Spring: Now with smaller bugs

Trout season opened in New York state Friday, April 1 — and not a moment too soon.This has been a rough winter. Lots of snow. Lots of gray. Lots of angst. As the winter deepened, the mood of the people disimproved. Then came the tsunami. And Libya. Everybody’s antsy about the economy. I’ve noticed a decided increase in per capita snarling.So I will be very happy to put on waders and stand in a frigid river, waving a stick around to no apparent purpose. It beats the alternatives.I read recently that the insects of my home river, the Esopus Creek in Ulster County, have gotten smaller over the last decade or so. Same bugs, just reduced in size. This makes sense to me, and matches my observation that my larger flies have only fooled the silliest fish the last couple of seasons.The Esopus is a wet fly river. I ordered a bunch of standard wets in size 16 — Henricksons, Cahills, Adams, Blue-winged Olives — and I will use those, rather than indulge in the usual Opening Day tactic of huge streamers that never get used any other time, and only produce results if the fly actually hits the trout in the snout.Getting ready for trout season involves tackle fondling, but first it involves tackle locating. In an absurd effort to bring order to my apartment, which this winter seemed even more claustrophobic than ever, I hit upon the classic bachelor technique of cramming as much stuff as possible into a closet.Right now this closet contains: three pairs of waders, probably leaky; five pairs of fishing boots; boxes containing at least a couple thousand flies; two dozen rods in cases; a backpack; a tent; assorted backpacking gear; a daypack; another daypack; an assortment of coolers; three pairs of loafers purchased at thrift shops with the idea of having them resoled; a box containing boat shoes in various stages of decomposition; tennis balls; two manual typewriters (in case the power goes out and I am entertaining another member of the literati); two vacuum cleaners; two parkas; a chest pack; an old fishing vest; and a poster of Jane Fonda as an intergalactic space skunk in “Barbarella.”Last year I organized the flies so well I couldn’t find anything, and wound up with four or five boxes I carried around all season. I’ll start with those, plus the small wets.Last year I cleaned all my lines. This involves unspooling them, an endless job. This year I’ll clean as needed.Last year I filled the waders with water to check for leaks. I’m still mopping up. This year I will wear heavy wool army pants and thermal underwear, and if the waders leak, they leak.New York fishing licenses renew in September, so I’m set. The easiest way for the out-of-state angler to reup is at a town hall — which in Millerton means the North East Town Hall, not the village of Millerton Village Hall.Official Opening Day for most of Connecticut’s trout waters is the third Saturday in April, which makes it about a week away, on April 16.But year-round fisheries, such as the two Trout Management Areas in the Housatonic River and Class I Wild Trout Streams like the Wachocastinook Brook in Salisbury, could be fishable well before then.Unless it snows. Again.