July 9, 2019 – Put a Beating on Them While Beating the Heat – Monocacy Creek

Small stream beauty.

I made a plan to get out early this morning and fish somewhere within an hour of home.  The flows looked great throughout the Lehigh Valley, and the overnight air temps felt cooler, so I was hoping for a good day.  I even packed up the car last night, remembering to bring the waders this time.  Wet wading is fun, but not in a limestoner at 5:45 AM.  I decided on Monocacy Creek, hoping to find a couple of the better fish I found the last time I was here in late April.  I arrived right after false dawn and suited up quickly.  The creek had a nice stain to it, and the flows were excellent for nymphing, so I was pretty excited at the prospects.  I landed a few small fish in the first hour, but there was a sweet spot from around 7:30 to 9:30 AM where the creek was fishing really, really well.  I landed just shy of 30 wild browns, I bet, ranging from the broad 15 incher pictured above down to about 9 inches.  Looking at the pictures on my phone, I counted at least 4 more small stream aces between 11 and 14 inches too.  It was a very productive 4 hours of fishing.

Many risky casts rewarded this morning.

The first hole I first targeted, sometimes a big fish hole, eventually gave up a 14 incher the second time I visited, but it did not give up much the first time.  It was dark under the trees before 6 AM, so I kept moving upstream figuring I would try it again after I fished two or three other runs upstream where I found good fish on April 29 of this year.  I definitely put together some numbers as the day got brighter.  I lost count at 20, and then I caught more fish.  Then I called Tami and contemplated heading home around 8:30 AM with a fine day by most measures on the books.  Instead, I decided to fish one more hour in a couple nice runs downstream of where I parked.  That was about when the day got a little silly.  Fish in holes that had more time to look took a size 18 tungsten scud/larva in gray, but in the riffles many took my size 14 anchor jig too.  Besides some very small caddis, I did not see much bug life, but the dropper was definitely the size of what I saw and vaguely caddis.

A handful of quality fish beyond the 15 incher too, including a couple in the 14 range.

Once I turned back downstream, I visited my first spot again and this time found a hot 14 inch fish that I thought was foul-hooked he fought so well.  I have had it happen before, but it’s rare when a fish wants to run right up the riffles into the hole upstream.  A 19 incher did it on the Lackawanna River not that long ago, I believe. No jumps for today’s first good fish, just wide-ranging runs all over the hole before coming to the net legally hooked in the jaw with my purple hot spot Frenchie.  I pulled a couple more smaller fish out of here before taking a longer walk down the creek to approach two more sets of riffle/run from below. 

These stretches were shallower and faster, but they had plenty of cover along the banks, mostly from overhanging trees, brush, and deadfalls.  By tucking the nymphs up under the cover and close to sunken logs and mid-stream boulders, I caught a run of good fish to end the morning.  The best was the 15 incher, who jumped three times and tried to ditch me on both banks.  I was glad to have the measure net to record accurately the size of some of the fish I landed today, but I was wishing for one of my bigger nets on a couple of these final browns because they would just not quit.  I should have lost one about 13 inches that I swiped at with the net and missed twice in a fast riffle.  I kept on all but one of the better fish I hooked today, losing only one 12 incher after he got below me and then nearly through my legs.  Landing nice fish from small creeks is a lot of fun, but it can be hard on the heart sometimes!

A couple pretty ones.

While it started out cool, the day warmed quickly.  The water temperature was in the low 60s, but I knew it was going to get hot today, so I planned to quit fishing by 10 or 10:30 AM, which is my usual move if I trout fish this time of year.  I am glad I did not quit at 8:30 AM when I thought about it and settle for 20 average-sized fish, though.  The final hour was a lot of fun and much easier fishing than the first two hours, for sure.  I took a lot of pictures today, so it is hard to make out which fish was which or to piece together a timeline, so I am just sharing a bunch of photos that turned out, despite humidity and low light early in the morning.  Most of the better shots came in this final hour in sunshine.

A nice average too.

I was home by 11:15 AM and actually went to the movies with the boy at 2 PM and didn’t fall asleep in the recliner while young Peter Parker tried to balance Avenger status with young love.  I will likely sleep well tonight, however, which is good since I start another round of summer classes tomorrow and Thursday nights.  Heading to State College with the family on Sunday for a few days, so I hope Sam and I get into a little something at least one of those days, as fishing has been good by his accounts.  Not sure what the rest of the week holds, but today was a keeper for sure.

No measure net next week!