Lehigh float trip 4/27/23:

[AndyS]

Last float on the Lehigh was on 4/21/18 with Sky Blue Outfitters, this time I was with Wild East Outfitters.
Time was running out to get into a float trip as the bug hatches were already starting in earnest. Since I use spinning gear I am kind of limited to April and Later in October. I contacted my guide in NY and he was booked, contacted the guide on the Raritan and he couldn't give me an answer, finally got booked on the Lehigh and Uncle Ken joined me again today. I started to make arrangements with the guide and he said to start at 11 AM !!! I'm like WHAT, no way, 8AM I told him since we use spinning gear, he said no problem. I got to the meeting point early and did a clean up and fished a little and got a nice small brown trout so I thought it was going to be a great day with starting air temps in the 40's and cloudy skies, water was low and gin clear. We took the very short ride from the Nature Center to Bowman's and started thinking this is a joke right, it was like a 10 minute drive from where were taking out to the starting point, but I bit my tongue and trusted the guide, sure enough he kept us on the water for a full 8 hours and we fished lots of fast water. The bug hatch by 4PM was in full swing and there were fish boiling everywhere you looked.
I used my black jigs same as time I was up there and did well, this year I got mostly smallmouth, the brown trout didn't want to come up to play but the rainbow trout did. I rolled 2 very large browns and Ken stayed in the front of the boat and literally caught rainbow trout from start to fish using a small spinner the guide gave him, maybe 30+ cookie cutter rainbows !!! Ken even managed to hook the back of his head, the guide helped him out with that one !!!
So a few things, they get very few spin fishermen booking trips that I find a shame. The is plenty of shoreline access for those that want to wade up there. Hope to do a Lehigh Gorge float someday water that all depends on water releases from above. I bought a non resident license but I wish Pa and NJ were like NY and your license is good for 365 from day of purchase. That area is state stocked, club stocked and had natural reproduction of trout. The float trip was about 6 miles long, I don't think a longer float would have mad a difference but will mention it next time I book with them.