The Delusion Everyone Calls Reality--and Fishing the South Branch Raritan River

I found an immense tree today, walnut, I think, photograph's below. Drove to Three Bridges and trudged directly downstream, never stopping for the deep holes at the bridge, mounting the bank and tearing straight through thorns intent on making time, for I had little. And then I found it wasn't really futile, because I had got out and exercised my will, resurrected the angling outdoors spirit when the hiatus had threatened to enclose me in the delusion everyone calls reality, but the stretch just went on and on into the distance another quarter mile, the water little more than ankle deep, and my time running out. And when I turned to slog back through the water--wow, this tree with the six-foot wide trunk! Hello grandfather! Haven't seen you in many years.

I even fished a shiner in a cut where I previously caught two on a Senko, then posted about three weeks ago that I felt September would be real good. My apologies on that count; I really feel them because I may have misled you. It's almost mid-month and I've hardly fished, let alone caught a lot of smallmouth bass in the South Branch Raritan. Innocent hope, but I try to become wiser yet.

Yes, shiners and certainly enough time to have caught a few bass--nothing. The cut yielded only a chase by a very small bass, and as usual, the bridge--which I have passed up in recent times--was dead. I tried it today on return with hopes. I felt refreshment because I fished hard, but caught nothing.

I have managed to get around the river this summer and feel accomplished. So far my largest smallmouth on the South Branch is two pounds, but I've attempted one about three-and-a-half.