October is here once again! And that can only mean one thing... The annual Montauk State Park trout fishing trip is here once again! The question to be asked is... will this be the year the trout drought ends?
If nothing else, the trip this year would land in the final days of the peak of fall colors and it was BEAUTIFUL! The area itself is stunning as it is and adding in the top notch beauty of fall colors, you might start to feel like moving in. I know I have!
Rolling out much later than normal, the long haul to the park would be much easier than previous years without having to fight through rush hour traffic. Getting to the park well after dark, setup wouldn't be too bad with the extra lanterns and flashlights and of course, being use to setting up in the dark. After setting up, it would be time to climb into bed as it would be an early morning at the trout stream!
The next morning would come surprisingly early, as it always does on a trout fishing day, but, for the first time in a long time, it would finally be fruitful! My first trout in a long time! Although the morning started off strong, it would fall off pretty quick at the stream and I would finish the day with just 1 trout. That's one more than I had the past 3 years! After the great catch, it was the perfect time to kick back at camp and enjoy the beautiful fall colors!
The second full day of the trip would bring yet another opportunity at the trout stream, but with a lot less pressure after the success of day one. To my delight, day two would also see a trout landed! Its been a while since I've had 1 trout on a Montauk trip much less 2! It was a wonderful feeling to have this much success once again (restores the feeling that I know what I'm doing... mostly). Following the successes of the morning, it was time for a hike along the 3 mile Pine Ridge Trail within the park. This trail gives outstanding views of the fall colors in and around the park, well worth the hike!
The next morning, once again, brought another opportunity at the trout stream! Having landed 2 trout across the previous 2 mornings, my attitude had shifted from relief to determination. Could I land a third or even fourth trout today? The answer, was yes! A third trout was landed now making this one of the best trips in at least 5 years! The afternoon, being the last full day in the park, brought relaxation and opportunity to stroll around the campground for a more easy going hike. The winds were picking up creating a rain storm of leaves which was pretty impressive on it's own but it was a shame to see the fall colors getting muted so soon. It seems more often than not our fall colors are disrupted in some way or another.
On the final morning of the trip, finding myself where else but the trout stream, put the pressure on! Would I land a fourth trout on this trip setting a record of one trout on each day of the trip? Sadly, it would not be the case this year but I was still thrilled to bag three and have the opportunity to enjoy a trout dinner at home in the future! Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better weekend outing at the trout stream. See you next year, trout!
Span of 5 days; Approximately 7 hours and 3 minutes of cumulative driving; Approximately 333.5 miles; Approximately 27.82 gallons of gas used; Approximate average MPG 11.98; Approximately $53.42 spent on gas; Average fuel consumption rate of 3.946 gallons per hour.
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