February 28, 2021 – The Anniversary Party was a bit of a Downer – SEPA Blueline

The sullen walk of shame as the flow quickly doubles....

A picture is worth a thousand words, so I won’t write too much here.  Eric and I tried to sneak one in before the rain yesterday, committing to a sunrise start on our little spot.  I was hoping for a bit of stain before the steady rain brought the cold slush into the creek, but with nowhere to go but into the gutters and creeks, it did not take long for even a light rain to end that potential good window.  It was mild overnight, so that was a plus, but the creek was barely stained when we arrived, and the stain we got late morning was the gray, cold kind.  It was just about a year ago today that we made our first visit to this small freestoner in search of wild browns.  Even then, with no intel or experience on the creek, I landed two fish to confirm we might have something here!  Today, we got nothing to show for a solid six hours of fishing but a healthy glow—the benefits of what the Norwegians call friluftsliv.  This was Eric’s second skunk here this year, but like me he is undeterred.  We know how this creek comes alive in another month!  Until then, this guy will be sneaking around more productive limestoners.  I may even go west to fish with Sam during my spring break.

I will think all the snow was pretty in a year, but it's getting old now.

February 25, 2021 – A Solid Early Spring Start despite the Snow Melt and the Fact that It’s Still Winter – Northampton County Limestoner

Waking up and not missing meals.

All the snow in the Lehigh Valley is slowly melting away—well, slowly most of the time.  I think the melt got intense on Wednesday, but it slowed down again this morning.  I wanted to get out early, but after checking on some work, I left after 10 AM.  The late start was probably advantageous in the end, but I was worried about icy runoff, I guess.  I had a slow beginning of the trip, catching nothing from 11:30 to 2 PM, although I got high-holed by a spinner guy.  Twice, actually.  I moved down two holes to get away from him the first time, and soon enough he was in my peripheral vision again!  The water in this first section of the creek, below a tributary, was stained and likely colder from increased snow melt, but later in the day, I fished cleaner pocket water and put together a good run of fish.  It was also windy to start, so throwing small bugs on a tight line was a challenge.  When the wind died off around 1:30 or 2, it was easier to see that the creek was coming to life.  Birds were eating stranded bugs out of the snow on the banks, and I started seeing the telltale signs of mayflies among the midges. 

A nice run of decent fish on perdigons.

After changing locations and my approach as a result, I think I tangled with 10 and landed 8 fish, which is a fine afternoon on this particular creek, which can be difficult.  I was pleased to find them in pocket water and under the heavier water even if they were deep.  Out of curiosity, I took a good long water temperature reading around 3 PM, and I was surprised to see 44 degrees in this second section of water.  Maybe not streamer conditions, but not bad when you consider all the snow in sight in my photos.  The fish acted right, too.  A least three of them even jumped a couple times.  

Eric's new toy is a UV light.

For about an hour of the aforementioned productive run, there were midges and sparse numbers of blue winged olives hatching too.  When I saw that, I switched from a big attractor and a buggy dropper that was needed to get down in the heavier stained water and wind to a size 14 walts on the point and a variety of Eric’s new perdigons on the dropper.  During the hatch, I picked up four in a row on the perdigon, including a good 14 incher.  These first few fish, and one decent one I dropped, were in the sun and rather shallow, sitting in slightly softer pockets right in the riffles and runs.  They took the tiny dropper up off the bottom, and I even saw a few subtle rises at times.  Despite tight lining a size 18, I only lost two fish on such a small barbless hook, even in pocket water, because they were eating it like they wanted it.  The two I lost hit on the swing below me, so the hookset may not have been solid.  Most of them ate it, though. It actually felt like spring for a couple hours.  Nice fish popping in broken water and solidly bouncing the leader when they hit!

Some solid fish in the mix!

