A Golden Opportunity...

Jarret: "Did you see the gauge?"

Me: "Yep, not good."

Jarret: "Well, the Allegheny should fish. I don't think they got much rain up north."

Me: "OK, let's plan on that then."

...fast forward exactly 24 hours...

Jarret: "You see the gauge for the Allegheny?"

Me: "Yep, not good."

Jarret: "What do we do?"

Me: "It looks like the trout float will fish. There's a lot of big fish up there. We might do pretty well with the water being warmer."

Jarret: "OK, let's go."

Me: "We're floating on Friday and need a third, you in?"

Brian: "The baby is due in less than a week, but the doctor says it should be OK, count me in."

This was a brief synopsis of a series of short phone calls made over the course of a week that provided nothing short of typical, unpredictable summertime weather. To add to the unpredictability, there was a good chance that a baby might try to make it's entrance into the world while we were mid-float...if we could find water to fish.

Gauges were carefully watched, doctors were consulted and the call was made to try to squeeze in a last minute float before the water ran out on the upper river and we couldn't get the boat down without making the chines look like a jigsaw puzzle.

Things got off to a good start with J raising two fish right off the bat, but we were met with lots of muddy water about a mile from the launch and we began to question our logic. Fortunately, we aren't as dumb as we were feeling upon seeing the muddy water and the muddy, dropping water was enough to counteract the high, bright sun and keep the big fish on the bite.

Over the course of the float we dodged many objects including rocks, kayaks, rafts, canoes and even our own weighted streamers. Though it wasn't pretty, throwing the big, heavy stuff provided some very exciting takes and fights from fish that would rival anything you would find out west...

It should be clarified that when I say weighted streamers, I don't mean conehead wooly buggers. I'm talking articulated wet wash cloths that are weighted with 30 wraps of .20 lead wire and large dumbbell eyes. These are serious flies aimed at catching fish that eat squirrels for snacks. In short, you just don't want to get hit in the head with one...

After returning home late, trout boxes were swapped out for smallie flies in preparation for a much anticipated Saturday trip with Matt - who was home for a week before football camp would start.

The river was a bit off color, but provided some great fishing on top waters and streamers alike.

Rowing the boat with an offensive lineman sitting in the front and my Dad in the back was definitely a bit different than what I was used to, but we managed pretty well and were into fish pretty much all day. I even picked up my first small musky on a fly...

Unfortunately, Matt is done fishing for a while, but plans have already been made to do some steelheading once the football season ends and a trip to VA for some striper fishing may be in the works as well...

I wish I could predict what this weekend will bring, but after the last few weeks, I'm not even going to try...