Days from the "Re-match"

     Last November, I broke tradition.  For the first time since I was 16 years old, I left my slug shotgun in its case, and kept the fly rod out.  Other family members wandered out into the public woods of the Catskills in search of the whitetail, and I found myself alone along the banks of the Beaverkill.  I spent two days flailing away at what was, really, my first cold-weather fly fishing attempt.  I really didn't know what I was doing in terms of fishing colder weather, but I did take a nice 16" brown on an egg pattern the first day, and a smaller rainbow on a Griffith's Gnat the second afternoon.

     And then a lot changed after that.  I look back at the couple of days that I spent there and shake my head at what I was using and where I spent my time.  Yikes! 
    
     As previously blogged, I had discovered European Nymphing early in 2012.  This trout-catching-machine of a technique really had me thinking back all year - what if I knew last November what I knew now?  What if I had EU Nymphed those two days that I had...could I have done better than two fish?

     I kicked butt this year with the long rod and this new trick.  I had amazing streaks.  I had decided mid-summer that this was the technique that I was bringing back to the river next November.  Then, Labor Day weekend happened.  It was the first prolonged time that I was shut down with the method.  I didn't even realize that could happen... The water was too clear, and I couldn't get close to the fish.

     So, I'm still several days away from trying this again, but as I tie flies, collect, and gather gear for what is the annual trip, the amazing technique is not in the picture.  Dry dropper, featuring pheasant tails, and zebra midges, are going to be the attempt on the Beaverkill- drifting them through its long, slow, glassy pools.  Streamers are going to be the fare on the West Branch, where frankly, my strategy is just to piss off a select few big, territorial browns- I don't need numbers of fish, I just want spots the size of dimes. 

     I look back on the year and I simply consider myself much more educated heading into this year's trip.  I'm going to hit the water with more seasonally appropriate techniques, and targeted areas of the river(s). 

     It's been too long since my last really productive outing. Work commitments, grad school, hurricanes....   Almost done with a tough stretch.  I'll be ready to go.