Eventually, this stretch gets deeper and bouncier, so the walts worm started pulling ahead.  With a stain, the deeper pockets were dark and hiding some recent snags, so I eventually broke off the first set of productive bugs.  I reminded myself to try a couple more of Eric’s perdigons as I retied.  One really dark olive one did not do much—I think I dropped a second fish on this one—but a third perdigon that was more of a thread body also picked up a good 12-inch fish, so it wasn’t all walts for the rest of the day.  I would say the bite died off around 4 PM as I started losing sun.  I thought about trying the holes the spinner dude helped blow up earlier, but I decided not to get greedy.  I also promised to pick up some supplies for the family on my ride home, and I was looking at a potential rush hour supermarket visit as it was. 

More pretty fish, a few on the walts as the hatch fizzled.

The snow on the banks was slushy, and more bare muddy spots were showing as I walked out.  I took a shot of the low sun while taking my last swig of water and decided to call it.  It is not consistent by any means, but it is around this time every year that the change begins.  I was happy to be present for one of those days that decided to be spring despite all the white stuff.  Still no robins or flowers peaking up through the snow, but it can’t be long now.  I anticipate a lot of folks playing hooky on Friday, and once the rain ends on Saturday, the crowds will be out.  Thankfully, Eric and I have date with our little secluded gem for Sunday—rain or shine, and it sounds like rain.  I anticipate a streamer or junk fly kind of day, but the bugs may have other plans.

Called it a little earlier than usual, but no need to press after a solid day.

February 21, 2021 – Some Stockie Sunday Stockies – SEPA Freestoner

Some plumpers in with the dinks this afternoon.

I took a short ride to a local stocked creek today and put in about 90 minutes of successful fishing.  I did not leave the house until 1:30 PM, and I had to be home around dinner time to prepare for a class meeting on Zoom, but the sun and relatively mild air temps prompted me to grab my stuff and head out for a little while.  I was glad I did.  I have to work all day online on Monday, so I guess this was a mental health stroll too!  This creek gets a fall TU stocking, but when I fished a couple spots in late fall or early winter, the fish were so small that I never went back. The Silver Fox went one other morning after I went, with a neighbor kid who is all about learning to fly fish, and they too only found these dinks. I did hook and lose a pig the afternoon I went, so I knew they weren’t all dinks, but the dinks were really dinky, like 8 inches at best.

Flat water, bobber, small bugs, small fish to start.

I found the dinks again today, but I also found three good fish, including two rainbows that were in the 16 inch range (or more) and thick.  They had white-tipped fins and were silvery as heck, so they may have made it through the summer.  The crew who stocks this place are not quick to share when they do, however, so they could have been really quality stockies for all I know—not likely from the looks of them, but time will tell.  I landed 6 bows in the short time I was there.  One was on a size 18 zebra midge and the rest were on a size 20 flashback pheasant tail on a caddis hook, so maybe some olives have been showing or early stoneflies or just bigger midges.  I say this because the pt was on the dropper higher in the water column not on the point where I put the zebra midge to get the rig down.  I saw no risers or bugs today, however, and I was in good winter dry fly water.

Pretty bow.  Needed that big net!

Even though the park was snow-packed, there were a good number of snow-shoers and dog walkers out, so I jumped in the creek pretty early.  I nymphed some pocket water where I found fish last visit, but didn’t get touched, so I shortened the tippet to indicator fish a couple very small bugs in a flatter stretch just upstream.  Luckily, I didn’t have to leave this stretch for a good fishy hour.  I don’t fish this long hole a lot, but I used to send my dad here because I know it holds fish and holds fish over too.  I don’t know it that well because I skip over it many times, but I do know it hides some boulders and wood.  I don’t fish the bobber a lot, either, and with the snow, the water was a black mirror hiding true depth and clarity, so I probably missed two fish that I was convinced were rock or wood before I hooked the first couple dinks and then a fat acrobatic 16+ incher.  All three of the larger fish jumped and dug and ran, so they were healthy and fun.  As I said, they looked great too.

Spring holdovers, fall holdovers, grade A stockies?

