Opening day on its way

When I was a kid, opening day of fishing was a magical event. I’d spend weeks prepping my gear, picking night crawlers (I had yet to be enlightened) and then spend a last, sleepless night before heading out the door early. At first light I would jump on my bike and ride to the nearest stream for the chance to stand elbow-to-elbow with other anglers eager to catch hatchery fish that were released a few days earlier. Opening day no longer carries that allure, but there is still magic in the air as that special event draws near. So what should you expect?

After spending the past ten days fighting a water problem in my basement, I was able to get out Tuesday to check stream conditions in advance of Saturday’s opener. What I saw wasn’t pretty. Like last year, this April has been filled with heavy snows and colder than average conditions. There is still a significant snowpack to melt and the forecast from today through Saturday looks to add to it rather than melt it. Nearly every stream and every river I visited was a raging torrent, unfit for safe wading. Streams typically stained by clay are still turbid, although clarity has increased from a couple of weeks ago. There were a few small tributaries that an energetic angler could fish from shore, but water temperatures remain frigid, ranging from 34 degrees to 38 degrees.

The bottom line? You may be able to find fishable water, but what will be fishable will still be high and cold. Nymphs drifted through deep pools and dark-colored streamers pulled very slowly along the bottom will be your best bet to entice fish chilled by the ice-cold conditions. If you choose to brave the conditions, be very aware of the streams you fish and wear waders only to protect you from the snow you will have to go through. To put it bluntly, stay out of the water and off any remaining shelf ice.

Where will I be? In a concert hall enjoying my daughter’s recital and dreaming of warmer weather. It can’t stay cold forever.