February 27, 2019 – Penultimate Day to Target Trout on Commonwealth Inland Waters – Pennypack Creek

Pretty bow left from the fall stocking.

It has become sort of a tradition for me to target a stocked trout stream late in February before most of them become off limits until Opening Day. I fished a leap day in the recent past too, and I landed some wild brookies, but leap year fishing would be a longer tradition to string together… I am tied up on Thursday during most of the day, teach class at night, and have plans to go out with Tami and some friends after, so I didn’t think I would try to wedge in one more thing.  Today was the day, therefore, to catch some fall stockies before they were deemed hands-off for a while. I put in just under three hours of fishing and walking, from 11:30 AM until a little after 2 PM, and catch I did on this penultimate day of February, 2019.

Began with a pair of short plumpers.

I have been meaning to fish this particular stretch of creek all winter since it is close to home and does get a good fall stocking, but I just never got around to it.  Young Pete sent me some pics of fish just last month, I believe, so I was certain that many of the fish from the fall remained.  Still, it took me until today to drive over there.  I even invited my dad this morning to make it a party, but he had other plans.  He did ask me to check out a particular hole, and I can confirm it is still full of fish—I think this particular hole, a very deep one, yielded 4 of the 7 fish I landed, and I hooked and lost two others after short, cold water bites.  I told him to go tomorrow, of course!  I caught fish on the way up to this hole too, including a couple in very accessible, pressured areas, so I gather that the early snow and cold in November put the majority of guys off the stockies shortly after the October dumping—par for the course anyway, really. 

Chilly, breezy, but sort of nice, you know?

It was a cold morning, and a breeze remained following two days of very high winds this week, so I only managed to catch one fish in a small pocket near wood with the high stick and no bobber.  Once I added an Air-lock indicator and enough weight to drag a couple flies along the bottom, I got hits and hook ups rather quickly.  Most of the fish took either a tungsten prince or pheasant tail, nothing fancy or too small needed.  I saw some midges flying around, but fish were deep.  I am sure drop-shotting a couple zebra midges would have worked too, but either way it was an indicator day for sure.  The first couple of fish I landed were small, well-fed fellas, probably put back by anyone who wanted to eat a trout this winter, but I did land at least two that were 11 or 12 inches, and I dropped one a bit bigger digging for my camera in my jacket.  I was not surprised that so many fish remained, but I was pleased that so many were willing to eat on a day that barely hit 35 degrees.  The water must have been around that cold too.  Weather permitting, I will try my hand at some wild fish again on Friday, and I have tentative plans with Sam next week, now that olives are starting wake in Central PA, but I appreciated a few fall stockies today, the second to last day of the month, the last full month of winter.

Rather nice shape, albeit short.

February 19 and 22, 2019 – Two Trips, One for Stockies, One for Wilds, Only One Fish – Montgomery and Northampton Counties

Stockie skunk?  It happens!

I finally took a long enough break this week to Aquaseal a pesky pin hole in the knee of my Simms G3s, which will save me a 6 to 8 week wait for a repair across the country in Washington.  Spring is too close to play that game again.  I did it last year, and I used my backup bootfoot waders on a trip to State College, which ended in a tumble in Fishing Creek in 35 degrees and snow, no less.  Keeping with that theme of maintenance, I guess, I tied up a couple leaders and then went on a Monday-Tuesday hunt for replacement spikes for a pair of my wading boots.  I hit a couple Dick’s, Orvis, and a local shop near Stony Creek—none of them had them in stock.  Orvis’s supplier has them backordered until the summer (?), and I resisted the urge to drive to the TCO shop for the 30-dollar official Simms replacements or similarly priced Chota and such.  I wanted 10 dollar Frog Toggs or Field and Stream or motocross spikes, you know?  They all fall out when you fish as much as I do!  I ended up having to use Amazon Prime for a two day delivery of some decent but cheap spikes, which I will sink and glue in place this upcoming weekend.  Since I was out in Norristown area on Tuesday to check a small shop for spikes, however, I poked around Stony looking for any Black Friday stockies that resisted the PowerBait and avoided the frying pan or eagle talons.  No dice, so I took a 90 minute walk in waders, basically.