It may have reached 35 degree while I was there, and I was slowly working deeper water, but I was dressed well enough to stay pretty warm.  I am used to covering more water, so the feet were a little cold by the time I quit at 4 PM to hike back to the ‘Ru.  That mid-30’s range does not start the snow melt, however, so it can be a sweet spot when there is so much snow on the ground.  More precip tomorrow, but it looks like rain, so that will get the flows up again.  I may sneak out Tuesday if the creeks aren’t blown out.  If not, I have Wednesday and Thursday to consider.  I am glad for the warm up in the forecast, don’t get me wrong, but the snow melt adds another variable to consider.  

There will be a lot of snow shots in the 2021 winter roundup!

Speaking of variables to consider, instead of March 1 marking the end of fishing stocked trout water, it was February 15 this year because the Commish started stocking early.  Sadly, that takes some spots that I historically target in late February off the table.  Of course, some of them won’t be stocked for another month either, and our afterthought streams in SEPA like the Mighty Wissy will likely be stocked two days before Mentored Youth Day!   Some things never change regardless of the changes.  It does appear that many of the DHALOs and FFOs in the area now have fish, however, so if I need another short trip like today, there are fresh fish waiting.

Better than 90 minutes on Netflix.

February 17, 2021 – Winter Presses On but the Fish Are Waking Up - Northampton County Limestoner

Not too shabby.

Yet another winter storm and another on the way…  I heard that we have had close to twenty days with snow cover and that 70 percent of the country now has snow on the ground?  I believe the daily average air temperature this time of the year is like 43, and I can count on one hand the number of those in the last three weeks or more.  I used to move my whole work week around to make sure I was available for the 50 degree days, but my schedule has not allowed that this winter and, besides, I can’t remember the last 50 degree day since December.  Now when I consider heading out to fish, I am happy for an overnight in the mid-20s and a high that has a chance of going over the freezing mark.  Like last week, I couldn’t wait for the perfect day this week.  The warm day on Tuesday meant the big melt down, so that was off the table, as the creeks were close to blown out.  It was encouraging last week when a few fish cooperated in 29 degree weather, so I headed about an hour from home again today and fished another limestoner in the same region.  With the longer days and a little sunshine in the afternoon, it seems like more fish are getting up off the bottom for a while each day.  I caught 6 fish and dropped another in about 4 hours on the water today, and one was over 14 and another 12 or more, so things are moving in the right direction.  It is about this time each year that it begins to happen, and I think it has less to do with weather than daylight, especially when it comes to bugs beginning to crawl and metabolisms requiring more food.  The mature fish are skinny after the spawn, and the best one I caught today had all kinds of war wounds.  They need to eat, and eff the snow and cold, so that has been my attitude too.

Eric's squirrely walts, ice and snow.

I didn’t leave the house until noon today to allow things to warm up a bit.  I was going to head further north than I did, but on a whim I got off the exit for a favorite creek just to see if there was any parking nearby.  The first two spots I drove by were not good, but I kept hunting and found a spot where luckily a private plow had made a bit more room off the road.  After trudging through some deeper and icy snow to the creek, I stayed in the streambed for nearly the entire journey upstream.  I was lucky enough to be able to get on the railroad bed for the walk back and, because the snow had a nice icy crust, I was able to keep about 72% of my steps from plunging through the more compacted snow along the outside of the rails.  For the upstream walk, I just picked apart pockets and snuck up in the tailouts of pools.  I bet an even number came from softer spots in pocket water and from moving water further back in the runs.  The stain from run-off and the slightly higher water remaining from yesterday allowed this second pattern to develop. 

Also not too shabby.

