Redbreasts in the River!

[ronP]

I spent a postcard perfect Monday afternoon OUT of the office and IN the Schuylkill River in sight of the red, white, and blue Philadelphia skyline. I used a size 12 Orange Stimulator, a deer hair freshwater shrimp tied by Gordon Mackenzie of Redcastle, and a black foam spider. I wet waded for several hours during low tide.

At last! The redbreasts were in the river! I caught several fat, richly-colored, hand-sized slabs that gave me and my 5-weight a hefty tussle. I also hooked into a channel catfish as long as my forearm. Sadly, a loop of my flyline knotted up somehow, got caught in one of the rod guides while the "submarine" continued to sound down and out into the deep water where she snapped me off (I cannot tell a lie and say I did not swear!)

All in all, a great day on the river!

[Philly]

RonP:
Where'd you go in at. Below the dam? I just can't get how the Schuylkill use to be when I was a kid. Can't bring myself to wet wade either there or in the Wissahickon. If you're hitting the sunfish, sounds like its time for me to start working the Wissahickon.
Don't know how familiar you are with Ridley, but I was fishing the lower bridge pool in the FFO stretch and had four largemouths, 10-12 inches long swim by me. Ended up hooking one on a streamer but it jumped and threw the hook. Caught a trout and rock bass also.