Wednesday, 27.May in Rocky Hill, 6:15-7:15 pm (I got cold and bailed early). The breeze was blustering up from Cromwell/Middletown keeping it cool, and the water was choppy. No current to speak of, but plenty of pollen on the water, and curiously there is still no cotton.

Of the 4 regulars who showed up during the hour I was there, only 2 caught shad, about 45 minutes apart. I managed an alewife to keep the skunk off, and one brief tug. It wasn't a total loss, I was gifted a nice fat roe, that provided 2 huge roe sacks, and 2 beautiful, thick fillets, thanks to Bill C. The fillets were thick enough for me to split each one length-wise for 4 servings.

Terminal tackle: 1.5 oz drail, over 3.5'-4' 8# flouro leader, and willows in hammered copper in chartreuse w/red dot, hammered silver in yellow w/red dot, and hammered gold in red/white w/black dot.


Thursday, 28.May, about 5:45 pm, I stopped by E. Barber St./the Bissell launch in Windsor, but only took 3 casts. With salad fixin's firmly secured on each toss, I wasn't going to catch anything else, so I went down to Rocky Hill, 5:30-6:30 pm. It wasn't just breezy today, it was F'n windy as H*LL! Blowing hard up from Cromwell/Middletown, making the water was very choppy. The docks were rocking and rolling in the wake-like chop, we virtually needed sea-legs, and had to watch our stance and step, or stumble. There was very little current, and at the surface with the heavy chop, it was almost being blown back upstream.

Of the 3 fishing the docks when I got there, all reported no fish today, and not so much as an alewife. By 7:pm, the others had called it a night, the wind and intermittent drizzle sapped us all. I took a few more furtive casts, and ended my casting practice for the day. And, for the third consecutive day, I got the stinky kitty skunk, with the exception of yesterday's alewife. I'll make a few more outings to be sure, but the end is drawing nigh. Our season is winding down. To be sure, there will be shad caught over the next week or two, but: They. Will. Be. Far. And. Few. Between.

Terminal tackle: 1.5 oz drail, over 3.5'-4' 8# flouro leader, and willows in hammered gold in red/white w/black dot, and hammered silver in chartreuse.

Today I made one of the shad fillet portions (from yesterday's gift) for my supper. I sauteed it with ramps in a little EVOO, and a pat of butter. O.M.G. So friggin' good. Shad, why do I love thee? A rhetorical question, for sure--but if you're not sure, I'll give you three guesses, and two of the answers are probably right. wink

Anywho, whatever you're pursuing, tight lines to you!

George Darrell ...

I support "PETA",
"People Eating Tasty Animals"