn't get the casting right (5 feet maximum, with split shot made the fly sink). I'm going to practice a technique using a tiny float for weight. (Spin guys version of fly fishing).

Next up, more VCB it was nearly dark and I was mad fish didn't want what I was throwing. I hadn't fished this section of VCB because when I tried to earlier there were 3 cars in the lot. I saw the boot prints when I finally made it to the water so I wasn't expecting anything. I spook many fish, but had a few LDRS. So that made me happy, a few still hit and did not get hook.

In sum it up, today was a good day, I learned a lot, saw a lot, and now I’m tired as hell running late for work. I think I covered everything.

Here is the slide show.