There are still many days and nights of fishing opportunity left, but as the nights get cooler – cold in some places – my thoughts begin to drift toward hitting the grouse coverts I’ve been taking notice of on trips to new trout water.
Two tracks overgrown with grass in the center hub, pull me in like a magnet does a rusty nail. And if the track leads to or past five year old poplar stands, out comes the GPS and a waypoint gets set. It’s only a momentary condition that quickly subsides when the sound of rushing water reaches my ears. But non-the-less, like a head cold, I feel it.
Seamus too, is changing his routine and attitude. Cooler weather gets him eager to explore and seeing him make the change, it’s all I can do to keep him in tow. When he gets geeked, I get geeked. Though still tying flies, evenings will soon give way to re-loading shells for the mid-September opener.
But back to here and now; hoppers are going to see me through the next few weeks, especially in the afternoon on the Manistee and Jordan. Mornings of course, will give my eyes a workout tying size 22 Tricos and BWO’s on a 6 or 7X tippet -which means purchasing a few extra 2.0 cheaters. I’ve lost several already, along with a few good pair of sunglasses. But there’s no sense of crying over spilled milk, or lost glasses, as the case may be, but be warned; watch where you step when wading in my rivers.
It’s all good. See you on the river. If I squint as I look your way, I’m not being rude, I just lost another pair of glasses.
TD