March 30, 2021 – Went for Broke and Landed One of Two Good Ones – Lackawanna River

I'll show my face with this one!

Having grown bored of Northampton County limestoners, and impatient for Opening Day and access to more creeks and sections of creeks, I took the two-hour drive to NEPA today to fish the Lack.  Two rain events, residual snow melt, and apparently a recent release from the Stillwater impoundment too, all had me second-guessing my decision on Tuesday night.  But the gages were dropping steadily all day yesterday (and Tuesday) so when I checked again at 3 AM Tuesday morning, I had a gut feeling it would be sporty but fishable.  I have not fished the river at this time of year, which is one of the other reasons I wanted to go now in March, but I have a lot of experience with bigger freestoners in spring high water, even winter high water.  I was going to fish big stones unless a hatch happened, and I was looking for a few nice fish, maybe one big one, not a double-digit day.  To give the river even more time to calm down, I decided to spend a couple hours fishing a new section at the upper end of the Class A section.  It was 29 degrees to start, and even in a knit hat, buff, and fingerless gloves, I needed a walk to get warm enough to brave the cold currents in new water. 

Started out in new water.  Thanks, beaver, for all the cover (and snags) in the water!

The river is pretty urban and suburban its entire length, but this section looked even more loved.  Not the trash and weird discarded junk like the lower half, but more silting and straight channeled spots.  High, most of it looked pretty uniform, but I was happy to land two decent fish over 14 inches out of the same isolated juicy spot.  I only caught four fish all day and lost a monstrous fifth one, but I pretty much called my shots on each one.  In water this high, it’s often not rocket science, granted, but they were not pushed up against banks.  It wasn’t that kind of high.  In fact, if the water was warmer, it was the kind of flow where active fish could have been in all the slightly softer seams.  No, today they had their noses in the heads of plunges and runs, sheltering in place under and adjacent to current.  These first two fish hit right at the lip of a riffle washing over a totally submerged log or boulder, which eventually ate my bugs too, so probably wood.  Both fish took a caddis larva on the dropper.  When I started getting warmer and saw that I had spent two hours here, I decided to climb out and take a ride to another spot downstream.  Multitasking, I missed the turn for this other new spot, but I saw I was close to a favorite access point anyway, so I just headed that way.  It is always easier to fish high water in familiar territory anyway.

A couple chunky fish at the new stretch while the water dropped and it warmed up.

With my wading staff for extra insurance, I was able to cross the river at over 430 CFS (normal for this early in spring is still a hefty 380 or so but 200 or less is nice, you know?) to get the right approach on a couple favorite holes.  The water had visibility at least 18 inches deep, but it was deceptively pushy, so besides that crossing and back (twice, actually) it was not a day to head out too deep.  Even though I kept a heavy size 10 jigged pheasant tail or a stonefly with close to 4 mm tungsten beads on the point all day, because little stoneflies and some olives were present, even some dark caddis in one spot, I had a small quill body dropper with a black bead on higher in the water column too.  The best fish I landed today ate that size 16 nymph.  I could see he had the dropper, and I was in a deep hole with minimal places to eff me over, so I let him fight to insure a clean landing.  The fish was not 20, but it was a thick one about 19 inches and just gorgeous.  This is what I drove for, so I was landing this fish!  My best fish of 2021 so far, I even took the patented self-fish to document the occasion before letting him swim back to the depths.

Had to take a classic wet hand with fish shot too.

I landed another fish and had one completely take the dropper in another hole downriver, my only one left of this particular bug, but I worked hard for a couple hours after that without even a bounce.  Most of the water I fished was really moving, so I did not call out but one or two spots that did not produce.  Wading was off the table in places, so in order to get into one favorite hole, I had to creep through a backyard or two and talk to a dude at the grill, but even that spot did not pan out.  After another break, instead of heading home, I decide to go for it and chunk a streamer for the last hour or so.  By now it was in the 60’s and the water had continued to drop and warm, so it was not a total long shot by any means.  I did my original crossing for the second time and tried to see if the hole where I landed the good fish this morning had another.  Nope.  But another spot downstream where I have landed a few really nice fish, that one did not disappoint—well, let me think about that.

Some pics of a sporty, early spring river.

