April 26, 2022 – First Legit Pig of the Year (and Friends) – Northampton County Limestoner

So much for no more face shots?

I had one of those nearly perfect days today: numbers of fish, good average size, one fish that would have been a day-maker on any other day, and one pig in the low 20s, which was my best of the year so far and a personal best for this particular creek.  I have heard discussions of late about this creek’s decline, but I’ve actually had it great the last two years.  The slow start and dreadful winter I experienced here had me believing that maybe it truly was declining, however.  It is easy to access, easy to wade, and close to civilization, so it just gets pounded.  I am glad I have not given up on it because today proved that all my time and effort to crack the code could still pay dividends, and a couple other creeks in the region may just be late bloomers this year, as well.  The code had not changed all that much.  Still small, natural bugs rule the day—generally no hot spots and clown flies and attractors, no big articulated streamers.  Caddis and other hatches help, and today the black sedges and some larger tan were out in force, but for a lot of the year, it’s a perdigon or size 18 larva for me, sometimes a single bug in pocket water.  Like a couple other creeks in the region too, when you find rainbows cooperating, the wild browns are likely not going to eat.  I fish this creek probably 25 times per year, and I have an easy day maybe three times—I even got a few to eat brood X last year—but there are many days that require work.  Today was not that day.  I actually only fished four hours today, quitting shortly after catching my second big wild trout of the day, but fish were willing that entire time.

Tough guy.  A little esox in him?

I landed two fish in the 14-inch range and a couple of last year’s YOY within the first hour or less, so I had a feeling it was going to be good.  The obvious spots, even a difficult spot that has been my go-to this winter and early spring when I just need a decent fish, well, they were barren.  I had a feeling the obvious holes got pounded over the weekend, so Tuesday was a good day to see if they came out of hiding.  No dice.  They had moved into feeding lanes with more cover, apparently.  The best fish was in a pocket all of 18 inches deep taking emergers and larva, and he was tight to the bank and more cover.  The other big fish had her nose right in the whitewater close to an overhanging tree.  So even though a hatch was going on and most of the fish were feeding subsurface, the better ones did not get too brave, even in low light.  That is not part of the code for this creek, just a reality about larger wild fish on most creeks, of course.  Walking right into a creek to fish the middle is never wise when smarter fish are using the cover close to the banks for security from overhead opportunists. 

Some average small fish and the small bugs (even a hot spot on Eric's bug).

I caught the first couple on one of Eric’s bugs (with a hot spot, so code be damned some days), but most of the fish ate a green caddis larva or a darker CDC dropper.  My go-to bug on this creek, a little brown nothing hare’s ear in size 18, also scored a handful.  Flows were great with minimal stain, so I had the cloudy conditions and the warmth to thank for exceptional fishing.  It was not a streamer day or a day to pop on a bobber, but there was enough water to allow some close quarters tightline nymphing with a mono rig.  All the fish fought so hard in the prime water temps and good flows that both times I hooked a big fish, I had no clue really how big until I finally saw them.  Working through pocket water with two size 18 bugs, I had a decent fish go under a rock and break off my 6X fluorocarbon tippet.  I did not want to go up too high, but I have been messing with the Trout Hunter half sizes once in a while and happened to have 5.5X fluoro.  That held the rest of the fish, including the pigs, although I had to go after the biggest one, hopping down the creek trying to stay even or below him when possible.

The farewell shot before a good release.

This big pig that opens this post and is pictured a few times was an alpha, for sure.  Kyped jaw, toothy, long pointy head, big fins, a gut.  I am sure his DNA is all over the creek by now.  While scouting redds in the fall, I have seen some really big fish on this creek, and I have landed several in that 18 to 19 range over the years, but this was a PB for this creek.  I would be charmed if I tangle with another this large again in my lifetime on such a small creek.  It won’t be for lack of trying, and it won’t be because I mistreated this fella.  Pics were meh, just a low-def selfish with the phone propped up on the bank and one or two as I lifted him to release, a close up while still in the net of that face.  Even after quite a fight on 5.5 X on my 10’ 3 weight rod, he did not linger in the soft water near the bank where I set him down, but instead moved off quickly to find some cover, perhaps embarrassed he had been had today.

