It was the night before opening day...

And all through the house fisher persons were busy arranging their gear. Me in my vest and Ma in her kerchief just laid out our head  for an early spring nap. When all suddenly arose at the crack of dawn, an army of guys rushing to the river to be first at the wing dam at E. Sleeping with your waders on, poles strung up in the cars, they drove like maniacs to be first at the recent stocked trout.

With apologies to Clement Moore, my view of the opening day scramble. Some of you will try to set records for the number of stocked fish, certainly no large or hardest fish yet. Please handle the resource carefully; pinch down the barbs, use care handling the fish, if possible don't handle them, give up the pool after catching a reasonable amount and remember social distancing at least casting distance between anglers.

Permits are only being sold online, if you already have an account, season only, no daily yet. In my opinion this should have been done a long time ago, finally the park has entered the digital age. Good luck and play nice...

Art's latest video on Youtube

https://youtu.be/hcDtNVARxFI

Age of Social Distancing or What any Flyfisher Normally Does!

Odd as it seems most of us are expert at social distancing, after all who wants to share a pool with another angler! Speaking of sharing, Art has finally put up another video on Youtube type in search AFTU Friends to view.

As many know Art is a stickler for details, such as silt and sediment used when what you are really seeing in the water is composted organic matter suspended in that water. Those other terms refer to the mineral content of soils. I also for the life of me can't understand why someone says rip out those dams and as soon as the authorities try to reduce the water they scream stop you're silting up the water! Again composted organic matter, not soil (yet). Or better yet on the those really hot summer afternoons when ponds and lake surface temps are up they scream "rip out these dams they're heating up the water".  Water is a poor conductor of heat, those of you who have pools know what I am talking about. Yet downstream the water is really cool and the trout seem happy.

What I offer is simply this be part of the solution not the problem!  Those of you who think they are being defenders of the waters and only like to threaten the authorities  and pump up their egos need to step back and provide real solutions! You can't say in one breath those dams are heating the water and the next stop you're violating the clean water act. Want to be a leader then step up, show leadership by offering solutions, work in harmony with the authorities and show the community that you care about their opinions.