I had been fishing some of Eric’s flies all day, and I wanted to get one on his grinchy streamer creation.  Well, I did get one, but the fight did not end with me slipping the net under my second piggie of the day.  I casted upstream and stack-mended to get the bug deep since I had no follows in this hole using the traditional streamer methods.  As the line got parallel to me, I used the downstream bend in the line to give the bugger some action, and I had a soft grab.  When I set the hook, I almost thought I was snagged, which is the sign of a big fish (or a sucker who’s been flanked or finned).  It was a good fish and acted like a big wild brown.  I never saw the fish beyond one deep flash of gold, but it was heavy.  With a 6 weight and 2X, I brought the fight to him and kept him in closer and out of the heaviest current.  Just when I was hoping to catch a glimpse, the streamer just pulled free.  That rarely happens to me, especially after I had already fought the fish.  Jump a fish and get the bugger back?  Sure, that happens a lot.  But not just pull free.  I had no clue why it happened, but since I had one good fish on the day, I didn’t sweat it too much (a little of course, but no adrenaline dry heaves).  I was ready to cast aspersions at Eric’s bugger.  I was asking why I didn’t throw Sam’s roberdeau, which has not failed me yet on big trout.  But later today, Wednesday when I am writing this, I was in the garage and looked at Eric’s bug.  It was nobody’s fault but mine!  I had pinched the barb down on the big size 4 hook.  I remembered tossing the same one at Valley, and at our little hideaway spot, and I had done that so I didn’t hurt the many small fish taking the bugger that day.  And the thanks I get for taking care of the little ones is that an alpha just pulls free.  I definitely did not fight this fish like I had a barbless hook.  Side pressure, angles to throw him off, muscle to keep him out of boulders, the works.  Nobody’s fault but mine, but I was too tired to have bad dreams, and I did already have a self-fish with another good fish from earlier in the day, so mission accomplished even if it could have been even better.

Bugs, sunset(ting), requisite Lack Christmas ornament among the flotsam pic.

March 27, 2021 – Mentored My Youth – Wissahickon Creek

Under that log but not in the trees above!

Mentored Youth Day went about as well as it usually does for the boy and me.  He started his spring break with a half-day on Friday and some marathon gaming that night, I am sure, so I had to wake him up at 2 PM on Saturday.  We got out from 4 to about 6 PM and tossed a Rapala.  It was crowded even at dinner time, so elbow room was at a premium—a lot of grown men fishing with 2 year olds not fishing (maybe borrowed stunt babies?) but Tom heard that it was much worse at the Penny.  At least the Penny fish were in since March 20, not since less than two days ago. We played with a big old golden for a while, moved three fish in a tricky spot for the boy’s developing casting skills (I snagged twice myself trying to tuck the cast into the spot from the high bank without waders), and we dropped a decent rainbow on the hand off, just so he could at least land one that I hooked.  I should probably just teach him to fly fish since my days of bank fishing with bait are long gone, but I did promise that the next time we go out this spring we will at least have some corn and his recently repaired chest waders!

March 26, 2021 – At Least a Half-Dozen before the Big Blow – Northampton County Limestoner

Fun before the wind arrived.

I was probably a day and change late to the party, maybe twelve hours if I want to be kind to myself, but I did take advantage of the tail end of the last shot of rain and clouds before the crazy front moved in early this afternoon.  I told myself I might chuck a streamer on Thursday if I got up, but I was in Zoom meetings from 11 AM to 8 PM, so that would have taken more motivation than I had in me.  It had been a busy 8 to 10 days already.  On top of that, I was getting “Ready Montgo” emergency messages all Wednesday night.  The Wissy was in the roads everywhere around my house, so I assumed from the gage that Valley was too and just slept in.  Tom texted me in the morning when he saw Valley hanging around 60 CFS, which is pretty nice nymphing water even if the creek had cleared, but I just relaxed and mentally planned my Friday instead.  It has been hard to get me motivated to fish Valley this year with all the added pressure—and now with blue winged olives.  Instead, I put in an honest day of work and got up early today in order to hit a Lehigh Valley creek or two.

Good flows and a little stain; little bugs because BWO's were present early.

