One more cast

Saturday October 22nd was the opening day of the big game rifle season up here in the northern section of the state. This is one of my most favorite times of the year. I love the excitement of getting out of work on Friday and heading right to camp.

The sun rise on a brisk fall morning. The smell of the leaves on the ground as they slowly dry in the cool, sun kissed breeze. Watching over a frost covered meadow as first light breaks over the beech tree covered knob off in the distance. The adrenaline dumps as the leaves rustle behind me. Is it a big buck or that red squirrel gathering seeds? Slowly I turn my head to see… Nope, just that squirrel again. A hearty soup and some reminiscing over the lunch table. My head slowly nodding off next to the woodstove before it's time to head back out for evening watch. The bewitching hour just as the sun fades over the mountains, this is the time to be on high alert. The air changes from cool to cold as the sun fades away. The moonlight through the bare tree limbs swaying in the now dark sky creates dancing shadows on the forest floor. Lighting the propane lamps as the wood stove heat surrounds numb fingers and toes. The first beer after a day in the big woods. The joyful banter of dear family and friends as we begin to prepare our night's feast. One last joke before the last lamp is turned off for the night. Yes, hunting season is one of my most favorite times of the year. However even in the North Country there are autumn days that get warm. Today was one of those days, while I should have been heading to my tree stand I couldn’t help but think about the river. It was 70 degrees at 4:30pm and all I could think about was one last cast. The opportunity to feel the water flow around my waders just one more time. Heck it could be snowing next week here but right now the sun is thinking about fading soon and it’s 65 degrees, yes I’m up for one more cast.

I crammed a quick dinner down as soon as I got home from work. I knew I didn’t have a lot of time so I had to make the most of it. No longer could I make the drive to my beloved Salmon River over in Franklin County, the continuous loss of daylight would make that useless. But at least I had time to get in one more cast. Like most small towns in the North Country there are waters right here in Massena that would work. Just minutes from home I stepped into the Grasse River and immediately noticed the water temperature had dropped since the last time I was here.

This came as no surprise since we’ve had several long nights of freeze warnings and frost. I tied on my best impression of Fran Betters “The Usual” and worked my way over to my first casting position.

This time of year I really don’t care what I catch, bass are still in season but I’d be happy with a shiner, rock bass, walleye, or even a small mouth. Any time I get to double haul my fly line in late October is a blessing in my book. At least I got the chance to make one more cast. I watched my line drift in the cool waters. Fallen leaves of all colors gently floated on top of the water while tiny minnows dimpled the water's surface around me.

A small nip at my fly let me know that there was something out there. I reminisced about the wonderful fishing trips I've been on over the past year. Hot summer evenings, rainy spring afternoons, bitter winds that blew during the early ice out flows of raging rivers and streams. A solid hit to my fly took me out of my daydream. The fight was quick but furious. Attached to my fly was a small shiner no bigger than 6” but it thought it was as tough as a barracuda. I gently slid it back in the water and casted again. A skein of Canadian geese flew over in perfect formation practicing for their big flight to warmer climates. Motorcycles rumbled out of the local bar’s parking lot reminding me that I am not in my usual middle of nowhere fishing spot but right in the middle of town. It wasn't my perfect scenario but at least I could throw one more cast. The sun was sinking lower in the sky as the local church bell rang at 6pm.

I thought about how just a short time ago I would have been just getting to my favorite fishing spots and had three solid hours of fishing, but today I had only a half hour left of daylight. But at least I was getting in one more cast.

The lights in the park clicked on as the sun sank a little lower. Another feisty shiner grabbed my fly and gave me all it had in its fight against my line. Again I gently released him back into the river. Headlights began to shine on the cars driving over the bridge while I kept being thankful for getting in one more cast.

The smell of a campfire lingered in the air from the nearby neighborhood. It reminded me of the camping trips I had made over the summer. I reminisced about pitching my tent and coffee from a percolator while sitting close to my own campfire. With almost no daylight left the shadows of a couple of ducks glided over me through the air. I couldn’t see them but could hear them landing in the water nearby. It was time for me to leave but I had to get in one more cast.

Eight more one more casts and I finally admitted to myself it was time to go. The parking lot light was my beacon back to dry land. At my truck I slid out of my waders by the glow of my cell phone flashlight. Content that this late October warm spell gave me the chance to get in one more cast.

Downtown Massena isn’t the first place people think about when they consider fishing in the North Country. The mighty St. Lawrence tends to drown out the other waters in this community with good reason. But the Grasse River right in the middle of downtown has a lot to offer anglers. With a solid population of bass, walleye, and northern pike you have a good chance of hooking up. Public access is a bit limited at the moment however the Village of Massena is working on that.

Massena was recently awarded a Downtown Revitalization Initiative(DRI) funding from New York State. This 10 million dollar award will play a huge role in transforming the aesthetics and use of the downtown area. I am advocating for some of this funding to be used for river access and viewing. It would be wonderful to be able to launch a kayak or wet a woolly bugger for part of the day, grab a nice dinner in one of the new restaurants , and finish off the evening with a nice walk along the river bank. Massena is also working on its Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP). The goal of this plan is to make the downtown waterfront not only beautiful but also user friendly. I have been working with a team of community members and community leaders on this plan. I have to say that some of the ideas this team has come up with are absolutely amazing. If we can get some of these projects completed it would be great not only for the residents but also boost our tourism. The LWRP team needs your input, please visit our website https://massena.us/494/Local-Waterfront-Revitalization-Plan, look over some of the ideas and fill out the questionnaires. This is our opportunity to make some great changes in this community. Whether you live here, visit once a year, or lived here years ago I ask that you look this over and give your feedback. I can only hope that once all of these projects are complete, people will be saying that they had a great Northern NY Adventure right here in Downtown Massena.

Aaron Hardy

Northern NY Adventures

“Make Life an Adventure”