Pretentious Snobby Bastard Fly Fishing!

Fly Fishing Reports => Local Trip Reports => Topic started by: joe friday on November 15, 2021, 17:56:26 PM

Title: Is Delay Harvest kinda like going to a prostitute? Trip Report.
Post by: joe friday on November 15, 2021, 17:56:26 PM


I am a Teaching Assistant and School Bus Driver for Pitt County, and dang it's been one hell of a year so far.  As a bus driver, I've had to call my Principal 4 times to come out to my route and remove a student from the bus for behavior problems, and I returned to school one time to remove 2 students. And this is just Elementary School aged kids! To say its stressful is an understatement.  I have never done anything like that before.

Finally, our school district gave us a free day following Veteran's Day, (first teacher work day since school began in August) so with Thursday and Friday off from work, I was determined to make as much of it that I could, and determined to catch some meat fish I did hit the Delayed Harvest waters of western NC.  :;!

No, I'm not really ashamed, considering I only get to fly fish a few times each year.   I got to the mountains about 3pm on Thursday in a misty rain and began scouting for promising holes.  I found some fish stacked up in one of the tailouts and began casting an egg pattern.  The fish were pinned to the bottom pretty well, so I added a couple of split shot and soon had 2 stocked brookies.  The tug on the line felt soooo good.

The rain began to get steady, and darkness came in quick.  So, I left to find a room, some cold beer, and a bucket of chicken.

Friday morning found the overnight rain had muddied up the water quite a bit, and the stream was up about a foot and a half.  But the sky was clear.  I was in the mountains breathing fresh air, and everything was all right.  I scouted around the river for different spots which might be promising, considering the water conditions.  I hit a few holes I had fished before, tried streamers, wooly buggers, nymphs, and almost everything in my fly box, to no avail.  Alas, the stockers were in their finicky, comatose mode.  Even the spin fishermen I saw were not producing.  :cheers  I don't have anything against spin fishermen in general, except that I find they lack any river etiquette to speak of, will happily cast a rooster tail tied to 15-lb mono right next to you, throw cigarette butts on the river bank, throw trash and litter anywhere, and are usually loud and obnoxious.  Other than that, they're fine.

On the other hand, I did get to speak with three elderly gentlemen from the Charlotte area who were flyfishing not too far from me, one of whom told me that he had been using a foam grasshopper as an indicator, and that he caught a huge rainbow after it slammed his grasshopper.

I did manage another brook, and lost two more before I decide to try again on Saturday.

Saturday morning dawned cold and windy, but clear as a bell.  I hit the creek one more time.  I found some trout stacked up at the end of another tailout, and today the water was crystal clear.  I worked a wooly bugger low and slow in front of them, and in between catching leaves, I managed to scratch out 8 fish.

It was pretty damn cold, standing there knee deep in that stream, and after a while I had to crawl out.  So I went back to my truck and warmed up a bit, then went exploring for another hole.

I found some more fish, which didn't seem to have been beaten up by the crowds. And remembering my conversation with the old gentlemen from the previous day, I tied on a grasshopper indicator with a nymph dropper.

Wouldn't you know it, 4 fish in 20 minutes hit that grasshopper on top water.  Only the rainbow hit the nymph, but he did put on a show by jumping several times before going into the net.

Honestly, I was satisfied that I got to scratch my fly fishing itch, even on DH stocked fish. <-;:

Yeah, I know this can be a pretty tough crowd, especially when DH water is discussed. That's fair. And like everyone, I'd rather fish alone in a quiet creek somewhere for wild fish. But like an alcoholic, I have to look at myself in the mirror and admit I have a problem.  Still, it was fun.


Title: Re: Is Delay Harvest kinda like going to a prostitute? Trip Report.
Post by: Dougfish on November 15, 2021, 19:07:35 PM
Pics, bro? Pics of shitty fish and gear chuckers is better than no pics.  :P

BTW, If I drove a school bus, I'd be in an orange jump suit by now.
Title: Re: Is Delay Harvest kinda like going to a prostitute? Trip Report.
Post by: joe friday on November 15, 2021, 19:40:51 PM
I don't know why I'm so retarded, sometimes.....tried uploading my pics on the original post and kept screwing the pooch.  I thought for stocked fish, they had good color.

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Title: Re: Is Delay Harvest kinda like going to a prostitute? Trip Report.
Post by: Trout Maharishi on November 15, 2021, 20:04:46 PM
No, because if I went to a prostitute I wouldn't tell everyone and take photos. Unless she had teeth and was good looking.
Title: Re: Is Delay Harvest kinda like going to a prostitute? Trip Report.
Post by: Yallerhammer on November 18, 2021, 18:16:36 PM
DH and hookers. Nobody wants to be seen doing it, but it still feels good.  :laugh:
Title: Re: Is Delay Harvest kinda like going to a prostitute? Trip Report.
Post by: Yallerhammer on November 18, 2021, 18:17:15 PM
Quote from: Trout Maharishi on November 15, 2021, 20:04:46 PMNo, because if I went to a prostitute I wouldn't tell everyone and take photos. Unless she had teeth and was good looking.
The ones with no teeth are better, my uncle said.
Title: Re: Is Delay Harvest kinda like going to a prostitute? Trip Report.
Post by: Trout Maharishi on November 19, 2021, 02:10:22 AM
My dream girl is a midget with false teeth. <-;:  Sorry for the highjack Joe, nothing wrong with hammering some DH fish. BTW-  I'd loose my mind with those bad kids on the bus. When I was a kid that kind of behavior wouldn't be tolerated.
Title: Re: Is Delay Harvest kinda like going to a prostitute? Trip Report.
Post by: greg on November 19, 2021, 06:56:17 AM
Looks like a great few days. My wife has been teaching 31 years. I've heard plenty of stories like yours. God bless you.
Title: Re: Is Delay Harvest kinda like going to a prostitute? Trip Report.
Post by: Yallerhammer on November 19, 2021, 14:56:33 PM
Quote from: Trout Maharishi on November 19, 2021, 02:10:22 AMMy dream girl is a midget with false teeth. <-;:  Sorry for the highjack Joe, nothing wrong with hammering some DH fish. BTW-  I'd loose my mind with those bad kids on the bus. When I was a kid that kind of behavior wouldn't be tolerated.
No, the bus driver would stop back then, take his belt off, and jerk a knot in your little ass.
Title: Re: Is Delay Harvest kinda like going to a prostitute? Trip Report.
Post by: Trout Maharishi on November 19, 2021, 19:52:38 PM
Quote from: Yallerhammer on November 19, 2021, 14:56:33 PM
Quote from: Trout Maharishi on November 19, 2021, 02:10:22 AMMy dream girl is a midget with false teeth. <-;:  Sorry for the highjack Joe, nothing wrong with hammering some DH fish. BTW-  I'd loose my mind with those bad kids on the bus. When I was a kid that kind of behavior wouldn't be tolerated.
No, the bus driver would stop back then, take his belt off, and jerk a knot in your little ass.

And then I would be beaten till I couldn't sit down for 2 days when I got home.