I ended up talking to the boy and then Tami, and then as I was leaving the neighborhood finally, I also ran into Eric.  We chatted for a good long while and made some tentative plans for next week while the kids are on spring break, so it was 9 AM before I even got on the road for real!  So much for early.  It was still cloudy on the drive up, and when I arrived I had a good 90 minutes of clouds and not wind before the front moved in.  Olives were hatching or had hatched, but some nice fish were still taking nymphs and emergers in the riffles and pocket water.  It was game on.  I landed a nice run of fish on an 18 olive perdigon, including two in the 14-15 inch range.  Expecting the wind, I was throwing my 10-foot 4 weight with a mono rig, which worked okay, but it is not my go-to small stream rod, so I dropped at least 3 fish today, even though I landed at least 6 or 7.  There was one slightly bigger than 14 that looked like a contender for fish of the day, but I missed him with the net.  It was just a combination of user error and small barbless bugs in fast pocket water, I guess, and the beginning of the blow.

A few nice small stream fish in the bunch.

I couldn’t complain, though I did when the wind gusts started coming more regularly.  I persisted for a while, timing my casts between gusts when I could, even popping on a bobber in two deep holes—that produced nothing, as fish were in the broken water eating at least until noon.  When the creek started filling with small branches that were breaking off the trees, I decided to call it a day.  Had I gotten out a little earlier, who knows?  But having not fished in over a week, I was happy for the fun flurry of activity and a few nice fish in the mix.  Not a bad three hours on the water.  Mentored Youth with the boy tomorrow, but maybe Sunday and definitely a couple days next week, as my work schedule is far more manageable then too—I even have off from my MFA class for an Easter break.  Zoom fatigue is real, but mornings like this help.

Hopefully less wind and even more bugs next week.

March 17, 2021 – Before the Rain and Cold, a Couple of Fun Hours – Northampton County Limestoner

A nice way to spend a couple hours.

I kept running out of real estate today.  I arrived at this creek around 1:30 PM, and where I wanted to park and begin fishing was populated by another ‘Ru with a telltale TU decal and a PFBC truck tucked in behind him too.  They were nowhere in sight, and I could only hope that they were together talking to a landowner about taking down riparian buffer to the detriment of this suburban creek!  For all I know, though, one was fishing and one was doing license checks.  I never saw them because I drove to another spot that holds one vehicle not two and began fishing further upstream.  Thankfully, I had a productive run of 6 trout, at least two of them nice fish, in an unoccupied 400 yards of riffle, run, and pocket water before I ran into a guy chunking a spinner.  We talked for a minute but gave each other space, so I did not run into him again until I was about to leave for home.  He had scored a nice fish from a hole I wanted to target (and first) so I was not surprised that I could not raise one out of this hole when I reached it.  When I last saw him, he was trying a hole that I had not taken a fish from and was hoping to try again, so I was not surprised that this honey hole did not produce either.  Despite being hemmed in and hamstringed, it was a good short outing.  I drove 45 minutes to fishing 120, but I do that a quite a lot, and I had to be online for a class at 6 PM anyway.  When I write Northampton County Limestoner here, it can be one of maybe 5 creeks, but a couple of them have become my NW Valley or NW Wissy over the years—my home creeks when I need to fish for a while and not plan too much, just point the ‘Ru and go.  Until opening day, a lot of creeks are off limits, but in my book these outing beat chasing stockies in a DHALO or FFO and are worth the 20 extra minutes of driving any day!

Bomb walts and a riffle nymph picked out among the olives.

It was cloudy, so there were some olives in the air and even some risers in a long flat.  I was throwing a bomb size 18 walts on the point, really as a way to get a smaller baetis pattern, like size 20, down closer to the bottom.  The fly is just a marriage between a flashback pheasant tail and a thin profile/fast sinking fly like a perdigon or frenchie with a CDC tail.  It usually works when olives are popping and has this month, but I think it only scored three of the smaller fish this afternoon.  Instead, the two biggest fish, one a nice 15-inch fish, took the walts right in the current.  I was excited to pull three fish from bouncier water and was expecting a run of pocket water upstream to be even more productive than it was, but it only scored three more small fish—though not Valley small, mind you!  I ran into spinner dude after that, so I contemplated taking a longer walk below my parking spot, but decided to get home early instead and actually eat before class not after.  I probably made more sense as a result.

