The Expected and Unexpected Visitors

/ Slate Run Sportsmen

Pine Creek had gotten warmer over the past week. Fishing it still can produce a few fish but I chose not to on the warmer evenings. Just a little too warm. As I write this, the humidity has broke and the temperatures have cooled though – a welcomed relief from something undesirable – (defined as) good riddance to the heat and humidity – at least for a few days. It might be cool enough this evening to fish, I’ll check and report if anything transpires.

The wife arrived last Monday.

The Wife Arrives!

This was expected, planned even. On Wednesday we went over to Harrison State Park and picnic lunched, took a short walk and I took a few pictures.

Harrison Blossoms

A few bugs at the cabin this week:

  • Possible Pine Creek Grey Fox Spinner… still?
  • Possible Pine Creek Golden Stone

Saw a couple Slate Drakes this morning. Here’s a good example of the variation within the same species. I was lucky enough to have these two visit at the same time. Their size was distinctly different.

Slate Drake Party

They appear to be both Slate Drakes (Isonychia bicolor) I think… their size difference was obvious. There was at least a half size, if not a full size difference. I believe both specimens were female.

Female Pine Creek Slate Drake, Isonychia bicolor

Now for the unexpected visitor. This youngster showed up Tuesday evening. I don’t think it was a very old black bear as it wasn’t too large. It headed down the Rails to Trails trail for about 70 yards or so and came to an abrupt halt – perked it’s ears up and then reversed course.

  • Wha….?
  • … I don’t THINK so….
The Road Less Traveled Might Be A Better Choice

Once it was past our cabin, it crosses the neighbor’s field and into the treeline above Pine Creek. It crossed the creek soon after reaching the treeline. SRS member Andy R. was fishing down in the vicinity and saw it crossing Pine also.

  • Time for a swim…

I suppose I should not have titled this the … ‘Unexpected Visitor’. Slate Run is famous for its bears. And there have been plenty of bears in supply in the area for some time now. This has been the third one I’ve seen this season.

Going to head home soon, reporting from Slate Run…. UB

6 thoughts on “The Expected and Unexpected Visitors”

  1. Just started to go through the posts on the blog and this one caught my eye. Very interesting ISO’s .. yellowish legs are a great identifier but the other colorization is unusual. I look forward to the Sumer meeting I will attend Roth a friend who just invited me.Tight lines

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    • Please feel free to introduce yourself to me at any of the meetings. I’m usually hanging out with the treasurer and trying to monitor the sing-in sheet to establish if we have enough members for a quorum at the meetings. Those ISOs are pretty significant (in my opinion) to the fishing in the area come June. Thanks for commenting breucerlcox! UB
      p.s. I’d like to invite you to email follow the site but it just feels like an intrusion if I blindly shoot you an ‘invite’. Thus I leave it up to you as we ALL do NOT need any more intrusions into our lives these days. UB

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  2. UB – some of the best pictures of mayflys I have seen – makes me wonder why we do not tie them more with the front legs out ahead of the eye of the hook. I’m with you on the heat and humidity… already ready for September.

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    • Hi Blaine – Thanks for the compliment on the fly pictures but I know there are serious photographers out there that take much better. These were taken with a FUJIFILM FinePix XP70 – it’s just a little automatic, waterproof and I sort through the 200 pictures to find the one that is in focus and worthy of posting. I try to get the camera in the macro mode but the insects sometimes fly away before I can get things set up properly. As far as tying artificials with ‘legs out in front’ – when trout start counting tails and realizing that thing sticking out of the rear-end is dangerous, I’m in trouble – lol! However, I have been in the camp, and visit this camp quite often, of tying something to look a little more realistic than usual. It makes me feel good and every time I catch a fish with such creation, I pride myself with mimicking the natural and fooling the trout – probably with a little too much pride as they do only have the brain the size of a pea! Haha, thanks for commenting… UB

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