March 16, 2025 - I Just Like to Know They're In There (Barely) - SEPA Freestoner

I thought I recognized this little guy.

I had a couple hours to sneak out before the wind and rainstorms arrived on Sunday afternoon.  It was midday, and I didn’t want to chase stockers or contend with the warm day crowds at Valley, so I paid my annual visit to this little crick that remains on the natural reproduction list.  The water was low, and was low all winter, so probably locked in ice.  I did not spook a fish for the first hour, and this was in three deep holes where I have always observed a couple trout each year since I've started looking.  I went as far as to jump on some hiding places and undercuts to see what might scatter.  Nada.  I saw some fry of some kind in shallow pools, so maybe they were trouts because I could not get a chub or minnow to hit in the first section I visited.  I took a short ride and didn’t fish a second winter honey hole because I saw five cars and several walkers with dogs (off leash, of course) in this section.  One more short drive to my other ace in the hole produced a single wild brown trout.  Yay?  I think I caught this fish last year in the same spot!  He hit a small natural colored jig streamer in a deep, narrow run.  At least it was a little something for the effort and evidence that there are still some in there.  Granted conditions were fronty as heck, windy and low pressure, and the water was low and gin clear, so more fish had to be holding on somewhere.  I caught a dozen one and two year olds last March, so I will try to remain hopeful.  A freestone creek a few miles from a major US city in a developing area, however, so I have to be realistic too.  It was better than chasing stockers, and I got some steps in?  Yes, I am overdue for a real trip one of these days! 

Low and pretty barren, at least on this strange weather day.

March 9, 2025 – Swung for the Fences on Another Chilly, Windy Day – NEPA

Spring is coming.

Signs of spring are showing, but I jumped the gun, which is something I often do.  I expected what I got, but I wanted the full experience after a long absence from the game.  I wanted to fish real water today for wild trout.  I wanted to get the kinks out, but I also wanted a chance at a day maker, especially if I was only going to catch a couple fish for all my driving, and prepping, and bundling up.  No felt waders, but I even carried the wading staff today, prepared to get myself into position for a shot at the glory.  I caught a good fish, one of them, but it was the wrong species.  This is a wild fishery, but rainbows do go rogue and get wanderlust, so the bows that get in here are big, mature ones.  They think they’re wild, at least.  A wild brown the same size would have been nice, but I will take what I got today under the conditions.  No wind to start, but the so-called warm up coincided closely with yet another blow.  I feel like we are living in Kansas as winter dies down.  Dry and breezy!  Despite the challenges and the lack of fish, I felt like I fished (and waded) well and was ready when opportunity knocked.

One, and a holdover at that.

I fished all the right water for this time of year, even the stuff on the other side of the crick.  I did not take a water temp reading, but it was cold.  There was still ice on the bends that typically get little sun, though mostly in the stagnant puddles.  The flows were perfect, maybe low for this time of the year, but perfect for fishing.  I saw one bug, however.  One.  I bet they will get moving this week with a warm-up in the forecast, but I had today to fish, so I fished.  I was not alone in needing to get out despite less than perfect conditions.  I even ran into a dude center-pinning before 9 AM.  I am usually the only mitch out there on winter mornings.  Of course, there were a handful of other visitors later in the afternoon when the air temperature approached 50 degrees.  By then, we were all contending with the wind, with gusts to 30 mph.  The bow took a caddis larva on the dropper tag below a big jigged bugger that I was using for the anchor (and hopping around ever so slightly in the slack pockets and eddies I could reach).  I fished a couple different stoneflies for a while too and only had one other tentative hit while tightlining a short run of moderate current. 

Good to be back, even if a bit early.

A lot of hiking and wading for one fish.  Nevertheless, it was good to be out on a favorite NEPA creek at this time of year.  A lot more water will be available to fish once Opening Day arrives, but I will not likely return until late April or early May.  We need rain, as the punch from any snow melt is gone, long gone.  It crossed my mind to visit a nearby DHALO with jumbos recently dumped in, but I guess this was actually what I needed today because I was content to catch one fish.  I believe I have at least an afternoon on Friday and one day this weekend to catch a few more.  Life remains busy, but longer daylight hours and nice weather will make it easier to sneak out.  I have a few college-related weekend things coming up with the boy, like accepted student days, but I know I will miss all this time with my son when he leaves us this fall!  Maybe he’ll pick a school near prime fishing?  We will know soon enough.