About half of them were decent small stream fish.

This might be it for me as far as fishing until the weekend, as I have meetings and appointments, but Thursday sounds very wet and Friday cold and windy, so this afternoon was pretty perfect despite the minor inconveniences.  I am still not used to seeing so many people out fishing on weekdays, but it is to be expected even more now that spring is around the corner.  To get out for a few hours and land some small stream beauties is never a bad thing, so this has been a decent week overall.

March 15, 2021 – When that Old NW Wind Begins to Blow - Northampton County Limestoner

A beauty buck pushing 15 inches

It was cold today and windy.  It was sunny and mild on paper on Sunday, but the wind was honking even more then, so the wind-chill took care of the warmth, and the clear night let all the potential heat go bye-bye.  I knew it was only going to get up to the high 30’s in the Lehigh Valley today, but I had the day to fish, and I may only have one other all week, so I was going.  I was hopeful that the sun kept the water pretty warm yesterday, but I knew it had dipped into the 20’s overnight, so I was in no rush to get out.  I left the house about 12:30 PM and was fishing by 1:30 PM.  I was a little surprised to see another car in the lot, so I took a peek upstream and down to make sure it wasn’t just a dog walker.  Sure enough, there was a dude working upstream who appeared to be nymphing.  I almost left for another creek, but I figured I would walk way downstream and work my way up.  Even if this guy had worked the same water, this time of day had the potential to get some olives and midges going, and the sun might wake up some new fish.  It still was windy, yo.  I was having a heck of a time nymphing without going too heavy and hanging up, and bobbers in the wind often spell tangle city.  It was a slow start, and I lost some bugs to new branches that must have blown into the creek yesterday.  It was a challenge, but I decided to stay with it, confident that I could get at least a couple fish today regardless of the conditions, especially with midges and olives hatching.  Though it gusted once in a while, the wind did die down a bit after 2:30 PM—well, most of the time.

Blustery and cold at times, but the presence of bugs won the afternoon.

I eventually started to see some risers, and I actually had one or two take a swipe while swinging small bugs, but I knew I’d have a better chance of connecting in some riffles and pocket water.  The flow was great but it was pretty clear, and the wind did not make it possible to do what I would need to do to work small bugs in the flats even on a mono rig and 6X.  Even if I had the gear with me today, I may have stuck with the plan anyway. I was not willing to commit to the dry fly or swinging bugs with my 10 footer and the competition line, and I only brought the one rod and spool.  I came here to nymph for a few hours and nymph I did.  As I got into more braided water and was able to mind my shadow, I eventually connected with a decent 12 or 13 inch fish that barely hit.  In all fairness, I may have barely felt the hit because I was trying to manage the effects of the wind on the leader.  Either way, this fish came off before I was able to net him, but at least I knew I might go home tonight without a skunk if I continued to work my plan.  When I dropped another one, it was harder to trust the process.  Both fish had taken a size 18 baetis on the dropper tag, a little higher in the water column, so I said eff it and put a heavy bomb walts on, like an 18 but with an outsized tungsten bead. 

Sorry for the bad angle.  A challenging day on many fronts, I guess.

That final adjustment did the trick and allowed me to share two fish pictures with you from this afternoon.  One fish fought like a stud, even though he was probably just 15 inches, but in heavier water it felt good.  I couldn’t see him in the glare and broken water for a while until he finally decided to take a leap, so I had no clue how big for a good 30 seconds or more.  I also brought a skinnier 11- or 12-incher to the net.  I actually lost a third fish before that, however.  The wind got particularly annoying for a while, so I had popped on a bobber to fish a deeper tailout, and I got a crappy hookset on that fish, who shook off after two leaps for freedom.  Did I mention it was a challenging afternoon?  I may have gotten (and/or lost) a couple more in the last hour of good sunlight, but I quit around 5 PM in order to bring some dinner home to the family.  I shouldn’t have offered, but it was probably all for the best.  I had worked through a tough afternoon and finally had some success, so having an excuse to quit on a high note may have been an actual blessing in the end.  A busy week ahead, but I do think I have one more day, maybe Wednesday, which is supposed to inch back towards 50 degrees.  I haven’t dared to look at the wind forecast….

