June 8, 2016 – Check the Weather Next Time, Fella – Wissahickon Creek Trout and Smallies

Thanks WPA and Fairmount Park, though a fire would have helped too.

I had to hide from torrential downpours twice yesterday, but I fished dammit.  Before the first storm, I managed a brown trout on a midge, and I turned another with a missed hookset.  Not long after, it got ominous and then cleared, so I thought the storms passed to my north.  That lasted all of 20 minutes, and then I had to run for cover (thanks WPA and Fairmount Park for maintaining these shelters).  After wet wading for a half hour, I was not too warm standing in that wind, despite being out of the rain!  I got funny looks for doing calisthenics from one passing jogger, but it helped.  I also tied on a big streamer after seeing what a mess the water in my chosen spot had become.

Didn't take long to muck up the creek below a storm improvement.

The work the Philadelphia Water Department looks nice, and I am sure it clears the streets of Roxborough and Mt. Airy and Germantown of runoff rather quickly, but the water below one such improvement was an awful gray/brown within 15 minutes of heavy rain.  I always think these things are better in the designer's head than what is executed by the crews charged with doing the work.  I have the same concerns about the Turnpike work over Valley Creek, which has already discharged a lot of silt after the rains.  By contrast, when the first storm passed, the water upstream of this improvement was still just mildly stained.  I chose to fish this upstream water, venturing into spots I have never fished before and not knowing how many fished were dumped there in the spring.

Bass and streamers saved the day.

No matter, because the little smallmouth went to town on my streamers.  I got a few violent hits on a Mickey Finn until I hung it up on a deep stump, but I also got a couple more on an olive bugger.  I would high stick the bugger through some swift runs, and if I didn’t hook up, I would let it swing and strip it back.  I hooked and lost one decent one, but the couple I took pics of were still fun on a 4 wt fly rod.  Not the day I expected, and I know trout would have cooperated in 65 degree water if not for all the debris and mud in my honey holes, but I am glad I got out on such an interesting day.  I also explored some new productive looking water on a creek I thought I knew very well.  Next time I will pay better attention to the radar, though.

Dark from hanging in a deep, mossy hole.

Pretty spot

I am hoping to get up early on Friday and put about 4 hours of fishing in somewhere a little further north.  It is light very early now, so I anticipate leaving the house around 4 AM or earlier. 

I am happy for the cool off, even though it was nice to wet wade and swim in June, so I am still feeling like trout is the call.  The cooler nights and the shot of rain should make things productive for a couple days.  Plenty of bugs were hatching on the Wissy, especially tan caddis and dark olive or black caddis, maybe even a very small BWO or two.  My elbow is feeling about 70%, so I am glad it has not developed into a chronic pain (yet).  I will see what I can do to change that Friday…