Turning Colors

What a wonderful time of the year! Comfortable temperatures and last weeks heavy rains have thoroughly rinsed the country side clean.The rivers have risen in depth slightly but more rain would be nice. Last summers foot prints and car tracks along the old logging trails and river banks I travel are gone. The rain has left its dimpled pattern on the earth. The back roads are dust free. The pollen is gone, mushrooms are prolific and the forest has that damp fall smell of leaves, grass and pine needles. The trees fall colors are appearing and all of nature is surrendering to the fading sun. Red maple leaves drift towards me in the river, spinning past me, they are a reminder of the challenges of winter to come.
First things first, the Brook Trout are turning deep orange as they begin to become active for the fall spawn. The big ones are out. We have a lot of trout to catch & release before the cooler temperatures stop bug hatches. The weather forecast is to rise to 80 F early this week, but thunderstorms will bring the temperatures back to the 60's F later in the week. Water temperatures remain in the 50's F to low 60's F.  Fall hatches of mayflies and moths can be large. Larger imitations will be successful for the larger Brook Trout. The Brown Trout are heading to deeper water. Small Rainbow Trout are still, in the rivers.
Most people are busy with school and back to work responsibilities...the rivers are very pantheistically peaceful.

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