- Drift Boat.jpg (732.22 KiB) Viewed 1362 times
We left our fishing gear at home as this section of river is closed until 4/1, but I brought my long-handled insect net and my camera with me. We saw dozens of little black stoneflies skittering across the surface near the banks and some tiny rust-colored emerging mayflies (Baetis Sp.?) in the slower sections below the riffles.
It was a very peaceful float. Dozens of mallard ducks, mergansers, and Canada geese were surprised to see us as we floated silently past with only the occasional goose honking at us or the sound of a car speeding by on Rt. 10 in the distance. The icicles on the partially submerged logs and the nuts hanging from the sycamore tree branches gave me a few interesting things to photograph. I was hoping to get a Bald Eagle photo as I've seen one in the same place several times when driving along this section of the river in the last couple of weeks. I had no luck spotting eagles while we were floating, but wouldn't you know it, I had one fly right over my head when I was back at my car changing out of my waders.
We are expecting a big warm up this week, with a high near 70F on Wednesday. With no snow pack to melt, the water temperature should start rising too. I think we will have another chance to float this weekend when the air temps should be in the mid-50's to low 60's. This should wake things up along the river.
It's shaping up to be a great season for fishing as well as wildlife watching and photography with all of the opportunities that this new drift boat will provide. We have had many wonderful days on the river while fishing on foot and from kayaks and canoes, but the boat is a game changer for us. It's like having a front row seat to our own private show. The stable platform for standing, gear capacity, easy access to some of the more remote stretches of river, ability to get away from the usual spots, to stop and hold our position, or even reverse course and re-float a good section, is something we could never do from the kayaks. It will allow us to slow down and really get to know the ins and outs of our home river.
- Drift Boat 3.jpg (969.2 KiB) Viewed 1362 times
- Drift Boat 2.jpg (746.62 KiB) Viewed 1362 times
and so true, especially spring in these mountains... the only thing predictable about early spring weather is, it's unpredictable... 
