Signs, signs, everywhere a sign...

After a week away, I was itching to be standing, knee, deep, in some water. Given the current water levels, finding knee deep water isn't easy with many of my usual haunts running very low. I got the grill going at home a little earlier than usual and, after an early dinner, I was on the water by 6:00. I was surprised to see this stretch of water devoid of any other anglers. The bank offers some deeper water that was, no doubt, a little cooler that other areas.

Sign # 1 - most nights in this area and the rises are steady and there are enough willing playmates to make the evening very enjoyable. The recent rains and funky weather seem to have put the bugs off a bit. While there were risers, there was no detectable pattern and I was left to do a lot of prospecting. Whatever the fish were taking was microscopic and I just didn't have it in me to tie on anything smaller than a sz 18. So I went to the next best thing and tied up a big ol' ant with an orange indicator. This got me into some fish fairly quickly but it was still a weird evening.

a bunch of these fell to the ant

Sign # 2 - after moving around this pool, plus or minus 150 yards in either direction, a beaver comes out of nowhere and starts cruising the pool. I've run into beavers before and, most often, they seem to have a purpose to them and swim on by and get on with their business so I can get on with my casting. Not this time and not this beaver. He, I'm assuming the sex, starts swimming up and back pretty close to my position and, at this point, I figure it best for me to retreat to the comfort of the bank and perhaps that will diffuse the situation.

where's Bill Murray when you need him?

I began my walk to shore, backwards and mindful of said beaver only to become a bit alarmed when he ramps up the speed and makes a beeline for me. All bets off and I am scrambling fast for the comfort of an elevated bank.

I wait it out for a few as it was getting to a point where moving to a completely different stretch of water was out of the question as dusk was fading. After a solid 20 minutes, my friend decides he has had enough and swims downstream not to be seen again.

Sign # 3 -  I wade back into position and am immediately the target of a couple of massive dragon fly. Again, I been buzzed before but you would think I doused myself in dragon fly pheromones given the attention being paid to me. However, I ignored this sign as well and took up position.

Now, I know I'll have a hard time seeing anything so I decide to tie on a beautiful Wulff, around a size 6?, that I purchased from Eldredge Brothers Fly Shop in Cape Neddick, Maine. Great shop and I make it a point to visit every trip to Maine. This fly is truly a work of art - buggy, nicely sized and proportioned and just aching to become a meal to an unwitting brownie. After a couple tosses, to an area where I last saw rises before the moon rose, a strike! I worked the last brown of the evening to net and decided to call it a night. Happily, there were no more bizarre happenings this night and I made uneventful trip back home, all the while planning my next outing.

Tightlines!