May 23, 2017 – The 14-Hour Nymphing Master Class with Sam – Little Juniata River

Sam high sticking later in the day in one of the fishiest places in the run.

During a perfect break in a week of unsettled weather, I took a 23 hour tour of the Juniata Valley today.  I was up at 2 AM, out the door before 3, and knocking on Sam’s door at 6 AM.  He was upstairs tying, unless he uses “tying” as a euphemism for something there’s no need to discuss here, after a day of fishing with another buddy from TCO who works down in the Bryn Mawr shop.  On Monday, Sam landed two beautiful 19-20 inch browns, so he was in no rush this morning, which was an unexpected benefit for me.  Since Sam was content to hang back and take his time in the morning and periodically throughout the day, I got to have a free guide over my shoulder at different times, and I got to see how he works as a guide when he is working, which was cool.  I said this before, and not just because he’s a friend, but if you are considering a guide to fish State College or the Pine Creek gorge, Sam is the man.  My confidence in euro-nymphing skyrocketed by the end of the long day.

1st stop: Chalky spring limestoner water on a cool morning.

 I did not get tired until I was 2.5 hours into my return drive home, and I was entitled at 12:30 AM on Wednesday when my day began at 2 AM on Tuesday, not to mention 14 hours of hiking rails and wading slippery limestone in good flows.  My body felt good, even my tennis elbow, which I seem to have cured by fishing 4 days per week (and losing nearly 18 pounds over the last few months).  Capzasin works too, but don’t do any “tying” for a day after applying because it stays on your hands for a while.  The label says apply while wearing gloves, which is just good advice in life, I think...

On the bigger end of the scale for the day, but beautiful "river fish" who don't play nice.

As a drive past the lower end of the gorge confirmed later in the day, the river was a zoo due to rumors of green drake hatches.  I just followed Sam all over a 15-20 minute radius and avoided other fishermen all day, not a one in sight, honestly.  We saw plenty of small bugs and some large caddis during the day, but instead of staying overcast, the sun popped out by late afternoon, so the sulfur hatch, which was decent, did not materialize until the light was really, really low, too low for this guy who squinted at sighter line or an indicator all day long.  Sam tied on a dry right before dark and hooked one, which might have even been an acrobatic fallfish, but I just watched for the last 15 minutes, content with a steady pick of fish all day and the sights, sounds, and smells of dusk on a postcard stretch of river.  Rare, but there are times when I just stop and smell the horse manure.

A lot of Little J average fish took flies subsurface at a steady pick all day.

We hit about three, maybe four different stretches, and targeted only the fishiest runs and pockets, a Little J greatest hits tour, while avoiding the popular ballads and crowd pleasers.  The area is amazing and unfair!  Wild fish are in every run, brook, and roadside piece of running water, some too small for me or even Melvin to fish.  I saw a 12 incher in a trickle next to the gas station, you know?  It’s just not fair!  We used nothing fancy, just Sam’s simple, functional, and beautiful jigged tungsten pheasant tails and mayfly droppers.  Fish took both in equal measure.  My largest, which I lost before a photo op, took a big brown stone, I believe.  The agreed upon plan was to look for the “one,” not necessarily numbers.  The one did not come, though we both missed one or two better fish in a prime lair or two, and we saw a couple that would have made for a great grip and grin shot.  However, I had a great day regardless.  At the first drop I caught a couple in the 12 inch range, along with the Little J average fish of 10 inches or so, but I also caught a 14 inch football that jumped 3 times.  Sam calls them river fish, and I know what he is talking about.  Catching a 12 incher in fast pocket water with heavy flows most of the year is a different experience than even a 20 incher in a flat pool or a Jordan Creek jumbo.

A real looker, this one, with a bad attitude.

My best fish of the day bested me after a couple runs through the boulder field downstream of his lair, but one gorgeous, pale 12 incher later in the afternoon thought he was huge!  I could barely turn him after he took the nymph, as he headed right towards the roots he probably hides in most of the day.  I fish rivers, like the Brodhead, for example, so I really appreciate a strong, pretty fish, even if he’s not 18 or 20!  Sam uses 4X and a 5 weight for good reason.  I have to become more confident in the butt section of my rod’s ability to turn them out of dangerous territory quickly, so besides getting a lot of helpful tips on my nymph rigging and fishing, I also filed away another lesson on fighting fish. If an 18 takes my fly next time, I will be more confident that I can seal the deal.  That said, I have caught plenty of big trout in my life, so I honestly don’t get upset when a good one gets off, especially if I got to enjoy the take and the fight and even saw him in close.  Barbless, small flies, treacherous wading that precludes the downstream pursuit of a hot fish, all these things weigh in the fish’s favor, and I am cool with that.  I have rarely felt the urge to heave a golf club into the pond in fishing or in life (Although, there is one 10+ pound fluke I lost in the Old Grounds that kept me up at night for a while, but that was because Ward was there and it would have made him give up fishing for life J.)

A solid one from our second, maybe third spot, who knows?

I also trusted my gut at times and added split shot or changed flies or added an Airlock "bobber" if conditions warranted.  With a gifted angler watching sometimes, it is easy to second guess, but I am getting confident again in my fly fishing skills, and fishing with Sam today was no different that fishing with Eric—it was just fishing with a buddy who can kick my ass most days.  It must be what fishing with me is like for a lot of my fishing buddies, especially mitches like Kenny and Eric!  My dad will feel like that all day in Canada next week, no doubt ;)  I am packing and prepping for 5 days away from home, so not much fishing before Saturday, if any, but I am bringing the lap top to Ontario for work, so I may write a little each night about the bass and pike fishing.  The place my dad secured is unbelievably nice, too nice for a couple of smelly fishermen, but I am really looking forward to it.

I'll be back again...