A little off-color and very cold.

I worked late on Thursday, spending time on campus in the evening after class to finish 90% of my grading and prep work, because I wanted to take a “real” fishing trip on Friday.  Knowing full well the melt following the last snow storm was going to make things iffy yet again, I still decided to take my first trip to the Bushkill of 2019.  I almost didn’t suit up when I saw the color of the water from a bridge, but when I parked and took a closer look, the flow was normal-ish and the visibility in riffles was decent, so I gave it a shot with the streamer for an hour, hoping to move a good fish that needed to eat.  Wishful thinking, especially because a water temp check revealed 37 degrees.  Paired with gray snow melt water, and no visible bugs, conditions looked awfully tough.   After breaking off a bugger in some newly deposited and invisible debris, I walked back to my car to get my nymphing rod before heading upstream into a favorite hole that I was confident would at least net me a holdover rainbow or something.  I fished this hole thoroughly for a thorough skunk.  I got bounced once while standing waist-deep and reaching over heavy water to drop my big golden stone and sj worm dropper into a soft spot on the other side of the creek, but I did not connect on my hook set. 

The golden stone scared one up.

I started smelling cigarette smoke a while before I heard voices upstream. I figured it was workers on the adjacent property, as sometimes happens, but it ended up being two other fly guys also enjoying a Friday skunk.  They were nice guys and we talked for quite a bit about our favorite spots, including the mighty Brodhead.  When we passed again as they were packing up to go and I was planning my next move, I mentioned that I write this blog if they wanted to get in touch in the future.  The one dude knew about Sick Days Fishing, so I am famous to about 30 people in the world!  Funny, I will mention it to some guys or share a link to a post on the paflyfish site once in a while, but it is always funny to see where this message in a bottle lands.  I started writing it as a way to track, to log my trips, and share with my buddies and dad, maybe for an excuse to write more and take more photos while out.  In the true spirit of social media, however, I have met some nice folks over the years, and I even found a client for Sam Galt’s guiding this year, so it slowly grows each year into something I did not completely anticipate, which is cool.

The first of many good Bushkill wild browns for 2019, I hope.

I talked about going to Monocacy or even Martins while the day was still young, but instead I decided to nymph another hole that I only swung a bugger through in the morning.  Whether that was the right call or not, I did manage to land my first decent Bushkill wild brown of 2019 before I quit early.  The fish took the big golden stone at the beginning of the pool’s tailout, and he hit it with authority before taking two leaps too, so he was that one out there needing to eat today despite conditions.  I was happy to see him after the tough morning.  He was pushing 13 inches and not in any way stressed looking like some of the skinny fish I have caught this winter.  I worked a few soft pockets below this hole for another 30 minutes or so without even a bump, so I packed it in and beat early Friday traffic home.  Not a banner week, but I accomplished some necessary work and had a little reward at the end.

February 17, 2019 – Where Eric and I Start Fishing Way too Early on a Cold Winter Morning – Pickering Creek

Cold but happy to be there.

Eric and I got out today for the second time this winter, an early trip to the Pickering DHALO on a cold, clear February morning.  He only had the morning, so we left my house at 7 AM to maximize our time out together.  We arrived around 7:30 AM to empty lots but 25 degree air temperatures—trade-offs, I suppose.  Not surprising, we did not move a fish for the first two hours of the morning, maybe more, but we did see some deer and had an encounter with a bald eagle who seemed miffed that we were in his fishing hole.  We were both nymphing with midges on the dropper, but I think things are changing in SEPA.  I landed 4 fish this morning, and they all took a size 14 pheasant tail jig, not any of the smaller flies I had on the dropper(s).  No visible bug life this morning, but I have a feeling that both early black stoneflies and blue winged olives must be moving around under there.  Even though another wintery mix is in the forecast tonight, it feels like spring is on its way.  As the morning got later and warmer, we did have to contend with the expected weekend visitors to this popular stretch of creek, but we had first shot at a few prime spots that usually produce a few fish.  It was tough going, and young Eric took a graceful skunk.  I had to fish a flat deep hole with an indicator to land my first fish, but it helped get the monkey off my back because I landed three more and briefly hooked two more before we quit while fishing my preferred tightline nymphing technique. 

