What a great time of year

[dc410]

Over the past month or so the outdoor world around us has exploded with new life. I always enjoy watching the landscape transform from the dormant winter season to the spring season which is so full of life. This season gives us the opportunity to take a deep breath and enjoy mother nature at her finest. The beauty of the redbuds and dogwoods blooming on the powerlines and field edges. The many different species of wildflowers along the streambanks. Bugs are really starting to emerge and the trout are eagerly rising to feed on them. The chance to get a glimpse of the many beautiful songbirds that migrate through our area at this time of year. The booming gobble of a turkey sounding off on the ridge just above you. Feeling the vibration deep in your chest of the male ruffed grouse as he starts drumming. The chattering of a kingfisher as he cruises past you flying over the water. The whistling of a pair of wood ducks as they take to the air as you round the bend of a creek. Watching a flock of Cedar Waxwings working the streamside vegetation and picking off some of the emerging mayfly duns that the hungry trout missed. Bouncing that first fawn of the year out of its bed and having it stop to look back and check you out knowing that you were probably the first human that it has ever seen. Oh yeah, and a chance to harvest just a few of those delicious Morel mushrooms.

Even on a day when the fishing seems to be a bit off, never pass up the opportunity to take in some of these wonderful sights and sounds of Spring here in Penns Woods. We are truly blessed!

 

[Luke]

Amen brother.

 

[lv2nymph]

Agreed, nice pics.

 

[scottrum]

Amen brother, The Lord has blessed with a spectacular State.

 

[PatrickC]

Agree. Here's a related pic I took Saturday. I ate one and released the other ;-)

 

[Fishidiot]

Indeed.
It seems as if winter has lingered mighty long this year. Cabin fever orneryness has lingered a bit too. Time to refocus on the good stuff.

 

[Chaz]

When I see the Cedar Waxwings in the air over a stream I know the trout will soon follow in the feeding frenzy, wasn't that a Hitchcock Movie?

 

[JackM]

I have spent many stretches of time watching the waxwings and other species working a hatch. It is almost as entertaining as watching the fish rise. I do not cast to the birds, however.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I LOVE this time of year. The birds are singing, the plants and trees are greening up, the hatches are on and the wild turkeys are gobbling! Great year, my 14 year old son and I both bagged mature longbeard gobblers! That's a first for us. :-D

 

[barbless]

Cast-off stonefly shucks on a bankside tree trunk, May 8 on Penn's Creek

one of the more well-known pools on Penn's, May 9

 

[troutbert]

barbless wrote:
Cast-off stonefly shucks on a bankside tree trunk, May 8 on Penn's Creek

Do you think these were shucks from last year? Or this year's emergences already? May 8 would be pretty early for them.

 

[barbless]

Someone else more knowledgeable would have to tell you that. Although there were a lot of those shucks, and they were all in pretty good shape. If they did last over the winter in that condition, I'm impressed with their durability.

I will say that I didn't notice any flying stoneflies on Penn's last week.

 

[henrydavid]

Birds, birds everywhere yesterday, and tons of insects, the insects on or just above the water that the trout didn't get the birds were scoffing up. I must've seen 10 different species of birds yesterday.

 

[troutbert]

henrydavid wrote:
Birds, birds everywhere yesterday, and tons of insects, the insects on or just above the water that the trout didn't get the birds were scoffing up. I must've seen 10 different species of birds yesterday.

Birds and bugs.

The spring bird migration seems to come through the same time as the aquatic insect hatches really get going.

Coincidence? Probably not.

 

[JackM]

I don't recognize that pool on Penns, but it is now my desktop background-- replacing a nice pool on the Little Juniata River.

 

[troutbert]

posted on wrong thread. NEVER MIND!

 

[McSneek]

DC410 - nice pictures and even nicer words to describe this time of year. I've always been partial to redbuds. Often they are the only color in the still brown landscape.

 

[geebee]

Forsythia heralds spring for me - the brightest yellow in a sea of brown and grey.