March 1, 2025 - Still Here, Waiting for Winter to Give Up

 

Of frazil ice and other winter fly fishing challenges

There are two schools of thought about winter fly fishing / One is the classic mentality / Match the hatch / In winter / Aquatic insects / If and when they do hatch / Are quite small / To give you an idea about how small / Some are even called midges / So Germanic and practical / Compared to fancier names / Like those given to mayflies / Order Ephemeroptera in ancient Greek / But still pretty fancy in plain English / Albeit not as exotic as hummingbirds / Like Green-breasted Mango / Like Bahama Woodstar / Far more pragmatic and descriptive instead / Like blue winged olive / Big slate drake / Ginger quill spinner / Pale evening dun / Dark hendrickson / Gray fox / Sulfur

The other approach to winter fishing is to go big / To offer the fish a big meal / So big within reason the trout cannot refuse / Present to them the largest plausible prey / Fish are cold blooded of course / Even fish like trout who must thrive in cold water / But it takes effort to eat / So make it worth their while / This is the other school of thought / The other approach to winter fly fishing

I sometimes net a perfect wild brown / Too exquisite for this world / Deep post-spawn reds / Kype-jawed for defense / Release him and sit on a rock / Feeling some sense of guilt / The water is 34 degrees / The air is 36 at best / It takes such effort to suit up / To leave the house / To fish in winter / Yet this trout left security / A log jam or rocky shelf / A massive mid-stream boulder / Swimming with what its cold blood could muster / Not for a tiny mayfly / Or a midge / But for a large golden stonefly / Or a minnow pattern / Like a sculpin / A real meal / The largest plausible prey / Yet hardly a real meal at all / Mostly manmade materials / Repurposed natural ones with very specific names / Things like ice dubbing and cul de canard hackle and zonker strips/ A 4mm slotted tungsten bead / All triple whip-finished / For security / A drop of head cement / For extra security

And so the guilt / The sitting on a rock / In winter / Thinking about effort / Security / About cold blood and peril and death/Imagining that swimming in frazil ice / For me / Would be akin to breathing gelatin

January 29, 2025 – Between Impending Snow Melt and Red Flag Warnings, I Got on the Board for the New Year (Finally) – Berks County

First of 2025 with not much January to spare. 

I should not have been too surprised that the creeks I drove over on the way to this limestone-influenced one were pretty much locked in ice.  It has been a cold start to the new year.  I have totally regretted waiting for better days to come when I’d passed on some decent weather days very early in the month of January.  But it is what it is.  As you can tell from the photos, this creek was also pretty hard throughout most of its length, so I made the most of a couple holes I knew would be open due to nearby springs and hoped for the best.  I needed a day off, a drive, and a walk in the woods even if the fishing was terrible.  I have been very busy on the weekends with the boy’s college decisions for the fall looming (and all the invasive paperwork and documentation that the fancier of the these contenders require).  I am also teaching a young mitch to drive.  Oh, and I have been deep in a job hunt with a couple interviews and way too many applications.  I am playing the long game on one very promising position—not because I have a choice, but because the hiring process for college faculty takes ages!  It would be worth it in the long run, I hope.  We live in uncertain times as far as enrollment is concerned, not to mention funding and loans for students and so on.  No less certain than my current industry, however.

