September 25, 2016 – Back in Waders – A Chilly NEPA Drought Tour

A lot of chilly, ankle-deep water.

I scouted a couple creeks and ended up fishing a large Pocono freestoner today with little to show for it.  I got a nice walk in the cool, breezy weather, at least.  This morning’s air was 46 degrees at sunrise, so I appreciated the walking.  Today was the first time I have worn waders since late May, I believe, and I needed them.  Thankfully, there were no leaks.  The water temperature around 7:30 AM was below 60 degrees, but the creek was the lowest I have seen it in a while (and there have been bad years in recent memory).  Herons and raptors have probably had a field day over the last few weeks!  

Dark and lovely on the Dynamic Lures HD minnow.

I worked roughly a mile of water, I bet, just walking and looking for deep pockets and some flow.  I found very little.  I missed a fish under a small plunge early in the morning when I was still trying to shake off a bad night’s sleep, the car ride, and the chills.  It took another hour to land one, and then another 45 minutes to land another.  Browns are not stocked here, usually, but the brown pictured above was so dark, perhaps from hiding in dark crevices, that I questioned whether it was a stockie.  The second fish looked wilder, but was also colored differently than the usual fish I catch here.  I tried to enjoy just being out, as the work week had been stressful.  I would have liked to have caught a few more fish, but I did make the most of a perfect early fall day and thought only of fishing for a solid 4 hours today…  Mental health day, indeed.

September 20, 2016 – A Little Rain, But Not Enough – One for Three in Bucks and Northampton Counties

Skinny and clear at creek #1

Despite Montgomery County creeks getting a spike on the gauges on Monday, the evening did not pan out with additional rain, as I had hoped.  Also, this too-brief rain event seemed to affect less of SEPA than I had expected.  Still, I woke up and did some work at home this morning, encouraged that the clouds were sticking around.  Despite the dry streets outside my window, I was still trying to psych myself up to take a fishing trip today.  In the end, I did not find the conditions I was hoping for (I should have played hookie yesterday!) but I did manage to catch a handful of respectable fish, and I had far more refusals than I care to count.  In low water, on wild trout streams, even seeing some aggressive fish at two creeks before connecting with the hooks at a third creek was a good enough sign that, despite some battle scars, this dreadful summer wasn’t too rough on the residents.  Perhaps the fall won't be so bad after all?

My first stop of the morning was a Bucks County limestoner that I have found to be hit or miss, but usually miss.  I have gained access to two sections of the mostly posted creek, but neither one is consistent.  In May of 2015, I caught two very big trout here on the fly rod, and I have had success on smaller fish a couple times, but this year, I have not seen much life on the creek.  I spent about an hour here, mostly walking and tossing a Rapala CD 1, and I only had one refusal by a 10 inch brown who was hiding in the weeds in a deep hole.  The water was low, but it was a healthy 65 degrees when I left at 11:30 AM.  Even with Monday’s rain, though, it was clear already.  I may rest this creek or find more access closer to the headwaters.

No 20 inch monsters today.

My second stop was another small limestoner in Northampton County.  When I was here a few weeks ago, I moved a bunch of fish and caught a huge wild brown.  Since it was on the way to the third creek I had in mind, I figured I would target two holes where I saw a number of fish last time.  I did not climb all the way up to the hole where the big brown lives, mostly because I didn’t want to knock on doors to gain access, and I also didn’t want to bushwhack in from above.  Well, this mission failed too. The water flow was better here, and also cold, but it was not stained like I had hoped.   These fish, especially the larger ones, are not easily duped in high sun and clear water. Like last time, I had several follows and refusals, and I missed the hookset on one decent fish who did finally commit.  He did not take the plug until it reached the tailout, however, and I could see him hit before I could feel him hit.  All I got for my troubles was a plug flying 10 yards behind me and a spooked pool!

Finally at creek #3!  Outside of the mouth still count??

My last stop finally paid off, thank goodness!   Since it is a larger stream than the trickles I started the morning fishing, it was a bit stained still and flows were good.  Even at 3 PM, the temperature of the water was in the high 60s, and fish hit with gusto when I could find good summer holding water.  It didn’t take long to catch a smaller wild brown.  I was tossing a larger Rapala CD 5 with my 7 foot ultralight, not the shorter rod I threw earlier in the day.  This combo also has Nanofil spooled on it, which seemed to give me the millisecond I needed for a faster hookset due to low or zero stretch.  Even then, I got a couple on the outside of the mouth!  

A good healthy rainbow

I ended up catching 5 decent trout here, most in fast, oxygenated pocket water.  The two rainbows were angry and healthy.  One of the wild browns, which was a good 13 inches long, looked like he had had a narrow escape from a blue heron or a hawk, but he fought well and scooted back to his lair in good shape. 

