March Brown Trout

Mother nature teases us in upstate NY. That is a fact locals hate to admit, but is depressingly true. We see snow melt, hear the roofs trickling water onto the clearing pavement and excitement overwhelms us. Maybe even more so if the changing seasons means it’s time to reunite with your favorite fishing rod. A break in the weather for one week, and with a snap of fingers we’re back to winter. We saw it coming. A common phrase we use over and over again is, “Forget the forecast!” I know this optimistic statement is shared by many anglers.

The past few days on the river have been filled with mixed emotions. Saturday on the local western NY tributaries, we experienced Mother Nature’s brunt force of cold temperatures, snow, freezing rain and slush. That is when fishing gets fun. Warm weather breaks the ice, a significant melt occurs, and we return to the cold. Melt means fresh fish with high muddy water; cold means a slowing melt process, to regain water visibility. Are we in for ideal spring conditions? That being said, you just never know what the river will do. Witnessing high muddy water upon arrival, we shrugged and looked at each other with blank faces to begin our Saturday. Collectively, we agreed, we might as well fish…we’re already here. So we did. And we battled for it…

The following day was a different story. Cold, overnight temperatures helped the river immensely. The runoff diminished and helped clear and lower the tributaries. Some of the smaller streams saw dramatic changes. Sunday’s fishing was outstanding. This was one of the best days we’ve had on the water this early in the spring season. We cruised out to three different tributaries and put fish in the net at each one. At the tail end of winter, that’s more than we can ask for. A mix of fresh steelhead and brown trout were willing to taste our fly selection. As the sun peaked, heat radiated and made it better for all. Warming temps heightened fish appetites throughout the day, and the fishing got progressively better. What a day. Sunburned faces, high fives, stomach wrenching laughs and countless inside jokes.