The best fish were sitting back away from the bouncier stuff but definitely not in slow water.  The ones in pocket water were very shallow, probably waiting for a meal and enjoying the warmth of the sun.  That was a bonus today.  The forecast called for mostly cloudy with the Thursday snow set to arrive, but I actually got a suntan today.  Had it been a warmer day, I could imagine it being fantastic today based on the water color and flow.  Instead of 5 fish from a good looking run, I had 1 or 2 at best, but every spot that I thought would definitely hold a fish did—so basically five confidence spots paid off as expected.  I saw some midges in the size 26 range, so I did not downsize to match that hatch!  Instead, I started out throwing a juicy caddis attractor in size 14. I landed my first fish on that before I remember that I had a box of Eric’s recent ties that he wanted me to beta test.  The first fish came from a soft seam in pocket water and hit well and fought better, so I had confidence that it could happen today.  I took the time to rig one of Eric’s weighted walts worms with a hot spot and a bit of squirrel to add to the buggy factor.  As an attractor, I added an egg pattern on the dropper.  Nothing ate the egg all afternoon.  Everything ate the size 14 walts, but there is a chance the attractor got their attention in the stained water, so I didn’t mess with the pairing.

All about the collage today, I guess

I caught my last fish close to 5 PM last week, but today it was closer to 4:45 before it seemed like it was getting colder and darker and was feeling less productive.  Sunset isn’t until about 5:50 right now, so I could have kept fishing, but I didn’t manage any hits on the return trip, so I didn’t push downstream to any new water when I got back to the parking spot.  No ticket, yay!  I think I left more time than needed to get back to the car with enough light to disrobe and pack up.  As I mentioned, the ice on the railroad bed made walking much easier than expected.  Instead of trudging through high snow or trying to match my steps with deer trails or a lone dog walker, I was able to ride the rails back at a decent pace.  Not a leisurely stroll, of course, as I did break into 6 inches of icy snow once in a while, but not the aerobic race against sunset I had expected.  See you after the next round of shoveling….

February 12, 2021 – More Snow Trout – Northampton County Limestoner

Pretty deep, pretty cold, pretty day.

Even in Philly, the air temperature was not going to go above 30 today, but I had to get out for a walk in waders even if the fishing was bad.  Another week or more had passed with snow and frigid daytime temperatures, at least on the days I had free to get out and fish, so today was the day regardless. I took my time, not leaving the house until around 12:30.  It was still only 27 degrees at best when I arrived at the creek an hour later.  I wasn’t even sure I could find parking here, and that is often the rub with traveling any distance to fish during a particularly snowy winter, but I sort of found some.  The lots were not plowed since the first dump of nearly two feet, and there was fresh powder up to 5 inches on top of that, but I just drove down an access road as far as the plows went and called it good.  I was only going to be a couple hours, maybe three, and there were no signs about parking or not parking where I did, so I tried to leave room for an emergency vehicle (with a 24-inch lift kit) to get by if needed and suited up for a vigorous walk in the unmarred snow pack. 

More snow shots and a surprise visitor to end the day.

I was surprised to see no other signs of humans.  At first, I only had deer trails, some of them fresh because I spooked a small herd of healthy does the minute I walked into the woods, but once I got to the creek, I mostly stayed there and was able to move around and cover a decent amount of water.  About a foot of bare rock was exposed on each side, perhaps because the limestone water and sun helped melt some back from the edge.  A hole where I thought I had the best shot of a fish or two, and the best chance of seeing some risers, didn’t pay off until the second pass through, but it yielded a decent 10-inch wild brown.  The first fish took one of Eric’s big rubber legged jigs in some current, so he was the one I was hoping for, the one fish who needed to pry himself off the bottom to take a big meal.  It happened early enough in my three hours on the water that I had some confidence in my plan to dredge big bugs through pocket water looking for an opportunist or two instead of midging under a bobber, which I have talked to death about hating on this blog. 

Kept hope alive for a couple hours.

