Here in New England, North America we are getting a taste of fall now. A few of the leaves are already changing and the mornings and evenings are crisp. The color of the sky is vibrant and days are shortening.
Bait infuses the region on the coast and the wildest of the wooly fishing is about to unroll in front of us as Boneclave nears.
I dream of such days in the pacific northwest as well, when big searun steelhead start to think like the trout hidden deep inside those silver armored missle bodies and they can be tempted to torpedo a dry fly.
This fall I am going to tour the fall foliage areas in the White and Green Mountains with a 5wt in hand, areas full of deep memories for me.
We're supposed to get 90 degree weather this weekend around Boston... surely the last of the hots for the year. I think I will have a lobster in the rough this weekend to bid the summer of 2007 farewell in proper fashion.
The birds have been shifting to fall mode for weeks, long before other, less subtle indicators start to show.
The resident pair of redtail hawks that share my home patch absconded from the spring/summer breeding grounds in mid August. The newly fledged baby they left behind sat around a screeched to be fed for over a week before getting down to business. Now I see him every morning in the same dead tree his parents used to perch in warming in the early sun's rays. If the red and grey squirrels had a productive season and the weather is mild, he may stay the whole winter.
My bluebirds, after two successful broods in the box outside my office window, have moved off to where ever it is they go at this time of year. They'll be back in midwinter when the snow is on the ground, sleeping in their nest box by night and guarding the winter berries from migrating robins by day.
The main body of the kildeer flock has moved on leaving behind recent fledglings from late third broods. These naive youngsters are favorite sport of the coopers hawks that are passing through now. If I go outside and hear several kildeers all giving their alarm call, I stop and look out over the fields and soon enough spot the winged preditor. If his first pass was discovered in time, he'll be sailing away empty taloned. If he got the drop on the kildeer, he'll be busy plucking his dinner while the downy feathers blow in the wind.
At the south coast RI beach I lurk in now, the flock of tree swallows has reached the thousands as more and more migrants join the flock from the north. They'll spend the next several weeks there feeding over the salt marshes and fattening up for the jump across the water to Long Island and than on to Cape May. One day in October the flock will be so thick it'll look like smoke from a distance. Next day, when the first frost kills the last of the winged insects, the swallows will be gone without a trace.
And of course the fish, which after all is why you're reading this post. The young of the year bunker and herring are clouding the water and the bluefish and other preditors are "turned on". Bonito are being replaced with false albacore in southern New England and the stripers and blues are schooling up north ready to make the long journey.
Like Juro, I too am looking forward to some outdoor activity this weekend that involves boiled lobster. A fat fall bluefish on the grill will be the appetizer. Later I hope to do battle with some fast swimmers. Hopefully the morning bite will be good cause I gotta be home in time for the start of my football season.
Damn I love this time of year! Someday when I grow up and get rich I'm gonna take the whole month of September off!
Very nice piece, Mike. Your observations of late summer bird behavior make for very entertaining and informative reading. Keep them coming (with or without fish notes).
this thread needs a bump...good stuff! Today it didn't get much over 60 degrees in Michigan, and with the cooler weather come the Salmon!! Bring it on!!
Getting cooler, (FINALLY), in the northern Rockies also! Fall hatches are starting to pick up, hopper fishing continues, and streamer season is just around the corner. Oh, the tourists are starting to get scared of the weather, providing solitude for the rest of us!
I had ice on the car this morning, but let's not rush things. After tomorrow it's back to summer time for another week or so :smokin:
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