Finally got out fishing on Sunday! It’s been way too long… Me and a buddy took advantage of the regularly scheduled weekend water release to float a section of the Deerfield River. We put in below the bridge near Zoar Picinic Area and floated down to the take out – I can’t remember the name of the take out but there’s a parking lot and it seems like it’s one the major stopping points for tubers, rafters, kayakers, etc.

We had hoped that the forecast, which called for rain, would keep the non-angling floaters off the river. We were wrong. It was pretty insane how many people float that section. It’s difficult to say whether or not the cadre of tubers, rafters, and kayakers turn the fish off but my guess is that it certainly doesn’t improve the fishing. Unfortunately the weather ended up being hot and muggy like it has been seemingly forever. I didn’t have a thermometer but the water felt pretty warm. Needless to say, the fishing was slow. It was great to get out anyway though. We mostly fished hopper-dropper rigs but never got any looks on the hopper.

My buddy Brian did connect with a really nice brown on the dropper though. A beautiful fish.

That was the only fish we got all day. I didn’t care though. It had been a long time since I’ve been able to get out and just being on the river fishing was enough for me to feel a little more like myself again after the long layoff.

I’m definitely looking forward to the upcoming fall, cooler water, and active fish. I’m formulating fall fishing excursions for colorful, aggressive pre-spawn brookies and browns, landlocked salmon, and fall stripers (just to name a few) in my head as I type this post…anyone else get out lately? What is everyone else planning for their fall fishing?