March 5, 2020 – Well, Sam, That Did Not Suck! – Centre County Limestoners

A successful day not far from town but away from the crowds.

Based on the number of dudes fishing the dry fly or waiting to fish the dry fly, the olives have been showing regularly in Central Pennsylvania.  Unfortunately for me, the larger destination creeks (except for Penns, maybe, and even that was higher and apparently not fishing great today) were flowing just a bit too high today.  Good thing I know a guy who fishes the region a lot, often for money!  I met Sam at his place around 6:30 AM this morning, and we took our time figuring out a plan.  He texted me last night giving me an out, in case I had my heart set on one of the bigger creeks, but I knew that if he was fishing somewhere today, I was going to tag along.  We fished a couple spots off the worn path, but we spent most of the day hopping around often-reliable Spring Creek.  We caught some fish at each stop, but when the olives starting popping around lunch time, we put together a really nice day of fishing, with a good average size over 10 inches long and a big(ger) double for Sam.  I even fished from 4 until about 6 PM solo after dropping Sam off at home, so he could get ready for work.  While the fishing was not nearly as good and the fish decidedly smaller, I still landed at least 8 more before I packed it in for the long ride home.

Pretty fish from our first stop.

We started at a skinny tributary that I have fished with Sam a few times before.  It has several springs feeding it to charge it with impressive volume for a small creek.  With high sun and clear water, we spooked more than we caught, including a handful of quality fish, but we did catch some fish too.  I caught a pretty rainbow and a couple colored-up browns, and I lost a couple or miffed a hook set.  I was feeling tired to start after the long pre-dawn drive and spent some time reaching into the trees, even reaching both arms to the elbows into the water to save a more disastrous tumble.  Fish were eating if we didn’t spook them, however.  When Sam lead the charge upstream instead of me, he put together at least one nice run of 3 or 4 fish, and he landed at least 5 here.  As the water got even skinnier, we decided to hunt for some space along Spring Creek.  After wading this first creek, it felt like a vacation to wade the tamer limestoner.

Some nicer fish today.

There were trucks parked in many sidings and lots, and we saw a handful of dry fly prospectors as we drove along the creek, but with Sam’s local knowledge we found a productive open stretch to fish during the early afternoon olives hatches.  Before that, however, we pulled into a parking spot that is usually occupied and fished a short stretch of water that was too good to pass up.  It was here that Sam landed a double, and one of the fish was likely the biggest of the day, a plump 15- to 16-incher, I estimated, and the second fish wasn’t too shabby either.  He had one other nice fish eat and get off later in the day.  It is a pleasure to watch sometimes, especially after I have put up some numbers myself and am content!  He fishes a place like Spring Creek with an eye that not everyone possesses.  Part of it is knowledge and experience with the creeks in the region, of course—just as I often feel like I am stepping in my own boot prints, on a first name basis with fish, when I stroll around Valley—but he also has a good idea of how fish will act at any given time.  Today, he pulled some solid fish out of 6 inches of water, places I might once have skipped before I had the pleasure of fishing with Sam.  

More pretty fish.

After the leisurely stop for a double, and to allow me to catch a dink or two in shallow water with small bugs (small walts and olive imitations worked all day), we took another ride to look for open water.  Forgoing lunch for some jerky and cheese sticks and left-over coffee, we walked into a solid hatch of blue-winged olives that lasted at least 90 minutes, a 90-minute stretch of just exceptional fishing.  Spring Creek has the reputation of having plenty of small fish, but we maybe caught three under 10-inches during this window.  A couple were close to 14, and Sam hooked bigger, and all were plump, strong and beautiful.  I am always amazed with what a 12-inch wild fish can do with a bit of current in his or her favor, and a couple times I set the hook on a fish that moved only slightly more than soft snag—just solid, healthy fish!  

No monsters, but some strong, healthy fish.

We ran out of real estate, and Sam out of time, a bit before 2:30 PM.  He had to work at 4:30 PM and still needed to eat and shower before that, so we started for his place.  Along the way, Sam pointed out a couple stretches that I might want to try.  I was not planning to drive through Harrisburg in rush hour, so I had decided to fish until dark or until I was totally worn out.  By the time I got gas and a little food, there was a truck in the one spot I was hoping to fish, but I pulled in a ways below and fished some marginal water—though there was some recent stream improvements that may someday change that.  There were plenty of little fish, from 4 inches to 8 inches in the sandier, muckier holes, but I eventually landed a couple respectable fish as stream conditions improved.  By the time I reached the spot that Sam pointed out that really looked fishy, the other dude was packing up, so I got to see it anyway.  The best fish I caught along this stretch was about 10 inches, but the hatches had fizzled out and the fish were a bit deeper and less active.  Still, it was a lot more fun than driving home or walking College Ave or napping.  I was home by 9:30 PM and in bed by 10, leaving most of the clean-up and unpacking until morning.  Not having had the chance to get out to see Sam this past fall, today had me itching to find one more day this spring before he gets too busy!  I am glad he is busy, however.  Dude can fish, and I know he’s an equally good guide!  I get quite the education each time we fish together, and I only pay in beer and custom fly orders.

Some success on my own to end the afternoon.