Changes...changes
Fished this morning with my former supervisor when I was at fish and wildlife. We had a delightful morning but it was a little frustrating for the guide. I started out on breaking fish like I had yesterday but they were very skittish every time the boat got close, even drifting they went down. I was able to find good fishing on the top of a nearly dry clam flat. I can be quite brave about shallow water if the tide is coming in and it gets deeper by the minute. Fred’s best fish is in the picture. We each broke off a bigger fish as well.
The pattern has changed to that of full summer. There are more than a few bluefish around and the stripers have moved into the shallows to keep away from them. I also noticed clouds of small herring above and below the harbor. We must be coming up on the time when a small fly beats every lure. I met a grandfather and grandson at the ramp and they asked what had happened to the fish. I explained that the pattern had changed from earlier in the season and that it was now necessary to look in different places (don’t worry I gave them a couple of surefire spots).
All of that thinking about change and being with a fellow former political appointee made me realize how lucky I have been to have been moved on from state government. When I worked in an office I only knew at an academic level that there were fish and that they should be in the river somewhere. But know I know where they were yesterday and what they were eating and what to expect for the next tide or tow. I still sometimes struggle to find them but the level of familiarity that I now have is a great feeling.
