Week of Nov. 30th 2025: Grackles and Other Signs
It is kind of nice today looking out of the shop door and watching flakes fall. November was busy with work and weekend activities, but the holiday is over and some bitter cold arrived. The slate gray sky and dust of snow follows the annual grackle migration in New Jersey. Anyone fishing the Musky TCA these last few days may have been suddenly inundated with cries from these large black birds in the hundreds. The first time I saw them was when they swarmed my feeders when I moved to the area; their group name is as unfortunate as “murder of crows.” Their sinewy flight, resembling a dragon in the sky, is called a “plague.” Around the time these migrations make a stop here, cold weather seems to follow.
Among many things I am grateful for around this time of year is a few days off. Wednesday was a half-day and the afternoon was downright balmy - near 50 degrees. I witnessed the angler below me land several fish in quick succession. My luck was not as gracious as the temperature, but it was great to be out and it was this afternoon that I heard the grackles coming in. They alighted in the trees on one side of the Musky before flying overhead to the south side. I stopped fishing just to watch them pass and could hear them as they flew over the ridge. Streamers could not entice a fish in the window of opportunity I had in the early afternoon, but the active indicator my neighbor used let me know what fish were interested in.
Thanksgiving morning was not anymore productive even though I switched to an egg and midge rig. The TCA on the Musky has seen a lot of action and I decided to fish a section that I often skip. The slow, deep pools are often locations where trout gather when it’s cold. Another switch was that the air became freezing overnight. It seems like we can start wondering about how much the trout react to temperature and how far they’ll move for food. For me, that distance was zero. As the sun rose, I saw some fish start to flash as they ate near the river bed. I returned home to bake some pies and passed a few anglers on my way out. Friday proved to be my day.
I arrived way too early on another freezing morning and started with a streamer. Ice accumulates more quickly with the water drawn through the guides when casting, so I switched back to an indicator rig and fished more of a fixed line. This time, I chose a small beadhead hare’s ear followed by a WD40 (I need to tie some zebra midges). The fish were flashing low, but not hugging the bottom like on the previous morning, so I suspended the nymph and mended my line to present the fly first. They clearly liked the hare’s ear and I fished one fly when it was obvious the midge was being ignored. The few degrees the sun provided and finding the right food source clicked and, for about an hour and a half, I had a lot of fun. Even the cold could be ignored, until the wind picked up and the fingers nearly fell off.
Around ten-thirty I was back at the parking lot looking forward to untangling lights and decorations which is almost as much fun as a bird’s nest of splitshot and tippet. The forecast includes some snow this week and our warmest days will see a high of forty. Naturally, the bugs that are active and feeding fish could be found mid-day, but dark and cold mornings are not without flashing fish - the tell-tale signs bugs are doing something deep.
I almost didn’t go out on Saturday and Sunday morning. What can I say? Yes, it was cold. As usual, I had about dawn ‘til we opened at nine and returned to the stretch where I had such luck on Friday morning. The same flashing fish were in the same spots, both days. I even saw a rise. Mostly, the flashes began on rocks on the bottom, like the fish were gnawing something right off the rock itself. Despite sinking my hare’s ear, and reattaching a dropper, they were not interested once again. I even put a streamer through nice and slow. Whatever they were eating, I did not present to them. Several customers confirmed that hare’s ear nymphs, flies that look similar, like a Waltz’s worm, are taking fish b?B. Eggs and midges will too. Take advantage of the warmest part of the day, but the best time of the day is whenever one can get out.
There’s a lot happening in the shop ahead of the next busy holiday. The generosity from the community for Don has been overwhelming to see, but I’ll let Abe and Lindsey say more. Fly Tying 101 spots are available and Thursday Night Tying in the shop is happening. We have sale items worth perusing in person or online. Signs of Winter and the coming holidays are here! Who knew 2025 would fly by so quickly?
See you out there!
Roy B.
