...long strange trip....

It was a tale of two waters, one that was suffering from a lack of fish with 54 degree water, the other was suffering from a lack of fish and 54 degree water; an oddity that isn't lost for contemplation and irony. The SR was highlighted with friends and it'll never cease to amaze me how fishing with 2 buddies triples your chances and triples your hope. I walked out of the DSR  at 8 am Monday  after hooking up second cast of the morning, then getting crossed 3 times and  quickly surrounded by the sporty guys who fish about 5 days a year. Knowing that there was bad tides, flooding and debris left over from Joaquin, wrong wind direction and bright sun, alongside pitiful reports when there was good conditions; we packed up and headed for the coast . It didn't hurt I got to fish the beach we we're married on  for  our anniversary and we ate a phenomenal clam and scallop dinner at the same picnic table we had for our wedding reception. It was a great time. I could try to analyze and speculate on the why of the weakness of the run of salmon and the migration of stripers, but I'll keep my opinions to myself. Besides my knowledge is extremely lopsided, the coast having gathered much more of my attention span.
For my taste, is was great to hang out with some good people, but the run was the worst I've experienced in many ways. I did find some shortcuts into some great steel seams off the extremely beaten path, so for that I'm grateful. I regret nothing of the trip, with the exception of talking to Jack's daughter and getting the news of why he wasn't going to show. I'm looking forward to some steel, but that is yet to be seen....  Some pics for those that know me.

then...

finally....

Glad you had fun.
I knew as soon as I saw the campsite it had to be you but for some reason I got VT plates stuck in my head and being the shy introvert type I didn't meet up with you guys.
As it worked out I wouldn't have fished with you since I have to be pretty certain a heavy run of very large steelhead are present before I can justify spending DSR kind of money.

If you walked out at 8 AM due to the behavior of other "anglers" I hope you at least asked for your money back.
 
Sorry to hear the catching was so poor, but it looks like you had good fishing, great environs, and you have an eye that compliments a camera lens beautifully.

Yep good to see you having fun. I am stuck at works for 10-11 hours a day the past week so no trips up. Next week it should slow down
 

Charlie always love the pictures and the stories. Glad to live close and share water with you. I need to get going on the pictures on my post. Thank god you have me targeting carp on the fly if it wasn't for that it would be a pretty crappy fall. Thinking of Battenkill this Saturday and maybe back to Pulaski next weekend.
I'm scheduled for my foot surgery finally the beginning of December it is. Plenty of time for us to go chase some chrome and try our luck with those Browns before and I'll be fishing again by Christmas.

Will do. Hope the rain tonight sparks some action there

A few more pics- the small king of my trip out, the bigger was flopping and hard to handle, so it just swam back. The smallies are from yesterday afternoon. Wayne and I had a pretty good flurry, if it turns out to be the last trip. May not be, but one never knows.