Brook Trout at Locatong Creek, Big Rainbows at Pohatcong Creek, Cliffs Behind Frenchtown

 We fished in the Hunterdon Hills this morning, my brother Rick, me, Rick's son Kyle, my son Matt, and their Uncle Jim Purdon. Some of it is really pretty country. We began at the Route 519 bridge over the Locatong Creek at Kingwood, not as many brook trout present as Opening Day last year. The water was very low and it was evident the trout were bunched and hadn't spread out. We caught less than a dozen and moved on after an hour, Matt and I down Federal Twist Road, Rick and Kyle to Milford, and Jim back to Maplewood where he lives with my sister.

Had spoken to Rick at length yesterday, and he said he doubted any parking exists any longer near the mill. Actually, I'm not sure where we ended up is where the mill used to be, if it still exists further downstream, but it was Mill something or other road we took in from Federal Twist in hill country. We've fished this series of streams by Native American names from the Pohatcong to the Alexaukin near Lambertville since the 70's on occasion. I clearly recall fishing with Rick when he was 10. Matt & I found some trout bunched just below the bridge of Mill Road and caught another dozen, leaving when the fishing was still good after 45 minutes. I tend to feel too much of a good thing diminishes it, and Matt had no inclination to stay any longer either.

We phoned our party. Rick had already stopped at the Hakihokake Creek, finding it wasn't stocked, and learned of a 20-inch rainbow caught at Pohatcong and a lost 26-inch or so rainbow. The Pohatcong, a larger stream, is the exception when it comes to large trout. We rode down the 300 feet or so of hill and took SR 29 to Frenchtown, the sky beautifully blue and the Delaware River marvelous, flowing at a level perfect to invite fishing.

I always take Creek Road up along the Nishisakawick, rather than fish in town with the community park and the kids' play sets. In no time, you're among impressive scenery. My favorite hole, about six feet deep, is set against a cliff of sandstone with rounded features somewhat resembling the limestone columns of LaRue/Pine Hills of Shawnee National Forest in Illinois, stunning features that Meriwether Lewis noted in his journal during his adventures with William Clark, and my son and I have visited. The New Jersey cliff rises about 60 feet total, whereas the Pine Hills bluffs are at least 200 feet with singular 60-foot columns, but what you can see just beyond Frenchtown is impressive.

Water was clear--six feet deep looked less and the bottom was perfectly visible. No trout stocked here, unfortunately, but it was the highlight of the morning.

http://littonsfishinglines.blogspot.com/2015/02/super-ultra-light-salmon-egg-spinning.html takes you to a comprehensive article on salmon egg fishing. 

Ryker Lake Pickerel and Largemouth Bass

Last year, everything was green by now, although it was record warmth days on end. I didn't expect the fishing to be as fast as last year at Ryker Lake about now, but I didn't feel prepared at first to fish persistently. The first time we fished here felt exihilarating, so many pickerel. After 20 minutes or so of feeling lost and taking more pleasure in photography than in fishing, I began to feel the rhythm of fishing a shiner slowly, cast after cast, in four to seven feet of water, a pleasure my son never enjoyed, having given up to let a bobber float with a shiner underneath. 

When you get into fishing, it's hard to stop, even if you're not getting a bump. You seem to become an extension of water flow and it feels good. I described this to my son, sitting nearby, but I think he had little idea of what I experienced right there before him. Flow is about the healthiest thing for you, perhaps, however it's achieved, the ways to do it limitless in number, but all are fairly difficult, at least at first.

As I spoke to Matt, I felt the tugging and weight I knew was a fish. When I set the hook, I thought at first it was a good one, but it was only a small pickerel, 14 or 15 inches. Thirty-acre Ryker Lake in Sussex County is designated a Conservation Bass Lake by Fish & Wildlife, minimum size 15 inches. We return our bass anyhow and so far we've caught only small pickerel and bass here. Perhaps during the summer with weedless plastics in the thick mats we could catch some nice bass in our inflatable, but I find it hard to imagine two and three-pound bass would take such lures like they used to on Lake Musconetcong. If you know otherwise, leave a comment, I'd like to hear about it.

Spruce Run Reservoir Northern Pike Fishing in the Cold

Temperature really dropped the hour before dark. Must have been 38 when we left the jetty at Spruce Run Reservoir off Van Sycles Road with stiff fingers, sore hands, and red cheeks. Despite the cold, we heard a chorus of peeper frogs. We saw no one else at all. Nice to be out, clambering on the stones and sand with bobbers set and live lining a shiner, retrieving it with jerks when it had expired. Usually at least one bobber (of five) will indicate if any fish are around, although I catch most by casting outward up and down both sides of the jetty. Fresh air for sure. It felt invigorating but also painful. We were dressed pretty light.

We've caught them when it's been cold in the past. On a snowy April afternoon, 35 degrees, I waded in the cove at Black Brook and caught a 17-inch largemouth. Most of what we've caught have been northern pike and many of these on very chilly days, pike our original motive in fishing here this time of year since 2005, the largest 33 inches. We've caught largemouth bass (Matt caught a 20 5/8-inch largemouth, plenty have been about 17), crappies (one of these over 15 inches and they're usually at least 13 and become available with warmer weather), surprisingly a 17-inch brook trout that looked like it had gone to sea, a steelhead brookie similar to sea-run brookies I caught on Gaspe Peninsula, plenty of smaller brown trout, and one channel catfish. We saw an eight-pound hybrid striper caught and have heard of others.