No fingerless gloves either?

March 11, 2021 – Yeah, Sometimes all the Driving is Worth It – Fishing Creek

Brings me back to my youth.

When I read my last blog post I see that I half-expected Sam to pick up a guide trip for today because the weather was so good for early March and olives are popping.  Sure enough, when we talked on Wednesday night, he had just gotten done with a full day on Penns, mostly without cell service.  As I expected, he picked up a trip for today too.  It’s been a tough economic year, especially when he used to supplement his income in bars and restaurants too.  I was packed up and ready to go either way, but if I was doing this thing solo, I was going to someplace pretty.  Since Poe Paddy was terrible for Sam’s clients on Wednesday, he seconded my second choice, which was beautiful Fishing Creek.  It is no Spring Creek this time of year, but it can get some pressure when word on the street about the first hatches of the year gets out, and like Penns it is susceptible to snow melt this time of year too.  With Sam’s blessing, and some of his bugs too, I rolled the dice and had a very good day on a creek that can be awesome one day and like wild trout graduate school the next.  No size, although a couple in the 14-15 inch range, but a solid 20+ fish in the net with a few others shaking off the small bugs needed to connect during midge and BWO hatches.

Perdigon did some damage.

It was like three or four days in one, so I will try to break it down in stages and just share a bunch of pics.  I take more creek pics when I fish alone, especially in a place so lovely.   I got hooked on trout fishing and fly fishing as a young teen or tween in the Pine Creek gorge and Little Pine and its tributaries.  Even though Fishing Creek has limestone bones, in places it runs through this same type of country—a mountain freestoner, just pumping rich limestone water from numerous springs along its route.  I get excited just being on Route 80 out there and seeing the signs for Williamsport and Loch Haven and all the little towns around the West Branch of the Susquehanna valley.  I was parked by 6 AM to start stage one, which was a chilly, breezy, and sunny one.  The creek looked great, not clear but more wadable than it’s been during my last couple of visits.  No snow melt either.  In fact, much of the white stuff was gone except for in those hollows that never get sun.  I was actually hoping for those cold hollows to hold back the melt even if I was going to find snow and the expected melt on a day reaching into the 60s.  In the end that was not an issue, except below a particularly cold tributary.  Rain came in stage two of the day, but all that did was slow down the midge hatches for a while.

Some decent fish in the mix, but more of a numbers kind of morning.

At 6:30 AM, I was the only dude out there.  I saw one truck around 7:30 scouting for a spot, driving by a couple times to peep my progress.  I just wanted to beat any snow melt, which was not going to be a factor today, and be first through some excellent holes in this stretch.  With a mild overnight temperature, it wasn’t even that slow to start, though.  I had my first fish by 7 AM, and my second, a solid 14 incher, not long after that.  I was excited and relaxed now.  Fishing Creek was probably going to be good to me today.  I fished from 6:30 to about 10:30 AM covering a great piece of water.  By the time I reached the end of this first beat, I had taken off my knit hat, my fingerless gloves, and the midges loved the bright warm sun.  Small bugs did damage.  The most effective was a size 18 black and olive perdigon, but I got some fish in pocket water with a sexy walts and even one on a smaller golden stone.  

More beauties as the morning warmed up even more.

Fish were pretty deep early, but there were a few opportunists in each hole, not just one and done.  As I moved closer to the end of the gorge and more spring creek snaky sections, I even popped on a bobber and pulled out 3 and 4 fish in a row in two deep, stained holes.  I was ready to hike back along the road to my first parking spot by 10:45 AM with a rough count of 15 fish to show for my solo morning.  Midges had been steady, but now isolated storms of size 20 olive duns were also flying upstream in places.  The water temperature in this stretch was also pushing 45 degrees, so my mind was turning.

Some color and some snow around in the hollows.