Stop, collaborate, and listen?  Bonus points for the bad reference ;)

The drought continues despite the snow still on the ground.  The creeks are very low, which only helps with the icing up.  I don’t see the Skuke much from the train as I commute to work, but folks like Young Kenny tell me that it too is iced up.  The days are getting long and incrementally milder, so it won’t be hard water forever.  When my first spot of the morning was a bust since it was open but far too shallow for fish to get brave on a sunny day, I worked my way quickly to the second spot I had in mind.  This is a deep hole, very deep, so fishing can be a puzzle if they are not ready to chase a heavy bugger or come off the bottom to investigate an emerging olive or early stonefly—they were not ready for either, though I did see a couple small BWOs even in the cold, clear conditions.  Wind gusts to 50 MPH were expected by late morning, along with 50 degree air temps, an interesting combination.  Basically, I was racing the snow melt that would drop the frigid water temps some more and a front that would put the fish down and/or make fishing with small bugs and a bobber impractical to next to impossible.  Before all that intersected around 11 AM with some gusts to 30 MPH or more, I caught two wild browns, dropped one, and had three other quick hits.  Not great, but I got on the board before January blew away.  More time on the water in February for sure.

Tough out there for youngling, but they gotta eat.

December 30, 2024 – Who You Callin’ a Mitch? The 2024 Farewell Tour Was a Successful One – SEPA Blueline

A peek of blaze orange and some other colors.

After Eric and I fished for 6 hours and, according to his onX maps, covered just over 4 miles of woods and water, he went out with the shotgun at dusk and got himself a doe.  He is mostly an archer, and the Silver Fox pointed out that it was a gut shot based on the grainy photo, but I still think I am the mitch today!  I was home taking a nap while he was walking back into the woods, probably running on water, deer jerky, and the rush of a good day of fishing (not to discount an outdoors hall pass from his lovely wife).  It was a good day for both of us.  We got a significant-enough amount of rain in the evening after a couple light rain days in a row, so the crick was in its banks but full and stained.  By the time we walked into the first spot and were fishing by 7:50 AM or so, I would estimate that we had about 12 inches of visibility.  Probably a streamer day, I thought.  That did play out as expected, but I did get one decent one on a pink worm and Eric fooled a few with the egg.  We were both fishing small Eric-tied buggers on the mono rig, and at times I wish I had chosen to streamer fish the traditional way.  I even had the other rod in the ‘Ru this morning.  However, the mono rig is versatile.  Even though the fish rarely hit a dead drifted bugger and wanted it moving on the swing, it was warm enough to fish without gloves and not only strip but also strip set with the 15 lb. butt section of the green mono.  Plenty of fish were caught, and a few of them were small stream beauties over 12 inches long, which was a nice change for me from earlier in the week.

One of Eric's better ones.

Some dudes bowhunt this land, so we had a little blaze orange with us and were hoping any fellas in the tree stands were also sporting some.  We saw no hunters, but we did see a lot of dead animals.  We saw a drowned raccoon near the first hole, a big dead turkey vulture or raptor, and the carcass of a buck who probably met his demise last year.  The decay did not seem to affect the wild trout, who ate well.  They had the typically slow and nippy tendencies of winter fish, especially as the day wore on, but they were slowly chasing and nipping at meat, as I noted above.  Once we dialed in the pattern and the water type that held feeding fish, we proceeded with confidence.  That confidence also helped us both stay patient and stick a couple of better fish in deeper holes that did not fit the pattern.  I mentioned the egg and the worm because we were trying to work as a team and offer a couple options.  In a few cases, I moved a nicer one with a bugger, and then Eric got him to eat an egg—or vice versa.  We did not even discuss this, but we fish well together and make good complementary choices naturally.  I believe that we both consider our fish on this creek our fish.  What I mean is that if we were alone, we might have had a chance at all of them but working as a team we share in the success, keep each other honest, and even offer a little coaching when needed.

Doubles, eggs, buggers, even the san juan worm.

Fishing was good for the first 90 minutes or so, and then we wasted a little time with two deep holes that have winter all over them.  My gut was telling me that before the huge warm-up the day before, these seemingly money holes were probably fringed in ice at best, covered in a thin layer at worst.  They were also much dirtier than the moderate riffles where active fish seemed to be set up and looking for a meal.  We may have squandered some prime time fishing this deeper water, but we retooled and made the most of the pattern we established early.  We fished until about 2 PM before turning back, but things got more challenging after 12 PM.  We had way more short hits—that could mean fish are getting pecky or that we had been out and fishing hard for a while and were experiencing diminishing returns.  Changing weather was a factor, as well, with winds picking up and a dry chill returning to the air.  I think it was a little of all of the above because I definitely missed two fish after lunch that I should have had.  Contrary to conventional wisdom about winter fishing, I have fished the winters for so long that I am never surprised when wild brown trout act the way they would in any other season.  Sun gets high, midday approaches, and they shut off for good long while.  Remember that when someone tells you to sleep in and fish from 10 AM to 2 PM in the winter like a mitch!

