April 11, 2018 – Settle Down, Hero, They Stocked Yesterday – Wissahickon Creek

If I squint, I am in the Poconos...

Before starting to write this post, I decided to check the stocking schedule for Philadelphia County and learned that the Comish had dumped a bunch of new fish into the creek on Tuesday, while I toiled away on my 12 hour teaching marathon day (this American runs on La Colombe or Rival Bros.on Tuesdays, not Dunkin’).  That explains why I caught probably 20 fish, mostly browns, in just 2 hours of fishing today.  I worked and graded papers until about 1 PM, when I finally decided I couldn’t take the day off today (from fishing).  While waiting for the bus with the boy, my dad drove by on his way to the Wissy down the street.  Tom C sent me striped bass pics from Monday.  Bucci sent me a picture of a trout he caught later in the morning on his day off from delivering those fresh cuts and fades at the barber shop.  Then Sam broke my spirit sending me shots of wild pigs from State College.  I needed some kind of consolation prize, so I whooped it up on some very fresh stockies, not even knowing just how fresh they were. 

I hear a new diet at the hatchery this year is supposed to give them better colors?

Besides about 5 rainbows that I caught in a flatter hole midging with an indicator, biding my time until I could get into the place I wanted to fish on Monday, which was again occupied for the first 30 minutes, I caught nothing but feisty stocked browns Czech nymphing.  I had the most success on a grub-ish looking caddis pupa, but I also got probably 5 to take the double-beadhead stonefly I was using as an anchor on my tightlining rig.  If I squint and ignore being crowded out by a couple silent bait guys, more silent when I caught 10 fish to their zero before they left me alone, this hole is one of my favorites because it feels like I am on a challenging freestoner with deep pocket water because, well, despite being in Philly, that’s what it is, man.  A good time, though I am not as talented as I think apparently…  I promised myself (and, in turn, you dear reader) that I will pursue something not Wissy-related on Thursday!

Midge, stonefly, and little grub caddis pupa did the trick.