One other truck was parked behind me when I got back to the ‘Ru for my first break.  I had something to eat, shed some more layers, finished an iced coffee, took an al fresco seat in the woods after my breakfast and that coffee started working.  I have had full days of 6 fish here, even one this time of the season a couple years ago where I worked my ass off for two fish.  Fly fishing grad school some days, as I said.  I was good with today already, relaxed and feeling great physically and mentally.  A couple 14-inch fish in pocket water is fun, and there were a few 12-inchers in there too, but most were average wild browns of 8 to 10 inches, so the only thing left to do was try and move a big fish?  I took a ride and saw how the late morning and nice weather had brought out a growing cadre of hopefuls, so I was even more glad I got on the road at 3 AM this morning and had a quiet and productive first shift. 

For the Silver Fox, not just RR this time...  Class A lunch stroll before the rains.

I decided that phase two would be a little adventurous, so I grabbed a bugger and explored a Class A brookie creek for about 500 yards, just scouting on behalf of the Silver Fox, who really wants to have a post-Covid brookie adventure in the wilds of PA this summer.  The woods were dark and icy still, and the water had to be frigid, so I did not even see a fish come at the bugger in a couple prime lairs.  It’s a bit rhody back there, but Tom liked the pics I sent him—which finally delivered hours later when I had cell service, of course.  The walk in the woods was nice, but the real reason for the drive to a new spot was to toss a bugger in Fishing Creek for the second shift.  The clouds were coming, and it was raining in earnest by 2 PM, enough to soak me through.  It crossed my mind to toss raingear in the ‘Ru last night, but knowing it would be warm, I got lazy, I guess.  Like a mitch, I think I fished below a cold tributary, which was def not 45 degrees like in the sunny stretch where I took two readings in the morning, without thinking it through.  I guess I was too relaxed.  I moved nothing with Eric’s grinchy bugger, but I ran into a couple dry fly prospectors.  I got soaked walking back on the road to my second parking spot, so I sat on the back bumper under the hatch and took advantage of some bars (well, bar) on my phone to text Mom and Eric and Tom in that order.  I think I texted Sam to let him know the creek was being cooperative so far, as well.  

Some decent ones, and Sam's heavy walts working.

Man, the third shift almost didn’t happen, at least not on this creek.  The rain took a break before coming back later in the afternoon, but before it got too wet out, all kinds of trucks were in the spots that were empty early this morning.  In effort to find some elbow room and parking, I decided to fish a totally new stretch of the creek for what would be my last shift.  I know Fishing is a spring creek, but this stretch looked and fished like the Spring Creek.  It was mucky as hell in spots and totally a different approach as I worked my way up to a couple actual limestone springs.  The water even changed color to that limestone green, and the fish got spring creek pretty too (albeit Spring Creek average and smaller too).  I parked at a public lot and hiked the road down a few hundred yards before sneaking in behind some unoccupied cabins.  If it was going to pour again, I would piece this stage out in manageable increments.  

A lot of small spring creek beauties to end the third shift.  Rain got heavy too.

I landed at least 10 more fish in this short stretch, most in a less mucky and less woody riffle and run.  Nothing was over 11 inches, most were even smaller, but they were really pretty fish.  They all ate Eric’s thread baetis or a size 20 perdigon—still some olives and midges all day.  There was deep water and some prime lairs, so I am sure there are some better fish in here, though access is really easy, so weekend pressure is probably a bit crazy—I do fish Lehigh Valley limestoners like it’s my job, however, so pressure is relative.  It was good to see a third side of the creek, as Fishing Creek downstream closer to the confluence and its end is also different than this—it is a unique creek, for sure, but I guess many of the longer ones in PA are.  It was about 4 PM, so a couple more hours of possible fishing, when I reached my spot again, but the rain came on heavy at this time.  

B roll beauty.

I stayed wadered in case it stopped again and took a ride to scout in the other direction, below where I had fished earlier in the day.  I had more food and drink waiting for the rain to let up, even popped a couple preemptive Alieve, but around 4:30 PM, I decided that there would not be a fourth shift as the rain seem intent on falling.  The streamer rod was taunting me, but all my clothes and reserves were wet now, and I had just logged a ten hour day with a nice showing of fish.   I also thought about driving towards civilization and fishing closer to State College, perhaps meeting up with Sam for a beer or something, but like I said, all my clothes were wet and I’d been up since 3 AM.   I made the wise move and called it good.  A fifteen hour day on a little sleep, a lot of coffee, and a mess of early spring/late winter fish, my body would thank me for getting home at 7:30 not 9:30 PM.  Yeah, sometimes the long drive is worth it, though.

