May 15, 2017 – Taking Advantage of the Good Flows – Manatawny Creek

Pretty and feisty, but not big papa....

After the heavy, steady rain on Saturday, I took Mother’s Day off to spend with my wife, some friends for lunch, and then a dinner visit to my mom’s, but part of me was probably wishing that I was chunking big streamers somewhere, at least in the late afternoon.  Today was windy and warm, a high pressure after a storm kind of day, and the gauges did not look bad in SEPA, so I loaded up around noon and headed an hour west to Berks County.  I figured the higher, stained water might bring out some surprises on the creek, as it sometimes does, but I would also be content with the stockies who would have the feedbags on, feeling very secure for mid-May.

Another paler but still pretty one.

I started out high-sticking a relatively shallow run that has some deeper depressions in it, and I had a lot of fun right away, hooking at least 4 rainbows and a possible wild brown within the first 30 minutes of fishing.  The fish could have held over too, as this area of the creek stays cool most of the year because of some limestone influence itself, along with some cold flow from nearby limestone tributaries.  Either way, the fight is just different.  With the smaller wild or nearly wild ones, you experience the violent head shakes at times, then jumps, then the run for cover, all in the span of 60 seconds.  Even alone, I sometimes whoop it up!  The fish took a caddis larvae rolling on the bottom or, on the swing at the end of the drift, a beaded caddis emerger pattern.  They took it in the fast water without any doubt, transmitting distinct hits through my 10 foot 4 weight rod.  If nothing else, this is a good practice for some of my favorite pocket water streams.

Jacked up tail, but getting colorful and tough guy about the jaws.

After the early success, I fished a couple pockets that usually hold a wild fish or two each year, but I had no love in either one, so I rigged up with a small indicator and a couple lighter nymphs and fished a deeper hole that has great overhead tree cover.  I landed another handful of rainbows here before landing another little wild fish.  I dropped a larger fish that appeared to be a brown too, but I didn’t get a good enough look at him to make any predictions.  Later, however, in another fast, shallow run with some cover, I had one of the rarely seen big ones I was hoping for, a 15 inch brown, swing down in a run and grab one of my nymphs.  I was too excited, I suppose, and only turned him for a second.  I guess he didn’t feel the sting, or another similar sized fish also lived in this particular run because on the next cast, I set the hook and played a good fish for a hot second before it got off after one jump.  I was kicking myself for not taking off the indicator because I think that went one direction and he another, probably catching in the current.  It happens, but it wouldn’t have if I had switched back to my original rig.

High, but the visibility was decent and the fish felt secure enough to get aggressive at times.

It was getting later, and I had to do afternoon bus stop duty, so I did some walking to get to a favorite hole in order to end the afternoon.  I tangled with a handful more here, and they were hot fish, mostly rainbows with a lot of power in them.  I did hook one smaller stocked brown, but he also put on a nice show and was getting pretty from being around for a while in the creek.  I probably ended the day with over a dozen and, while I botched my shot at a good one, I thoroughly enjoyed the short, productive trip.  I had to floor it when I could to get home in time, but I had a hard time leaving.  For one I was catching fish steadily.  But I kept hoping that the next cast would bring redemption, too.  The next three “last casts” just brought three decent rainbows, so I cannot complain.

Not the ones I was looking for, but a good day, and I had the place all to myself too!