First fish of the morning looked nothing like the second brown I landed before we quit.

Two big rainbows came in small pockets away from the heavily targeted holes, which is always fun for me on a stocked creek.  They were where they were supposed to be on a small, shallow stream—tight to wood in soft spots off the current in a stretch of pocket water.  Any reprieve from tiny flies under an indicator improves winter trips for me.  Let me move a few on a streamer or dig a few out nymphing or fool a few with a dry fly, and I am much more happy.  If I can have success now, especially nymphing, I know my touch is there and ready for spring when takes are delivered with a bit more conviction!

Two chunky bows away from the usual holes.

As with most if not all of my preferred fishing buddies, Eric fished with me and away from me in equal measure.  I tried to help him land at least one before we quit, giving him first crack at a couple spots (although first crack is a misnomer when the many footprints around the holes tell another story), and leaving him alone at some favorite holes, but the fish were being very difficult, and we were hemmed in by a few other parties taking advantage of the beautiful if chilly morning.  Eric genuinely enjoys being out, however, and has plenty of successful days, so I never feel like a total dick for catching a few more fish.  If my experience of 80 to 100 trips per year can’t get me a few even on a tough day like today, then I am doing something wrong and should take up golf, I suppose.  I have the boy on Monday for President’s Day, but I am hoping to get out at least once this week.  If Mother Nature or work has other plans for me, I will be doubly grateful for this rare weekend excursion, especially with a good buddy, even if the fishing itself was just meh.  Delusional, perhaps, but I can see the green spring light at the end of the gray winter tunnel.

Eagle's eye view.

February 13, 2019 – A Brief Afternoon Visit to Stretch the Legs – Valley Creek

Pretty.  High.

More snow and ice arrived this week, which meant early dismissal and a day off in the freezing rain for the whole family.  The boy is also off this Friday and the following Monday for President’s Day, so I think he’ll be home this month almost as much as he’s been in school.  I have to teach on Wednesday and Thursday nights, but unlike Thursday, where my day is booked this week, I had a couple hours to get out this afternoon after having breakfast with Ward, my first fishing partner now immersed in coaching his athletic daughters.  That should have been enough of an outing, but I was antsy when I got home.  Where to go for a short 90 minutes or so?  With the temps hovering just above freezing all night, and the snow slowly melting on top of the increased flow caused by rain, the local freestoners would be cold and high.  Valley would be cold and high too, just not as cold or as high, so Valley again it was….  I can get there in under 25 minutes in mid-day traffic, and still get back for the boy’s bus in 30 minutes later in the day, so it is a good call this time of year.  Unfortunately, there was another dude suiting up when arrived at about 12:30 PM.  The section we both intended to fish does not allow many anglers to fish at once, so I said hello and goodbye and drove further upstream.  The creek looked gray and cold, so the snow was already melting.  This never bodes well for any creek, even one with limestone influence to moderate the low temps, so I did not grab a streamer rod.  Instead, with measured expectations, I decided to nymph a few high percentage holes and then maybe check out another area I have not fished since the spill.

Pretty.  Small.

It was a picturesque walk through the woods, punctuated by a few random puffs of cold breeze and some slushy mud puddles to skirt.  By the time I left, the wind was blowing pretty hard, but I landed a couple Valley average fish, 8 to 9 inchers, deep while tightlining the beginning of the tailouts of two good holes before snow flurries began and made the heated seats of the new(er) ‘Ru seem very attractive.  These fish were likely actively feeding and may have even chased a streamer on a warmer day.  One took a size 14 prince and the other a size 18 pt on the dropper, so the latter may have been suspended up looking for BWOs.  I had no luck hooking up in a couple softer holes, and I was not in the mood to stand in one place in the cold and watch midges under an indicator, so I ended the day poking around a section of the creek that was affected by the chlorine spill last year.  I did not move any fish, but I noted some new deadfalls and deeper pockets caused by the rainy year we have had.  I will likely return on a better day, perhaps in March when regulations limit my fishing to wild streams, DHALOs, and FFOs.  Although March often means more cars in the lots too…

February 7, 2019 – Roughly a Fish per Hour but Nary a Shower – Valley Creek

Long and skinny, like the ones at Monocacy this week.  Hard to midge in high water?