B roll before the rains came (again).  Until next time....

March 9, 2021 – Visiting an Old Favorite for a Few Hours – Northampton County

A healthy 16-incher.

After finishing a midterm paper on Monday night, I slept in a little today and decided that I needed a break from my class on Tuesday night.  I am on spring break for work, and my grades are submitted, so I wasn’t in the mood to sit on Zoom for three hours tonight.  With the first nice day of the pre-spring, I assumed that everywhere I went this afternoon I would find anglers, so hitting a local DHALO, FFO, or Valley (again) did not sound that fun.  A spring break deserves some adventures, anyway.  I am heading out to fish the Centre County area on Thursday, hopefully with Sam before he gets very busy with work.  In a text exchange on Monday, he said he already picked up some guide trips this week based on the forecast.  If olives are starting to show, and it’s warm, I don’t expect him to give up a day of work for a fun fishing day with me.  I am heading out either way, but so far we are a go.  Today, I thought I would poke around some legal spots on the mighty Brodhead, loaded for bear, and fish the second shift of 1 to 5 or 6 PM, something I rarely do these days.  I had the 10 foot 4 wt. loaded with 4X mono and big bugs, even my wading staff in the ‘Ru.  On the way up, however, I took a detour to drive by a little creek that I am fond of, even if it seems to be in decline because of pressure and some environmental changes upstream.  A new landowner also decided to post great stretches to benefit his own plans for an Airbnb/fishing business (and because a few jerkoffs mouthed off to his young kids—a story too common).  I have tangled with some big trout here, and on a couple prime streamer days I had mornings of multiple pigges—like a 17, an 18, and a 20 in one morning kind of days.  The last few trips over the last two years have been a mixed bag with more stockers in the creek as well.

Warm at the parking spot, but pretty chilly in the water still.

When I saw an old parking spot no longer posted and no signs nearby, I decided to stop and fish, not just do a drive-by.  The flows were up a hair and there was a stain in the deeper water. Still some snow around in the shaded gorge, too. Maybe dude had sold the property, been talked to by persuasive anglers, decided that this creek was not going to support a destination fishery (it never was)?  I suited up, feeling like I might be dressing too warmly as I crossed the creek and hiked in to sneak up on the first hole.  And there it was: a fresh posted sign, and then another in view downstream.  I guess dude was sticking with the plan, and the lack of posting at the parking spot was because it is not actually on his property so was an impotent deterrent at best.  Many other landowners in the area continue to allow access upstream of dude.  I had a decision to make.  Stay or go.  I decided to fish at least up to a couple favorite spots and see what conditions were like.  Honestly, there was a bit of smell in one stretch (ground so wet the septic tanks are ready to bust?), but I did land an 11-inch wild brown eventually.  I had to rig with 5X and smaller bugs to get it done, but this fish came shortly after making the change and ate a perdigon on the dropper tag.  I decided to keep going when I saw a pretty heavy hatch of midges happening.  Water was cold, so the Brodhead would be even colder than this despite the warm air.  I had gone without long johns, so I was now happy for the extra top layers and buff.

Got on the board eventually.

Based on the conditions here, and the fact that I had the place to myself, I committed to spending the afternoon.  Once I fished up through with only one fish and one other bounce to show for it, I switched to a more caddis-looking point fly and changed the color of the perdigon.  I fished down through the prime spots again before deciding to fish like it was winter and sneak along a long flat with some wood in the mix.  I almost didn’t trust that I got bumped in a deep depression within this flat, but on the second drift through, I came tight to a good fish.  It looked like he took the perdigon dropper on a barbless 18 hook, so despite all the wood around, I let him go a couple times and generally fought him with some caution.  If this was going to be fish number two of a two-fish day, I was going to land him, dammit.  The late afternoon light was weird, especially with my sunglasses still on, and I missed the first good chance of slipping the net under him.  Oh boy, that gave him more life.  Off he went downstream, and it became clear that the point fly got him as he turned to go.  Now, I was really asking for a workout—a 16-inch fish just became a 20 with all that extra leverage.  If the second hook didn’t snag him during the fight, however, I may not have gotten a picture of this one.  By the time I netted him a few yards downstream, the perdigon was already out.  I was not sure how photos would show up in the late afternoon sun, so I took a few at different angles, hoping to show off the colors of this thick beauty.  A two fish day, but the second one made it worth the stop, even if my old spot is not what it used to be.