Bedminster Hike & Bike Trail Along North Branch Raritan River

Had wanted to travel out to Alpha, exit 4 off I-78, and south on CR 519 for three or four miles to Musconetcong Gorge and hike with my wife and black lab Sadie. Since she has so much to get done, she insisted we walk our local Bedminster Hike & Bikeway, about five miles round trip.

 

The trail hasn't always existed, although unpaved pathways have for many years. Completed some years after my family moved to Bedminster in 1999, Patricia says it's the best thing the town ever did. The trail includes iron bridges over Schley Mountain Road and an I-287 exit, and another bridge across Rt. 202/206 to River Road Park. The daily use the trail gets probably numbers in the hundreds, yet no one ever seems to feel crowded and solitude accompanies any walker, bicyclist, or jogger for most of the length.  

 

Partway, the trail parallels the  North Branch Raritan River with sweet views of a very fine smallmouth bass stream with a minor population of wild brown trout. The 2013 signs are posted by Fish & Wildlife, Opening Day trout season next Saturday, but I spotted one trout already present, this rainbow about 18 inches, so I'm positive it's a holdover from the batch of larger trout the Pequest Hatchery stocks in October. Thousands of trout are yet to be stocked for the spring. A very small number of brown trout stocked in May will possibly swim upriver and enter Peapack Brook to spawn in the fall. As you can see in the photo, the water is very nice and clear--and that's what no one wants to see on Opening Day, a dog in the water. 

Near the end of our hike as we approached Miller Lane, the slightly distracting sounds from I-287 and U.S. 202-206 faded and once or twice I was aware of the silence of deep woods among the red cedars. My wife said, "I love this hike because I don't need to drive anywhere. I just walk out the front door and look where we are now." She makes the walk very often. I haven't done it since shortly after Hurricane Sandy, but may be frequenting the trail more often as the year progresses.

The cut along the bank to the right below the riffles looks real nice for trout this season.

 Bedminster Pond's water quality was worse than typically poor today. I think it could be due to a large population of carp and because apparently the pond is fed by ground seepage--no stream enters and exits to keep water in slow flow and clean. I noticed a father and son fishing from the bank with the sun behind them. Water temperature was perhaps a little warmer along the this eastern edge photographed. Savvy fishermen take advantage of slightly warmer water to catch bass which seek out slight environmental differences in their favor.

 Marsh marigold. I'm very certain, consulted Newcomb's Wildflower Guide when I got home. Marsh marigold is in the buttercup family and this flower closely resembles buttercups I'm familiar with. (But the bloom is larger.)

 These are not Belladonna, but too lazy to look up. A lot of small, blue flowers to piece through in the  book.

Do not eat! Deadly poison. No evidence today of Belladonna growth.

Red Cedars

 This is the sort of place spring peeper frogs inhabit, but we heard none today and none yet anywhere.

Start Casting a Spinner Soon, Bound to get Warm

Still reading Edward Abbey, almost finished, and not catching trout. Another man had fished for hours, nothing, and someone walked in to cast a Kastmaster, which he said he's been doing well with, along with a Binsky. I still mean to start casting a spinner. Since late fall, Round Valley restores my senses and mood, which tend to get road-jaded, although not always. A lot of nature writers escape into the mysteries, but consciousness opens up where it can and a wide open setting is different than being boxed in the metal of a car and enduring tire friction, etc., on the ears.

Once it Warms, I Will be Compelled

Pretty soon these barricades will be removed and campers can launch from the Lot 2 area. Round Valley Recreation Area will charge admission to the area I've spent most of the winter visiting in solitude. Beginning Memorial Day, not so long off now.

Quite a few dog walkers and hikers present in today's sun. No one else fished but one man I noticed briefly at the vanishing point of a bend. It's about time for me to get on my feet, walk, cast spinners, but surgery on my foot recently is forbidding yet, and my right knee, which I had surgery on over a year ago, is acting up, but not so badly that I can't amble about.

I sat in the car most of the time today and read Edward Abbey. I'm so into reading, I feel reluctant to get out and cast. But once it warms, I will be compelled.

Good Weather for Trout and Walleyes if More would Hit

Strong wind, overcast sky, falling barometer--good fishing weather and no trout. Perhaps what I should do is buy shiners and fish the Delaware and Raritan Canal at the lock on Weston Canal Road for walleyes on days like this. Likelihood of catching one is very slim since not many walleyes exist in the canal, but some do, or at least now and then some do, making the swim all the way down to the New Brunswick region having entered from the Delaware River at Bulls Island. To catch one, you probably need a day like today, and the cold water doesn't stop a walleye from hitting, although late October might be ideal if any walleyes happen to be there.

Another man was fishing when I arrived, had been at it since morning for two hits. I saw his rod bend and he missed that hit also. That's why I prefer to leave the bail open. Let the trout run on a loose line.

Looking forward to really fishing. Felt that today. Just happen to desire saltwater more than freshwater now, since we've been planning a vacation to Ocracoke this summer. I can just smell the brine air in back of the house we rent with a boardwalk to a tidal cut full of killiefish my son and I pot for bait. My present curiosity is whether or not fluke will be in the surf as they are along the Jersey coast and accessible to split shot casting. My son hooked a fluke over three pounds two years ago right at the boat launch on Pamlico Sound, but we had no more time to experiment since Hurricane Irene bore down on us our second day. The 10-day forecast now is for weather in the 40's as of yesterday. But that probably means it will warm up when I'm on vacation first week of April.

The vacation in North Carolina will be even better. That I can promise myself.