So the rain returned again last night and more is coming Friday.  Just when creeks were getting normal, they will be up over the banks again.  At least Valley, being both small and limestone influenced, always bounces back quickly.  Actually, I was hoping for higher flows, streamer flows today, but the water was cold and barely stained by 11 AM.  I was on the water for over 5 hours, walking and fishing, and I witnessed the creek drop and clear in real time.  I arrived early, just after 9 AM, and started out throwing a streamer in the Park, but I did not even get a bump, which is rare with how many small, competitive fish are in Valley.  I ended up walking back to the New(er) ‘Ru and getting my 4 weight set up to nymph because the conditions looked good enough for some close quarter fishing.  Flows were about 50 CFS and falling, and the deeper runs and holes had a stain.  With the cloud cover and minimal drizzle, it was a good day to sneak up on them.  Even with the milder days before and a rather mild start, fish were asleep until about noon, so I did not really average a fish an hour—it was more like no fish for two hours and then 6 in the last three hours.

Stained and cold.  I watched it recede in real time today...

I caught most of the fish on a black midge, sort of Sam’s version of the zebra crossed with a soft hackle.  When the water was clearer earlier in the winter, the fish would take a rainbow warrior, but they didn’t touch it today.  I did catch one fish on the deep rolling caddis larva I was using for an anchor.  I was able to euro-nymph most of the afternoon, and I even managed to stick one on the streamer that I tied on for the walk back to the car.  I was hoping to move a good fish or two, but I was happy with the size of the fish I did catch.  The best was a skinny 11 or 12 inch hen, and two others were just over 10 inches; the smallest was still 8 inches or more.  The real little ones must be tight to cover and not coming out unless the midges and BWO’s start hatching.

A pale 10 incher fooled by a caddis larva.  Four took a midge, however.

I saw 4 or 5 good fish set up in flat shallow water midging, but these are those fish, set up in a pool near the road that do this all winter and rarely get fooled.  It does not stop dozens of fellow fly guys from giving them a shot all winter, and a few artists might fool a couple, but I have learned to play to my strengths.  Besides this pod of fish, I saw few obvious signs of life.  One other fish chased the streamer, and a small fish rose in the back of one pocket while I was nymphing the seam.  Otherwise, I had the success with deep nymphs tight to wood and overhead cover.  A big blue heron was bouncing upstream ahead of me, so that might have had something to do with it too!

Pretty and better BMI than the bug eaters, but not what I was looking for on the streamer!

I had the rain gear on, but I never really needed it.  The ground around the creek is a muddy mess, and that will get worse on Friday.  All in all, it was a good day to be out, though, even if the big streamer fish eluded me again today.  It is not every day that I can nymph Valley on a tightline, and not every day that the average size fish is 9 inches or more, so I will take it.  Cold air and possible snow returns in the 7 day forecast, so I was pleased to get three trips in this week, all of them pretty successful by winter fishing standards.

February 5, 2019 – Where Kenny and I Play Hooky with Seemingly Everyone Else in SEPA – Tulpehocken Creek

Got a couple, even with a broken rod tip...

A DHALO is a good place for young Kenny and me to fish since he can switch to the spinning gear if the fly rod proves a challenge, like today.  It was a decent call, but the cold water, stain from snow melt, and the crowds, man, the crowds had me second guessing pretty early in the morning.  I was hoping the Tully would stay low this week, as it dipped a little earlier in the week and was staying consistently in the 300 to 400 range instead of 700.  Normal is 200 or less this time of year, so while fishable it was still not optimal.  Every one of my usual spots had a few cars parked in them, so we ended up spending the bulk of the day in the general regulations section, where I finally dredged up a bow and a brown on a big golden stone after a very quiet morning.  Kenny, on the other hand, quickly caught two likely wild fish in a much clearer tributary and dropped a bow shortly thereafter, but then had troubles the rest of the day, including a broken rod tip.  I was happy that I sent him up the tributary first thing in the morning, at least for the first 2 hours of the morning, until I started wishing I had been the one who caught something instead!  It was good to catch up with him, as we have not fished together since a challenging August trip on the North Branch of the Susky.  We booked a trip on the main branch of the river for May, so if we don’t fish before then, we will hopefully not go another 6 months without fishing together again.