Wasn't sure which sun angle worked best, so here's both.

March 3 and 4, 2021 – March Begins with More Melt-Off – SEPA Limestoners

Taking its time melting away.

Well, I am on the board for March, but I think I landed maybe 5 or 6 fish over two days.  I did not put a lot of time in like Eric and I did on Sunday, but I did put at least three hours in both days with middling success to show for it.  Honestly, I went out just to get out and had low expectations both days, so I was happy for a few fish.  Wednesday, I drove to a favorite limestoner in Northampton County that was at least pretty good to me on February 17^th.  Today, it was ripping and gray.  By the time I checked back at the car before driving home, the USGS gage had it at double the normal flow.  I was going to go elsewhere when I saw the color upon arriving, but I did okay with that color last time, so I kept working and the snow kept melting.  In order to get a couple fish, I had to target a big flat and dropshot a san juan worm with a hot bead.  I landed a whopping two 9- to 10-inch fish.  This creek holds the shot of water longer after a rain (or melt like today), I know, and because of that it is good in the summer especially.  I can’t say I have had the same success in winter.  It is just one of those creeks that does not fish all that well for me when it is high.  I think this is so in part because the riparian buffer is in great shape, so when fish push to the sides in high water, you have to wade the raging middle and target the sides to do much.  Not easy in a creek that is sometimes only 12 feet wide.  I was not mad at it, though. My fault for not preparing for the possible conditions.

By any mean necessary.  Even dropshotting junk flies!

Today, I stuck close to home and went to Valley, thinking there might be a stain left since the flows were still high from the melt.  Flows were great, but the stain was minimal.   I was not planning on a streamer day, but I was hoping for some dirtier water to cover my approach with the nymphing set up.  I should have brought the dry fly rod!  Olives were popping and fish were eating them.  Before it got too windy to do so effectively with very small bugs, I got a couple tightline nymphing.  The best of the afternoon was a 10-incher under a bobber in a deep dark hole, but most of the fish were in the flats not up in the riffles, so they did not make it easy for me.  Using the competition nymphing line, I did my best later in the day to cast and let some small soft hackles swing in the flats.  I landed none doing this, but I did hook and fight at least three small fish.  It almost pays to have barbs on flies this small, but I also didn’t need to handle 6- and 7-inch Valley fish.  In total, I think I messed with 6 fish and landed 3.5.  Not awesome, but some action.   Again, me just in a lazy mood and not doing much preparation for conditions I would likely find.

The olives, the cold, windy and clearing.

I was not alone, even on a windy and cool weekday.  There were a couple young boys, like 11 or 12 years old, set up in a favorite spot. They were excited seeing a rise or two once in a while, but were not catching anything.  One had a bugger on a fly rod, so I gave him a size 20 soft hackle pheasant tail and told him to swing it.  Maybe he did better than me.  It was my advice to him that actually prompted me to retie and swing the bugs on the way back to my parking spot.  There was another new-looking fisherman in another good winter hole above the kids, so I turned back when I saw him.  In a rare break from the wind, I did target two risers with small nymphs and catch both of them in the hole well below him before I did, however. 

Pretty fish.

The theme, I guess, is that I had low expectations and did no research before heading out.  Had I checked the gage on Wednesday, I may have gone elsewhere.  Instead, I went on a gut feeling it might produce.  Valley has a turbidity gage, too.  Had I checked, I would have seen that it was not a day to nymph.  Still, it is good sometimes just to grab a rod and go.  The cold returns for real on Friday, but I expect more warm days next week.  I have some work to do preparing for my next set of classes and turning in a paper for my own class, but technically next week is my spring break.  Fishing will happen, and I will actually prepare and make wiser choices, I promise (I think). I am hoping to make the trip to central PA at least one day, and the number of olives around here has me excited at the prospects if the weather and water conditions cooperate.  Time to get Sam on the phone.

Can see how clear the water is here.  So much for high AND turbid....