The temperature topped 6o degrees yesterday and instead of pondering the larger connection this week has to climate change I did what any river starved fly fisher would do, I got my gear and headed to the river. Despite through-the-roof air temperatures for February, the Cold River in Alstead lived up to its name yesterday; my thermometer read 28 degrees. It wasn't simply the air temperatures prior to this week that led to this below freezing reading, it was the fact that ice and packed snow were continually cleaving into the river.
Although I was potentially kidding myself in thinking that a trout might be interested in feeding under these conditions, I worked my way upstream to two deep pools, cleated soles on my Korker wading boots. Fish tend to congregate in deep, slow pools come winter in an effort to conserve energy . I soon noticed midges on the snow and a few flying. These small insects are hardy and according to the web site MosquitoMagnet.com "Regardless of the temperature, mosquitoes, midges, and black flies – along with their eggs or larvae – are always around.
Even in the winter when we don’t see them, their eggs are clinging to life and waiting for the arrival of warm temperatures. Eggs and larvae rarely freeze to death. Instead, they remain attached to vegetation or buried in mud under streams, lakes and similar bodies of water."
So the arrival of warm temperatures had come at least temporarily and I was having a great time casting, mesmerized by the flow of water when all of a sudden... I'd love to be able to say the unlikely happen and a large brown trout stopped my line, but that's not what happened. I tried floating and sinking line, putting finer tippet on, strike indicator, no strike indicator. I tried large streamers, stoneflies which are in the river all year long, as well as the aforementioned midges (both by themselves and as a dropper behind a larger nymph). Nothing! You know what, I enjoyed every minute because every opportunity, regardless of conditions, season or outcome, is a gift. I'll be gifting myself many more days as we move into spring in less than one month.
Although I was potentially kidding myself in thinking that a trout might be interested in feeding under these conditions, I worked my way upstream to two deep pools, cleated soles on my Korker wading boots. Fish tend to congregate in deep, slow pools come winter in an effort to conserve energy . I soon noticed midges on the snow and a few flying. These small insects are hardy and according to the web site MosquitoMagnet.com "Regardless of the temperature, mosquitoes, midges, and black flies – along with their eggs or larvae – are always around.
Even in the winter when we don’t see them, their eggs are clinging to life and waiting for the arrival of warm temperatures. Eggs and larvae rarely freeze to death. Instead, they remain attached to vegetation or buried in mud under streams, lakes and similar bodies of water."
So the arrival of warm temperatures had come at least temporarily and I was having a great time casting, mesmerized by the flow of water when all of a sudden... I'd love to be able to say the unlikely happen and a large brown trout stopped my line, but that's not what happened. I tried floating and sinking line, putting finer tippet on, strike indicator, no strike indicator. I tried large streamers, stoneflies which are in the river all year long, as well as the aforementioned midges (both by themselves and as a dropper behind a larger nymph). Nothing! You know what, I enjoyed every minute because every opportunity, regardless of conditions, season or outcome, is a gift. I'll be gifting myself many more days as we move into spring in less than one month.
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