FISHING REPORT

Report from Fletcher’s Cove, February 11, 2008

The struggle between the ascending sun and the piercing north winds is fully engaged now. A few days of robin-red-breast sightings and the sweet sound of song birds in warm light are abruptly replaced with the steel daggers of cold Canadian winds. Harsh light and crackling sounds in thin air remind one of what page the calendar is on. Ahhhh… Washington weather, just wait a minute and everything changes!
But can’t you sense it? We are on the downhill side of winter now. A February blanket of snow is more likely than not; however it won’t stick around for long with the earth warming underneath and Old Sol blazing down from above. Fits and starts to spring are assured, but already the noticeably longer daylight has cheered my spirits.

There are some early signs of the approaching season around Fletcher’s Cove. The wooden rowboats are nearly all cloaked in their terra-cotta red. The Weeping Willows show the slightest tint of green and the river itself runs with the fertile look of spring rather than the clear cast of mid-winter. I’ve spotted a few hard-core fishermen along the banks in recent days. The early bird gets the worm, you know!

You may not want to fish quite this early, but just a reminder: I’ve struggled for all my days at Fletcher’s to convince anglers not to wait too late in the new year to GO FISHING! When the hot days of late spring and early summer arrive, you’ve already missed a big slice of the fishin’ pie. Timing fishing is like timing the stock market -- even experts can’t reliably do it. You can look at charts, check solunar tables, read the paper, wait for a call from “your buddy.” HA! Like that famous sneaker company used to advertise… “just do it.” If you don’t have success, at least you will come away with one more tile in that big mosaic picture of life experience. And that is how you get to be a better fisherman. Don’t have the time to take a chance? Welcome to the 21st century. Most people don’t have as much wiggle room in their schedule as they would like. But waiting until you hear they are “jumping in the boat” will frustrate you further. When you hear about great fishing, it is OLD NEWS! I promise you, Fletcher's is worth the trip, even when fishing isn't great.

If you are not familiar with fishing at Fletcher’s Cove, check out some of the previous fishing reports to get a handle on what goes on. March should herald the arrival of Herring, White Perch, Hickory Shad and some large Striped Bass. When the store re-opens in March, we will have D.C. fishing permits and tackle for sale. Boat rentals will follow when the weather and the Potomac co-operate.

An item to note:
The National Capital Chapter of Trout Unlimited will hold its 33rd annual “National Capital Angling Show” on Saturday, March 29th. For details, go to their Web site at www.ncc-tu.org . Fletcher’s Cove will have an information table at the show with literature and people to answer your questions.
Hope to see you this spring at Fletcher’s Cove.

Dan

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