Big Bushkill Today

[Mark Griffin]

With 1-2" of rain expected on Wednesday, I figured I better get out there today before the deluge. I originally had some urban fishing in mind, but then I decided to get away to a nice quiet spot like Resica Falls. I was the only vehicle parked below the falls when I arrived at 1:00 and left at 4:00. I headed down to Piano Pool. It was supposed to be a mild day, but it was dark, damp, and almost cold out there. It's a good thing it was calm. The water was at a real nice level and 43°. I took my breathables, but 3MM neoprenes were very needed today. I started at the head of the pool with a beadhead nymph without any results. I moved to the tail and was shocked to see fish rising to a few small BWOs. Not just one or two fish, but six or seven! They would not touch a #18 orange para ant or even a g-gnat. Food is scarce and they were still selective. A #18 BWO fooled two fish, but I only hooked one for a few seconds.

I headed down to a nice pool by a cliff a little downstream from the chapel. It was nice to do some hiking and warm up my frozen legs and feet. I hooked and lost one fish on a beadhead and got no takes on small dries, only seeing two rises.

I didn't land any fish, but I still had a great time and I was very surprised to see the fish fairly active at this low water temp.

 

[willowhead]

Hey Mark, sounds like you had a great day. My wife and i used to fish there every year three or four times. Her company rents houses at Saw Creek every year and lets the executive employees use it for a week each. So we used to go there every year for a week, and fish the Big Bushkill and the Broadhead. That was up until say 1997, and then every since we've had a place in the Catskills we just sort of stoped going there. Sssure "took me back" when you mentioned Piano Pool though. Had some great days there. Well take care man, mark