March 15, 2019 – Chasing Stockies Somewhere Different – East Branch Brandywine Creek

Midge size walts on the dropper worked on half of them.

I took a short ride to the East Branch DHALO today and fished for a few hours.  I have not been to this particular creek since January 2017, according to this blog.  It is in a pretty little park with trails for joggers and bikers and, while the water is not pristine trout water, it does look like a trout stream in places.  It is also only 35 minutes away from home, and an easy ride.  I have enjoyed fishing a few long braided runs here in the early season at least twice in recent years and, if this spot did not pan out, the West Branch of Valley is not far away either.  I did not have to drive to West Valley, as I mostly had the run I wanted to myself for about two hours, and I found over half a dozen recently stocked rainbows to cooperate.  I also stuck a sucker and my first smallmouth bass of 2019.  It was a little windy with the unstable weather; in fact, it may actually thunderstorm tonight.  Besides taking one fish on a zebra midge under an indicator before I left, just because I knew the slower but deeper bottom of this particular run had to hold a fish or two, I was still able to euro-nymph with my light 9 foot set up (although I wish I had brought my 10 footer).

A few fresh fatties on prince too.

Fish have likely been pounded since the stocking and, like Pickering, the older stockies from the fall probably are put out for the moment, so the hits were subtle at best.  A couple fish were fat and feisty, giving me some jumps and runs, however, so I did have fun catching fish today.  Besides catching the sucker, which I may have bragged before is something I consider an accomplishment while tightline nymphing, I also had an adventure with a prematurely active smallmouth.  Not long after catching my last fish, the one on the indicator, I saw two minnows jump out of the water.  What I thought was a trout at first was giving chase to one of them.  After witnessing this, I had the bright idea that I may catch some active trout with the streamer as I walked back to the parking spot.  Instead, on the first cast with the streamer, a little bass took it on the swing.  I did not move any other bass or trout before I quit for the afternoon, but it was fun to catch my first little bass of the year this way.

Bass on the streamer!

There were a lot of others out fishing the 75 degree afternoon, and I spoke to one friendly guy who fished the top of the same run I fished for a while.  I saw a couple others catch fish above me in a nice hole where I have had success in the past, but they never vacated, so I will have to try that one some other time.  It seems like I give this place a visit no more once a year, but it may be another good place to take my dad, so perhaps two visits are in order this year.  A cold front coming, but it looks like weather will bounce back for the first week of spring.  Today was a tame but pleasant enough end to my spring break.  I doubt I will take four trips next week, but I would not rule out at least two since my classes often get off to an intentionally slow start, dig?

Ron likes creek pics: good flow and some color to it.