My best, one of Eric's best.

Eric wanted to be back in the woods with a shotgun by 3 PM, and fishing had slowed considerably, so we made an aerobic trek back to the parking spots around 2 PM.  We were satisfied with the morning’s proceedings, and even if he didn’t have plans to hunt, we may have come up dry until 3:30 or 4 PM when the magic hour begins (sometimes).  Even with the year of the drought nearly behind us, I still clocked 65 trips in 2024.  I will take it.  It was a challenging year.  Not only were flows at record lows, but the striper run that I thought would keep me busy into the third week of December fizzled after the first week of the month, and then there was a premature cold snap to end the season.  I go back to work on Thursday and Friday, but I definitely made the most of my winter vacation despite being sick for a week too.  More rain on Wednesday night, so never say never for a first fish of 2025 on January 1.  The new license and trout stamp are ready to go if I get the opportunity.

Afternoon bonus shot.  Happy New Year, mitches!

December 28, 2024 – Some Small Stream Sneaking in the Light Rain for a Mess of Small Trout – Berks County

Maturing early, I see.

Well, I did not want for action this morning on a small SEPA freestoner.  I was fishing by 7:45 AM, testing my theory about the morning bite still being a factor this early in the winter, especially with rather typical temperatures—it ranged between 35 and 43 while I was on the water.  I also got to test my new rain gear for the second time this winter.  I stayed dry, but I had the hood up until at least 11 AM before it let up.  That pause in the precipitation did not last very long, but it did feel good to dry out for a while.  I covered a good bit of water and even fished my way back, cherry picking a couple high percentage winter holes that did not produce to my satisfaction on the way upstream (or downstream to be honest).  The slow steady rain did not amount to much until it was quitting time around 1 PM, and after a two-hour break from the wet stuff on the crick, I drove home in a light rain, much like my predawn drive.  It was noon before I started noticing some more color and a few decaying leaves in the current.  I caught fish consistently on a size 10 natural jigged bugger until about 10 AM, and then things quieted down until I put on a waltz and a size 20 frenchie on the dropper tag.  I was surprised not to catch more chubs or fallfish, but I think the creek was pretty cold with snow melt and even some fringe ice in the spots that don’t get much sunlight.  I was also surprised to catch a holdover brown.  This creek is stocked, but I rarely find any stockers left by this time of the year and certainly no rainbows. 

Some dreary crick pics.

This being a freestoner, few fish were found in the pocket water unless I happened upon just the right moderate flow and the right depth.  Instead, fish were in the holes.  I moved a couple that looked better than 8 inches, and I stuck one that was 9 or 10 that came off.  Otherwise, I was catching 3 or 4 small trout in every hole.  It was fun once I accepted that those little ones were simply going to outcompete any of the better ones today.  I am sure I caught over 20 wild brown trout and a handful of creek chubs.  I kept secretly hoping for a day-maker or two, but it was clear that today was not that day.  It is hard to complain about a double-digit day in late December regardless of size, although I did wonder if a larger average fish was just as active on a larger creek somewhere today.  Most of the fish today were from the same year class, maybe two-year-olds, so there was a good spawn.  I did catch a couple YOY while nymphing too, so the low, hot water this year did not affect the broods too much, I hope.  I saw one redd that was pretty covered with silt already, but I have not found the spot where most of the fish spawn on this creek, not yet anyway.  Having only caught one true big fish here, and maybe a half a dozen mature fish in recent years, there may only be a few mating pairs that keep this population going.  I have read that it does not take more than two (or four) to sustain a wild population, and that might be true here.  Time will tell.  I could happen upon 10 redds some future November.  I did catch a 7-inch male that was all colored up and looking, well, male even at that size, so mature is relative on a creek this small. 

