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!