I took another 90 minutes to land my second fish, this one on Sam’s golden stone.  He tied me some smaller ones in the last batch, more suited to smaller streams.  I don’t believe there are golden stones in this creek, but it’s a good attractor that gets down deep.  Plus, this one was a rainbow, so what did she know!?  A few get in this section each year, but they are not common.  I land maybe five of them a year, plus a brookie or two.   The commish does stock bows in places and clubs do too, so I don’t think any of these beauties are wild.  This fish was a good 13+ inches, colored up with all her fins translucent, regrown, and tipped in white, but the tail and even the adipose looked like they had grown back over time.  When I hooked this fish, she was in moderate current and pretty shallow, looking for a warm up, perhaps.  This is more common on sunny days, but sometimes near the end of a winter afternoon it happens regardless of sun, I guess.  It did not fight like a brown—digging for the bottom and the structure that would help dislodge the hook—instead this one wanted to get back out in the current and go.  For a second I thought I had fouled hooked something because this fish would not give up.  Eventually, I saw her and the golden stone in the corner of her mouth.  It was hard to be disappointed with her status as a holdover rainbow after a showing like that on such a slow day.  I was not mad at her, even if she was pissed!  

I'm not mad at you, girl.

This was just a beautiful fish with deep pink and reds, even some amber.  Like most healthy rainbows, she did not willingly pose for photos for long, and I sent her back with a lot of remaining energy despite a rather long fight for such a small creek.  When I checked the phone, it was close to 5 PM at this point, so I decided to head back to my “parking spot.”  I did find a narrow worn path on the opposite bank where brave dog walkers and hikers had passed since the last storm, so the walk back was picturesque but not excessively aerobic.  A huge flock of birds began roosting and moving as one in the tops of trees, a large enough group to be migratory, so while no robins or other signs of spring yet, the longer days will keep on coming.  I saw stocking begins next week on the DHALO and FFO spots, so more options closer to home should lead to a more productive second half of February.  Still, I have my eye on Sunday…

Some blurrier B reel since it's been a while!

February 3, 2021 – Snowshoes, Cross County Skis, and Me in Chest Waders – Valley Creek

Some smalls in the snow to break the seal on February

Yeah, it’s been a while.  Ron beat Ward this time to the, "Are you okay?" message.  All good. It does feel like ages since I’ve fished, though!  I have just been busy with work and school ramping up, and then there was the cold snap that lasted a good long while, followed by the best snowfall we’ve had in years, it seems.  I didn’t check the stats, but it certainly felt like more precip than we’ve had in SEPA in a few winters.  Cold, clear and windy sucks, but snow I like.  I had to get out today even though it was only going to get to 35 degrees.  The overnight temp was only 29, so that was a good sign, and snow melt would not be an issue.  Cold clear water is nothing new in the middle of winter, especially on Valley, but I was helped by cloudy skies until at least 3 PM.  No size, but I did land maybe 10 trout, and 6 of them were on a bugger, so I had fun out there. 

More snow and smalls

I moved around and covered a big section of creek, places I had not been to in a year or more because of the Covid crowds.  That was not an issue today.  There were no crowds, unless you count the huge number of ground feeders using the bare banks close to the water to find some food.  A few might have been trying to snag a midge or two from the snow, as well.  There were risers in a couple spots, but the spots were marginal spots that YOY tend to frequent, and the risers big enough to see looked about as big as the fish I landed while nymphing and tossing a small streamer.  I was hoping to find at least one bonus fish over 12 inches or something, so I stayed out there until close to 5 PM, even though the swipes trailed off shortly after 4:30 PM.  I saw one or two walkers out all afternoon, and there were tracks in the snow from snow shoes and skis, one plastic sled track from a gung-ho parent—me when the boy was 3 or 4, if I recall!  None was a bad idea, as covering ground was not easy with 10 or 12 inches of wet snow on the ground. 

They never got any bigger than this....

I stayed in the creek most of the time, hugging the banks, and shooting the bugger under wood and close to deep undercuts.  I was warm covering so much water.  The hits were not hard on the bugger, but at least I wasn’t standing still weeding through suckers with a bobber and a zebra midge.  I did chin a sucker, the best fish of the day, while hopping a jigged bugger through a deep quiet hole.  I was hopeful for a second that I found that bonus fish, but today I had to be content with just being out fishing in a beautiful setting with few spectators.  An arctic blast was called off, so I am hoping to take advantage of a couple more days in the next week, maybe even Sunday with Eric.  The snow melt will be an interesting variable, but at this point in the winter, fishing is fishing, and just getting out is a good time.