Took a trip to the Pequest Trout Conservation Area. It's not as I remember from 13 years ago. I expected an easy trail to walk and a couple of deep holes with relatively slow water. I really didn't expect the river to be high and muddy yet, either, because the last time I fished in heavy rain, back in January, the North Branch remained in good shape. But I don't really know when the heavy rain began. When I awoke at 10:00 a.m. it was raining moderately at best, if that much, and it was easy to assume not much water reached the rivers yet. I went online and checked United States Geological Survey for the Pequest, too, and the water level had got pretty low since the last rain, having risen only one increment.
I'm looking at the graph now. It still shows that single increment, but after that, the level rises almost in a perfectly vertical line and it's quite high by now as I write at 6:35 shortly after getting home. I managed to get my casts in just in time.
The water had just enough clarity. Back in early March, I confronted much the same of the South Branch Raritan and didn't even bother trying. The thought of getting a winter rainbow to hit in water discolored and high. But now it's spring, and who knows, the water might be three degrees warmer. Any case, my feeling was altogether different. The photo I shot of the spot just after I released my only rainbow shows there was still some clarity. An hour later and the bottom somewhat visible in the photo wouldn't have been visible. And though I did find a spot that proved to be productive...where the water slows somewhat and has at least a little depth...most of the river moved very fast over shallows. I did try behind rocks breaking flow and behind trees in the water, but the only action came here where I took the photo. A nice rainbow of at least 14 inches got hooked there, too, but it leapt high and threw the hook. Using a jig with a barbless hook is a problem because the lead at the head means it can get thrown easier than a fly would get thrown.
Both TCAs--Point Mountain and Pequest--gobble up jigs. I got snagged more than once at Point Mountain, though I never lost a jig, but today I lost three jigs. On the way home I stopped at the Sporting Life and bought four packs of four jigs each pack.
Did I get wet? A little. I guess last time, I put my rain jacket on over my neoprene waders, because water managed to run down my back and get the front of my thighs wet, too. I brought no gloves. Temperature was about 44. Pretty cold. But my wet hands never felt cold. I never felt cold anywhere, but especially during my drive home, after I took my waders off, where I got wet felt uncomfortable.
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