Bow # 2

I would have kept fishing, but I needed to get the boy at school by 5 PM, so I called it a day around 4 and headed for home.  Not the day I was hoping for, and I had to log some mileage, in the car and on foot, but I avoided the skunk with some quality fish.  I was drenched in sweat, had gone through all my water, and was covered in little green burrs from all the vegetation, but I was happy to get in a fishing day. Come on rain and cool temperatures! This summer has gone on far too long.

Some battle scars, but strong and healthy.

September 5, 2016 - Same Plug, Same Fish, Different Creek?? - Another SEPA Wild Beast

The fruits of my Labor Day: Another 20 inches of wild brownie!

With a tropical storm pushing cool air in from the Northeast, I kept hoping that we would get at least a little shot of rain over the weekend.  Even a ¼ inch would have made me jump up early any morning this long, Labor Day weekend.  No rain, so Monday morning was the only day left to sneak in a couple hours of fishing, rain or not.  The air was in the high 50s when I left the house, which had me wishing for fall—along with early winter, one of my favorite times of the year to fish.  With 90s returning again this week, we still have a ways to go until fall is finally here, unfortunately.  

Shallow and glassy on creek #2.

The sun doesn’t come up until 6:30 AM these days, which is nice.  I could actually sleep in until 4:30 AM before taking the hour long drive to Northampton County.  I planned to hit 3 or 4 creeks in quick succession, targeting deep holes at two I knew well, and exploring a couple new ones that I had not visited.  That way, if the water was low (it was) and fishing was slow (it was), at least I would have the chance of adding a new spot to my list.  My first stop, a new creek for me, revealed at least one convenient and legal pull off, but the creek was far too low and overgrown to fish today, even with the spinning rod.  Knowing I can park without being harassed, I will likely try it again after a few days of fall rain or next spring’s runoff.  Today, I decided to push on to a creek I knew pretty well, hoping to catch a couple before switching to explorer mode.

The only shot of my 2nd fish of the morning, a good 18 incher post-release (squint at the bottom right corner!).

When I reached the second spot, I was shocked at how low the creek was.  I have fished here in the middle of winter and have found stronger flows.  I was happy that the water temp was only 60 degrees, but, geared up to wet wade, that first step into the creek was interesting.  I hiked along a trail for a while, dropping in a couple hundred yards below one of the holes I was hoping would hold some fish.  I fished some undercut banks with nary a follow until I got to the hole, which was long and quiet in this low water, but still plenty deep.  I crept up slowly and tossed a Rapala CD 1 against the overhanging rocks of the far bank, and by the time the plug got to midstream, I was hooked up to a huge wild brown.  He jumped once and scared the crap out of me.  I couldn’t believe that I had hooked two beasts in as many trips, but I have learned not to count them until I bring them to hand, especially in tight confines with sticks and ledges and weeds everywhere.  After a couple runs, I was able to gently drag this 20 inch brownie into the shallows and snap a photo.  He moseyed back to deep water in good shape with a single swipe of the tail.  I was pretty excited and felt lucky to see such a beautiful fish, so I didn’t expect that my next cast would also yield another piggie!  This fish was maybe 18 inches and acrobatic.  When I thought he was finished fighting, he decided to take two long drag peeling runs.  This second fish was much hotter than the first, even if he was a bit smaller.  If it wasn’t such a beautiful and unseasonably cool morning, I would have quit right after releasing these two big, gorgeous fish, but it was only 8 AM, so I kept fishing upstream with only one or two trout follows to show for the effort.  I did get a talking to by a mama deer as she and her twins crossed the creek in front of me.  The first time, I looked around for another fisherman with an oddball sneeze, but it was just this doe giving me the business.

A shot of creek # 3.  No water today.

After reaching my parking spot, I explored a little ways upstream, but then quickly hoofed it down the road and took a ride to another spot 15 minutes north of where I was.  It was already sunny and getting warmer, so I didn’t expect fishing to be good by the time I arrived, but I figured I should check this third creek out while I was in the area.  Well, as you can see from the pic above, it is a pretty little creek.  I know it has some limestone influence, so I was not surprised to see weeds and small trout and chubs in the water under the first culvert I crossed.  I took a reading of the water temperature and was happy to see 62 degrees in the sun.  I only caught a chub and spooked a handful of 8 to 10 inch trout in the one or two holes I was able to locate.  Most of the creek was 10 feet wide and less than 12 inches deep, but it did have a steep grade, so it may run well in the spring.  After about 20 minutes of walking and running into a couple nearly impassable downed trees, I decided to call it a morning.  I could see this creek having its moments early in the spring, so I will be back.  I do like my small creeks.  I also enjoyed the leisurely ride home with the windows down and the wind in my hair (what little there is left).  Not a numbers day, but a good day in the great outdoors after spending way too much time in the central air over the last 2 weeks!