I love this time of year. North Central PA is glowing. Fall brings us many vibrant colors. Changes are in the air. It is just a shame that it gets dark at 6 pm. This totally dampens my extracurricular activities.

Yes. I am still coaching golf at Lycoming. The Warriors are making me look good. We have one more tournament left. It has been an incredible fall.

Jensen is gearing up for basketball. Coach Taylor has him up early, lifting weights before school. They also play a few nights a week. Coach Maz is trying to get the boys more explosive. Good luck with that Spencer kid.

Fun times. I am looking forward to the upcoming year.

Fishing remains my passion. It serves as my Zen. I am still doing my best to get out whenever I can. Believe it or not, this is my favorite time of year to throw a line. The landscapes are just splendid. Pictures don’t do justice. Man. We could use some rain.

My son is all about fishing. He and his buddies had a great summer on Lycoming Creek. Dad is no longer needed. They usually head out by themselves. His friends have reached out to Monster Energy for an NIL backyard fishing deal. Jensen takes advantage of our location in Cogan Station, PA. Jensen even goes for a bike ride with his pole. It is a beautiful thing.

We had a chance to sneak out for an hour on Monday. Teach gave us the OK. I had to promise that I would finish the flooring and trim by Sunday. She made me sign the dotted line. Our favorite stretch is five minutes from the homestead. I am here an awful lot in the spring. Maybe six nights a week. But with everything going on, we are struggling to find time. The water was rather low. That makes it tough. We saw several October caddis buzzing, but nothing was feeding up top. Jensen was using his new spin rod. Thanks to his Amish Uncle Sam Bieler. He was throwing a gold Mepps.

I prefer to fish with dries, but this time of year I will switch to nymphs. These are tiny sub-surface bugs that emulate the hundreds of insects in their aquatic stage. People say that 90 percent of a trout’s diet consists of these small critters. I believe that. Nymphing is effective year-round. Trout focus on these because of their abundance. My friends are trying to convince me to switch to the high stick. Not yet. I am still a bug-chucking novice, especially when it comes to nymphs. I have fooled with a hopper dropper. But then I always get snagged. I try to keep it simple.

My basic nymphing setup consists of a 9-foot leader, and I add another 10 inches of tippet. 5x or 6x depends. At the very end, I tie my nymph. My buddies Erik Francis and Paul Jensen hooked me up with several, and I have hundreds in multiple boxes. But I normally stick to 4 or 5 different presentations. Some folks will add another fly to the bend of the hook. I tend to use only one. I don’t do well with knots. A split shot is added when needed. I will use a small weight a few inches above. I still go with a strike indicator. I am not the best at using a sighter. Neither is my guy John Leeper.

The amount of weight will vary. A lot depends on the speed and depth of the water. The key is to use enough to have your nymph bouncing along the bottom. I didn’t use any on Monday. It wasn’t needed. Trout are now extremely sluggish. They don’t need to work as hard. They are also well seasoned. Always be sure that your presentation flows with the current. Your nymph should drift naturally. Drag free. Fish aren’t stupid. Especially in the fall.

Pay close attention to those elements. The water is low, and it is super clear. Fish will spook easily. Stealth mode is ideal. Throw a few casts to practice. Think slowly and watch that indicator. Get that nymph on the floor. You should be able to tell the difference between a strike and brushing the bottom. It takes time. When you see a sudden twitch or pause, simply raise your rod. There is no need to set the hook like Jimmy Houston or Chad Lomison. It only requires a slight tug. Don’t get too excited and stay focused. Easier said than done.

Jensen came home with nothing. The poor kid accused me of lying. Perhaps the State postponed the fall stocking because of the low water. I felt bad. We usually slay them this time of year. The fishing was slow. I had to stay patient. I managed to land one healthy rainbow. It was full of color. Jensen was upstream when she found the net. I did take a quick photo. But he accused me of using something I took from the spring. He has to stop listening to Pappy Mike Coledo and his Wegman’s friends. Nevertheless. We had a fantastic time together. Fishing with my son in the backyard. We are both itching to head back this weekend after we finish up those chores. Cheers.