Browns in Paradise

I am back from Eastern PA and New Jersey. I have to say that is is a relief; although the weather was very warm and Philadelphia is gorgeous, it was still a city. I don't like cities. The only break came in the form of a drive through the pine barrens. I would have killed to have been able to stop and fish some of the wetland areas there. I have heard they are loaded with bass and pickerel.

I got home at 12:30 last night. I slept till 11:30 then went out to fish. I was going to the small trout stream that I consider my home water, and probably my favorite place to fish, but was sidetracked by some fishy looking ponds. I ended up catching some crappies and dinky bass.
I finally got to the stream, where insects were sporadically showing and some trout rose. On went the attractor dries, and I landed perfect wild browns and salmon par on Ausable Bombers, Stimulators, Humpys, Elk Hair Caddis, and Royals.

Although the water is still rather high and flowing at a good rate, fish were looking up, and I had some excellent pocket water fishing. As the sun came out sporadically, blue quills began to establish a presence, but something put the fish off the bite. I could no longer catch fish on the flies that had worked, and neither the nymphs nor the dries matching the emerging insect interested any fish. I just sat and looked around. Green is showing more and more, and thousands of gnats cloud the air. Before long the Hendricksons will be starting to show. It feels good to be warm!