A couple wild fish liked the Fitt Premium Lures.

Because it was so mild, Ken picked me up around 8:10 AM this morning, so even with a quick breakfast stop we were suited up to fish before 9:45 AM.  Even at that early winter fishing hour, there were dudes driving around scouting already.  I started out dropshotting midges on the same rig I had tied up from yesterday, while I sent Kenny up a certain limestone trib that usual holds some wild fish and often a smart holdover or two who move up in the heat of summer or in high water.  I thought I heard him whistle about 15 minutes into fishing, but I missed the pics he texted to my phone until we caught up another 30 minutes later.  Both fish took soft plastic baits, one his own Fitt Premium Lures creation, on a ball headed jig.  He said he also hooked a rainbow that got off at his feet.  Me, I spent time trying to find the right weight and then totally re-rigged with a heavy stonefly as the anchor fly before suggesting that we give up on this spot, which was a bit too sporty to do what I thought needed to be done in order to catch something.

Finally landed one on a big stonefly after wading deep to get to a soft seam.  A lot of work for this one...

As we drove along the creek mid-morning, there were half a dozen cars at every pull-off, so I was willing to accept that the Tully was definitely not the call today. I directed Ken down to the last parking lot for the DHALO, and we hoofed it downstream a ways more to get away from the crowds.  Besides the two fish I finally landed, Kenny had at least two others show themselves chasing his jig, so there was some action at least.  I had to work way too hard wading into position to reach a couple prime spots, but at least they both paid off, I suppose.  After I caught the first fish, I yelled down to Kenny that we could leave now.  He was probably close to ready since he did make his way up.  We fished together for the last 20 minutes, and I managed to land the stocked brown before we quit around 2 PM. 

One of each, so I could call it day and go home.

The last time Kenny and I fished together during this season of the year, on a very similar day weather-wise a few years ago, the title of the blog post was something about how fish live in water.  This was apropos again today.  While it was sunny and warm, a pleasant day for anglers, many, many anglers, it was just a decent day for fish.  The water was still in the high 30’s, and bug life was minimal, some midges but not enough to get the fish really going.  Perhaps the crowds at the hot spots tore them up today?  Ken and I settled for a good day outdoors with a few fish, just enough to keep it from being merely a hike in waders.  Maybe I can make it out three days in a row tomorrow before the cold briefly returns (and more rain, of course)?

Fish live in water.

February 4, 2019 – You Know, the Old Mid-Winter Bonus Tag Bow Spoiler – Monocacy Creek

Someone's potential prize escaped?

I had a busy work week last week, and with the winter weather it was hectic at home too.  Between early dismissals and late arrivals because of snow and ice, and just plain frigid conditions, it was not a fishing week, but I may not have had the time, anyway.  I did play quite a bit of Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo Switch to keep the boy happy—and my small motor skills up to snuff.  On top of all that, I had to retire the old Subaru and purchase a new(er) Subaru too.  I hate car shopping, especially while driving a loaner and then a rental, but I got it done and am happy so far.  While not fishing, I have not been a shut-in: the boy and I have been getting out on long hikes on the weekends, even in the cold, so I have been getting out in the woods to recharge. I have also been taking pictures for what might be a new “Deep Thoughts” entry into this blog.  With the weather so mild this week, however, I think that this project will have to wait until the next polar vortex/weather-induced fishing hiatus sends me back inside. 

A few of these on the drop-shotted midges first.