A day-maker any other day.

Maybe he’ll be less embarrassed if he hears that another mature fish on this beat fell prey to the same bug less than an hour later?  On any other day, this second little piggy, perhaps our stud’s mate each fall, would have been the one today.  Again, some blurry pics, but the light and humidity were not on my side today, and I was taking pains to get them back quickly.  Ethical hero shots are not easy fishing solo, and because the first fish was so large, I did not even hand measure this second one.  My experience tells me about 17 or 18 inches.  I finished out the beat with a couple more fish, and at least one more over 12 inches, but the day was capped with this hen.  I have quit for the day on lesser fish not wanting to overstay my welcome or anger the fish gods.  Today, the rain is what prompted me to call it good, that and a sore lower back from who knows what—just a 53 year old body?   Surely a memorable day, this one.  More to come this year, I hope.  At least I know not to count out my favorite cricks this year just because they began the year in a bad mood.  They certainly have been loved too much the last two years, and abused by weather, but they might be tougher than they look.

More shots of nice fish only relegated to collage on a day like today.

April 22, 2022 – First Full Day of Fishing this Year and It Did not Disappoint – Northampton County

Like two dozen hot bows to start the morning.

Still patiently waiting for the Brodhead to come down to fishable levels (well, productively fishable levels) I decided to fish a creek in the region I and some others I know like to think of as a baby Brodhead.  Unlike the bigger river, this one does have more limestone influence for a stretch or two, but that is the most popular stretch or two as well.  The rest is pretty much a mountain freestoner with some nice tumbling pocket water and deep cliff-side holes.  Knowing it was a Friday in April and just plain gorgeous (the Silver Fox told me Sue Serio gave it a 10/10 on the morning news) I had to think outside the box.  I decided to take a chance and explore some new waters in this watershed.  So many creeks I would have like to have fished were too high, and this one was high too, but it was very wadable and buggy too, and that always helps.  To start the morning, I fished the lower reaches, almost to the confluence.  I may have even fished all the way down had I not run into a pleasant enough dude looking for a place to shoot up, it seemed.  I let him be and headed back.

The jigged bugger to start but caddis for a while too.

He was the only person I saw on this lower stretch in 5+ hours, which was quite an accomplishment for a 70 degrees and sunny Friday this time of year!  I seemed to have stumbled into a locals-only stocking situation because there were far more bows than could have washed down or come up from other parts unknown.  I know at the right time of the year, there are pigs that move through this area, but I could not cut through the rainbows, some of them up to 17 inches long and none under 12, all of them strong leapers from the time they have spent, some multiple years, in this pushy and flood-prone waters.  A hatch of small black or dark olive sedges went off for a while, and I did nymph some fish up, but I had a blast with the heavy jigged bugger for most of my time here.  

Some flow and some deep holes with more hot bows and no browns to show for it.

When I quit that area unable to find a pig wild brown, which was the goal, and only finding these 20 to 25 hot and porky rainbows, some of them taking their big bodies to the air over and over again, I drove past at least 15 fishermen in the popular section to fish in near-solitude closer to the headwaters.  I had fished this area briefly some time ago, and it is pretty much (sub)urban fishing.  Since it was now after school, the only humans I saw here were teens trying to play grab-ass or smoke away from the parks and playgrounds.  Actually, just before quitting time, I saw too older dudes fishing bait for some stockers at an easy access point, but really that was it as far as human competition.

Seen enough fat stockies yet?  Finally some wild browns at stop two.

One of two slightly nicer small stream fish.

Me, well I found some stockers, but only 5 of them, I bet.  Instead, I stumbled into a caddis hatch and landed at least a dozen wild browns at this second stop.  Most were in the 8 to 11 inch range, but one was over 12, I bet.  He took the dropper tag, as most did during the hatch, so the anchor fly was stuck in the net and my picture of him went sideways as I was freeing the tangle—one blurry pic of his escape from the size 18 red tag fly dropper, which I will spare you.  If you know anything about hot rainbows, there were several discarded shots of them too continuing to battle me in the big net!  I did not completely have the right tool for the small stream job, as I was still throwing my 10’6” 4 weight in the sometimes-tight confines, but the fish fought so hard in the prime water temps that, besides one treeing that prompted me to call it a day, I hardly minded.  I brought my 8’3” 3 weight for some dry dropper or just plain dry fly fishing because I remembered this stretch being low and tight, but the heavier flows promptly me to keep fishing the long rod.  Besides the small blowtorch dropper, I did land a few on the CDC jig anchor too—during the height of the hatch, they would have taken anything looking like a swimming emerger, honestly.

