![]() |
First good one of the young year. |
I actually committed to the adventure today and made a longer predawn drive to try and intercept a few wild brown trouts before the month of March was in the record books. I was on the road by 4:40 AM and was fishing a little after 7 AM. It was cloudy, calm, and warm enough early not to wear gloves or long johns, but the breeze did kick up, reminding me that it is still very early spring in NEPA. It felt good to be out there on a bigger wild trout stream after the long winter. I technically did another real attempt earlier in the month and today was just as challenging in some ways. The difference today is that it feels like it’s about to break open, especially if we get a little rain, as the water is half of what it should be for this time of year. Midges, quills, and many BWOs were popping during the late morning hours, so many blue-winged olives that I actually sat and watched dry fly water for a good long time just hoping. I did not see a dimple, though I did watch one little guy suspended up likely taking emergers. I chose instead to spend most of my time nymphing bouncier water with a heavy perdigon on the anchor to deliver small olive and black caddis imitations on the dropper tag. I got one fish on each, the best one actually taking a black caddis larva imitation before the olives even started moving around.
![]() |
Managed to get one shot in the sunlight. Variable conditions all morning. |
I did not take a water temperature reading, but the fish that I landed were in prime fighting condition—and I was totally comfortable wading ball’s deep without insulation. Still, the fish were hunkered down. I was ticking the bottom with the anchor fly the two times I got eaten. I actually added a 3.3mm tungsten bead to my 4mm perdigon to get the best fish of the morning to eat. She was tucked under the head of a deep run, under the heavier current. I had a feeling this was going to be the case when I saw how low the creek was for March. The roads were wet in places on the drive in, and there was a decent tinge to the water, but the fish were not in the soft water like they would be in higher post-winter flows. I had to learn the hard way and took advantage of the low light early to try the softer stuff with a bobber and even with a jigged bugger. As the day got brighter, I felt like my plan to fish close to and under bouncier water was the best plan for today’s conditions. Was it? I notched two good fish and did not get a hit besides those two fish. I fished hard and pretty well, I think. I expected a couple more, but my educated best guess is that most of the fish in the river were just not all that active. With all the mayflies on the water and in the air, I expected more action near the wintering holes, at least.
![]() |
Another healthy one (and done). |
When a couple of March honey holes did not pan out, I hopped around to target the type of water where I had had limited success. When it got sunny and warm for about an hour between 10:30 and 11:30 AM, I was hoping for another shot of activity. Conditions kept changing by the minute, however. I had plenty of food and water with me to make a day of it, but I was not feeling like it was worth the effort to push through the midday lull for a potential afternoon bite—maybe caddis would show up? I even debated hitting a DHALO or even another big crick on the way south, but during a short water break I reviewed the photos I took of the two beauties I landed this morning, and I decided I was content. If I was only going to catch two trout today, a 17- and a 15-inch fish is a pretty good way to do it. Before I left for good, I did sit on the bank again and watch olives on the water float on by untouched. There were some bigger mayflies, what I thought were blue quills, in the mix too. They too were safe today. The wild trout are waking up, but they are not that awake yet!
![]() |
Bonus shot of the better one. |