June Swoon

Just as my Phillies have recently faltered (10-0 lead on the Rays notwithstanding), so has the smallie fishing.

Blame it on the rain. I don't mind traveling an hour to an hour and a half to fish something I haven't in a while. Saturday we went north to a very pretty medium sized creek that hadn't gotten any rain the night before.

18-24" visibility. 5th visit for me to this creek. Fishing was slower than expected with decent fish to start; 6 from 13-16"(3ea). Pattern was fish tight to cover in choke points below or above riffles. Tubes. We discovered this pattern, then quickly left the wider open stretch.

Drove to stretch we remembered from 2007 for lots of narrower branches of creek with laydowns. It worked for Mike. My patient tumbling approach wasn't working but Mike's normal too much movement on the tube worked well for him. He outfished me 2-1 on the day. I cried mercilessly until I caught the last couple copying his mojo.

Oh, "I hurd the Channa Cats is biting."

On the drive back we spotted the river we would have wanted to fish running green up north of the rain. Gauges lie. We had seen it south running muddy.