December 5, 2017 – One Last Warm One for a While – Brodhead Creek

Pale and sparsely spotted beauty about 12 inches.

Kenny and I had a smallmouth charter trip on the Susquehanna cancelled today due to winds and possible rain, but mostly high winds.  This is the second trip this year that we did not take, but I guess it's better than dropping two bills on a miserable day! While Kenny caught up on some work on a bonus day at home (and a new fishing-related business venture, which I will share more on at another time), I caught up on some fishing, figuring today was going to be the last warm day for a while.  

The beach would be a mess with strong south winds and swell, which would be fine if the fish were not all shorts, which usually take smaller lures and/or vacate the surf zone for calmer waters when it is too snotty.  I have wanted to explore a couple spots on the Brodhead that I have not fished in a long time, so that, and a few stops along the way to prospect, became the late morning plan.  

A dreary, drizzly day, but a warm one.

Some buddies and I used to chase smallies in this section in the summers, back probably 20 years ago, and I caught some big trout while targeting bass too, but I have not fly fished this area for trout that I can recall.  The Brodhead is a freestoner, so it is cold this time of year, but I was hoping that the last few mild days would bring some fish out, maybe even coax them to chase a slowly swinging streamer if the rain arrived early enough in the day.  That early rain didn’t happen, holding off just in time for my drive home (with multiple slowdowns due to wet roads and fender benders) but I was actually okay with not having to don the raingear today.

Pretty spot, despite the clouds.

Well, I saw exactly three fish, landing two, both on a walt’s worm bouncing low in slower seams on a tight line.  I had a couple halfhearted bumps on the streamer, too, and I saw a decent one pursue the Roberdeau from his lair under a sunken log, but I couldn’t get him to come out again after he turned back towards cover.  It was good to see this area of the creek again, however.  With the water so low and clear, I could see deep spots and structure to target in late spring or early summer next year, maybe even with a streamer.

Blurry pic of the better fish.

The two wild fish I caught were just as pretty as I remember them to be here, very pale and sparsely colored—due to the sun-bleached round stones in much of the pocket water—but also fat and healthy.  One was a good 14 inches and thick around the middle.  I actually saw two abandoned redds, which I took care to avoid, hoping those eggs have a good winter.  I took the long road up there too, which was enjoyable.  I hugged the Delaware for most of the trip and stopped to check out a few small tribs with wild reproduction—none worth fishing today with the low water conditions, even the ones with a little spring influence.  It looks like a taste of winter is on the way, but I am sure I will sneak out again soon before the striped ones are gone from the coast.  A few local streams are stocked, as well, and I am hoping Valley is okay to fish in another couple of weeks, post spawn.  The redds in the Lehigh Valley last week were vacant about half of the time, which hopefully means the SEPA fish will be done doing their thing soon.  With only about four hours of productive fishing hours in the winter, short drives become more attractive as the days too grow shorter and shorter.