Pennsy trouting: just barely beat the skunk

[Doug Vitale]

Pleasant temperature: 52 degrees, check.
Cloudy skies: check.
Healthy water level + flows: check.
Charming scenery: check.
Solitude on the stream: check.
Ideal water temperature: non-check! 41 degrees!
Trout were biting: non-check!

I visited a section of a Pocono stream which I had never visited previously. Despite many conditions in my favor, I only managed to land one brown which I assume was wild. You can see my lure in its mouth. I tried a couple of other lures in some very trouty-looking holding areas, but no dice. When I make multiple quality casts into a holding area that just looks like it has to hold trout ("prime lies" as they are called) and I end up getting no strikes, damn does that make me grit my teeth and clench my fist.

Winter trout fishing can send even experienced anglers home cursing.

Still, the whole experience was worth the drive there and back.