A consistent dinkfest but plenty of winter action.

The plan was to quit around noon, but I was so enjoying the lack of rain that I not only pushed upstream further than anticipated but also hit a select few holes on the way back.  Fishing got tough after 10 AM despite the clouds and stain.  Man, that return trip was really disappointing on the fishing scale.  I did catch one more trout and a chub, but besides that I don’t think I got a hit after the lunch hour.  With the water getting dirtier, I even tried a black jigged bugger, but nothing seemed to outperform the natural one I started the morning with.  I saw some fish moving around or spooking when I peeked from a few higher vantage points, but I did not see any bigger fish.  Still, I am glad I took the time to walk back slowly and take my time.  I mostly had the place to myself—the dog walkers came out when the rain stopped, and I spoke to one unsuccessful fly guy at the lot when we were both leaving.  It was not a bad day for a walk in the woods, and little ones were pretty ravenous for late December.  I am heading out with Eric on Monday following a very warm and rainy Sunday night, so I hope the fish stay hungry for a mitch.  I realized today that I don’t go back to work until next Thursday, so I can’t rule out another solo trip either!

This weather is not without its photographic charm.

December 26, 2024 – Another Chilly, High Pressure Afternoon Session – Northampton County

A little snow remains.

I had been fighting my first winter cold and/or sinus thing for a few days, but I was feeling markedly better by Christmas day.  I slept in to let it warm up from a morning start in the 20’s (again), and then I made my way to one of my go-to Lehigh Valley limestone cricks.  It was going to be a decent day.  Afterall, lows in the 20’s are better than lows in the mid-teens.  I had a plan to visit a couple cricks, maybe three of them just to scout, but with the air temperature still hovering below freezing at noon when I arrived at the first one, I saved my energy for another day.  Despite the cold temps and snow on the ground, there was still no fringe ice.  There was also little to no snow melt to worry about with temps barely getting above freezing for an hour today.  I knew I could find at least a couple despite (or because of) these calm, static conditions, even if that meant nothing until the bright sun dipped below the horizon around 3 PM.  Luckily, I did not have to wait that long, at least for the first fish of the day, which was also my best of 2.5—I landed another and dropped a second during "magic hour."  I got one to take a midge under a bobber in a wintering hole at my first stop, but I could not repeat that success here or at similar spots throughout the afternoon (I even gave the Bonnie Braid indie a shot at a couple deep, calm spots).  In other words, no clear pattern has been established for this guy just yet.  I fished it all and covered a lot of snowy ground.  I had the place to myself, so it was a good excuse for a walk in the woods.  Not a dog person, so I suppose a fishing rod is my excuse to get outside in the winter.  Those dog folks are the only other hardy souls I see out there on days like today.

Got a decent one on a midge shortly after arriving.

This is the time of year when bugs are scarce, but I am not an egg man—and I am rarely a worm boy either.  Instead, I fish larva that I know are in the cricks year-round or scuds or small buggers.  The first fish took a midge larva, and I had a couple other bumps on a walts worm in soft pockets.  I kept returning to the jigged bugger—dead drifting, letting it fall slowly in soft stuff, weighting down to drift under root balls and behind current breaks.  That finally paid off on my walk back to the ‘Ru.  Around 2:30 PM, I had a swing and a miss, then a short battle with an average brown, then another hard bump that did not connect.  When I threw back at the same soft pocket where the bumped occurred, I finally had the opportunity to land and photograph my second and last fish of the afternoon.  I have been lazy and not fishing the cold morning beat, but I may need to switch it up for my future outings.  The mornings should be mild enough to make this prospect even more inviting and productive.  With rain in the forecast, I may fish on Saturday or Sunday, and I have a Monday trip penciled in with Eric.  With hunters back in the woods in the SEPA counties, we may have to get a mitch out on a crick that is not our usual oasis.  I hope he hasn’t forgotten how to fish for trouts that are actually pressured once in a while!  This will be a social fishing day, so fall stockie bashing is not off the table (although I am sure I can find something a little more exciting).

A little action on a jigged bugger to close out the afternoon.