Yesterday afternoon and this morning were right on the cusp of perfect winter conditions, but this morning especially seemed too perfect to stay home and grade papers.  I worked from 8 to 10 AM, and then I took a ride to the Lehigh Valley, basically an adventure within an hour of home instead of the go-to winter stocked creeks.  It warmed up very quickly, however, so by the time I quit around 2 PM, actual tiny icebergs from fringe ice breaking up and/or frozen water falls and cascades coming apart, these translucent, irregular objects were floating down the otherwise quiet but stained Monocacy Creek. I am sure the flush of cold water put an end to the good times, but not before I managed three decent wild browns and a big old out of place rainbow with hardware hanging from his lip—a tag.  He was intended to be someone’s prize, but while fun he felt like a bit of a disappointment to me.  Imagine hooking a pig fish in stained water, fighting it for 30 second before seeing the silver broadside and thinking, “No, it can’t be!” and then after a good battle—but not a twenty-inch wild brown battle—confirming a stocked bow in a wild trout stream!  First world problems, I know, and certainly better than a sucker, which has happened here before!

20 inches or more and all girth.  I would have had my hands full had it been a wild brown!

The water was about 100 CFS, which is winter high for this small creek, and it had a decent stain, as I mentioned.  The runs and riffles had good visibility, though, so I spent the first ninety minutes fishing the soft edges and pockets in the cleaner water.  I was fishing a couple midges with a dropshot rig, and all the fish took the bottom fly, a size 18 almost scud-looking midge pattern.  Nothing touched the rainbow warrior, but I probably should have had a black zebra midge or another scud on the dropper in these stained conditions, so I was not surprised—and I guess too lazy or content to change when the bottom fly was working.  I actually caught the big rainbow in the hole where I thought I would have the most success, but that was the second time I visited the spot today, the second time with more weight to dredge a bit deeper and a bit further into the current instead of the soft seams.  The three wild browns I caught were likely set up and feeding in shallow water on purpose, using the improved visibility to pick off the midges that were hatching in spurts.  The fish here in this stretch are not huge for the most part, but the average is certainly better than Valley and other similarly sized creeks in the region.  All three were between 10 and 11 inches, I would bet, and pretty feisty in the shallow, heavier water.

Pale and bright, spawning colors all but gone.

I was happy to catch a few fish this way, so I didn’t bother with an indicator in some slow water.  Instead, I tried to see if I had stumbled upon the pattern for the day.  Perhaps the snow and ice melt was to blame, but after that short, productive run, I couldn’t bring another to the net in similar spots on my way back downstream.  It was only about 1:30 PM by now, so there was enough time to drive or take a longer walk to another potentially productive spot, but I still wanted to see if anyone was home in my honey hole.

All between 10 and 11 inches, so not bad.

This time I approached from the opposite side of the creek, and I pinched another split shot to the bottom of my rig, certain it would now drag bottom even in the higher flows.  After a few unproductive drifts, the next one slowed in a pocket, the line almost vertical only a rod length away from me as I reached over the heavier riffle.  There was just a subtle tell, a bit of a dip in the sighter line, so I set the hook well and was tight to a big fish.  As I said above, I have landed an 18 inch sucker here, but I also miffed the net job on a 15 inch wild brown here, too, so I was thinking big brown based on the violent head shakes.  After about 30 seconds of the fish bulldogging in the current, I knew it was not a sucker.  I applied side-pressure to throw him off his game a bit, and he moved up in the water column enough for me to see silver and think, rainbow?  There are big browns in this creek, but this was not one of them.  As I was netting him (probably her, actually) I saw a flash of silver in the mouth, which I thought might be a spinner from a run-in with another fisherman, but it turned out to be a tag with a number on it. 

Stained and getting more stained (and likely colder) as the snow quickly melted.

This section of the creek is not stocked, but fish are put in upstream a good ways, and the flows have been rather high most of the year.  With all the rain this year, it could have come from miles away, but this is the first time I can remember a rainbow in this particular stretch.  I am accustomed to, and even sometimes welcome, the out of place rainbow or brook trout on Martins or Bushkill, for example.  I guess I have to add this stretch of Monacacy to that list.  I sure wish it had been a brown this big, though!  Taking full advantage of the warm spell, I am heading out on Tuesday this week.  Kenny and I are hoping the normal flows—the first in a while—on the Tully may make for a good day.  I have not fished with a mitch since August, so it will be good to get out with him whatever happens.  I will likely chase stockies with my dad Wednesday or Thursday too if I can manage my work schedule accordingly. 

Skinny, but the right species in the right section of the creek, at least!