Musconetcong river 4/11/15:

[AndyS]

Hit up the Musky today for a little cleaning and fishing. I went back down to Hughesville, same spot I cleaned up last year. I got there around 8am and there were quite a few people fishing the big deep hole that runs along the road there. I looked for the old 55 gallon drum that seemed to be always over flowing with trash but it was gone. I did a pretty good clean up of the area. The river looked so inviting, and trout jumping all over I had to take a few throws. FIRST cast, a really nice 14" Brown Trout ! Mind you this spot gets pounded. No camera, no net, no phone, everything was in the car, I let the trout go. Got another small Rainbow shortly after that. I went over and talked to one guy dead sticking power cheese, he was BITCHING the State didn't stock any trout in the river, meanwhile there were trout jumping all over the place.
A short time later I see the guy dead sticking power cheese get up and run over to where an old man was fishing. The man had tripped on a tree root and was down on all fours, IN THE RIVER !! Neither the dead stick guy nor myself had waders on but we were able to get down near the old man and we were able to sit him up on the bank. I got to talking to the old man who fell in, he was from Trenton, 85 years old. He was there fishing with a few other guys near his age, they were down stream a bit. His buddies never checked on him nor did they render assistance in time of need. I stayed and sat with the old man for a while till he was able to get back up on his feet and to make sure he was going to be okay. He was soaking wet. The old man said he narrowly missed hitting his head on a big rock when he fell into the river.
Stopped by the Rt. 78 crossing and there were clean up teams all over the place. Made my way down to the Musconetcong river building where it was free food for the clean up volunteers.
Amazing part about the river is so many dams !!!! And quite a few private sections also.