Much smaller and clearer at spot two and still some bows.

When the hatch fizzled, I put a walts on the dropper and a green larva on the anchor and continue to catch fish, including two to end the afternoon that were nice fat 10-inchers in pocket water, so even more fun and feisty.  I had an iced coffee on the ride over to this second spot, and I even ate a little today, even had enough water, but I was so sated by catching tons of fish at both stops that I broke off the aforementioned snag, spoke to one of the bait guys for a piece, and then hiked back to the ‘Ru.  No pig brown for the effort, but it was by far the best day of 2022 so far, especially since I was fishing new waters.  The discovery is fun, but it is also rewarding to catch fish in new places that you haven’t had time to figure out.  I know I wrote this year already about growth and change and finding new spots after 2 years or more of staying closer to home and fishing the same four limestoners like it was my job.  That gave me the opportunity to crack the code on all of them and resulted in some pigs, an outsized number last year for sure, but I am not performing for the blog, just fishing.  It is good to remind myself of that and stretch out.  The greatest reward was seeing all the cars and trucks in the usual spots and me having a 40 fish day away from the maddening crowds.

Browns far outnumbered bows during my second caddis hatch of the day, tan this time.

April 20, 2022 – A Pair of Productive Stolen Hours on my Work-filled Birthday – a Couple SEPA Limestoners

Almost clear on the first crick, but a stain in the holes.  Mostly dinkers.

Today is my 53^rd birthday, but unlike the last few years when I at least took a ride to NEPA for something a little special, I had to stay close today.  I had a final paper due this afternoon for my penultimate class towards my MFA and a couple things to work on in the morning for my courses.  I also had to teach a class at 6 PM, so the window was tight.  I didn’t feel bad about not heading somewhere more adventurous because most of the streams I would have fished were still close to blown out, especially early in the day, due to the most recent rains on top of already good flows.  I eventually got out of the house by about 11 AM.  I first targeted a couple holes on a tiny trickle that feeds another popular crick.  I started out with a dry dropper and landed a couple smalls, but because the flows were good and there was still a stain in the deeper holes, I also stuck a couple more with Eric’s jigged bugger.  The wind in the morning was starting to die down, so I decided to drop my 9 footer back at the car and pick up my nymphing rod for round two and creek two.  Not sure that was the call, as I ended up having the most success with the dry dropper again.   Around 1 PM, I experienced my first solid caddis hatch of the spring, so the mono-rig had to become a makeshift dry fly rig.

The bugger, the nymph, the dry, even a little storm remediation made for a good day.

With a heavy enough dropper it can be done.  Fish mostly hit the emergers during a caddis hatch anyway, so I had a blast catching a good number on the dropper, a brown hare’s ear, basically a size 16 little spot of nothing.  I did get at least two fish to take the dry, and I had one decent fish make a splashy refusal (or he took another emerger nearby).  The only steady action was at the start of my trip and during this flurry of activity, so it was a charmed hour before I quit.  I bet eight to ten fish were rising in this one spot, and I was lucky enough to land six of them in short order and mess with two others.  I am hoping Friday is the day I get to do something a bit more special, but for a trip close to home, this was a pretty good birthday present.  Now for some cake before my doctor tells me to cut it out at my age.

April 18, 2022 – Made on My First Short Wissy Trip of the Year – Wissahickon Creek

Nice flows and color.

It started out cold this morning after a chilly day on Easter too, but I had some time to fish before 3 or 4 PM.  Had it been warmer and not near freezing to start, I may have gotten out earlier and gone somewhere more adventurous, especially because another round of heavy rain was set to arrive and blow out the creeks, but I had to settle for a couple hours midday.  I have not fished the Wissahickon since last fall maybe.  With the park across the street devastated by Ida and the stalled work to repair the damage making things worse, Eric and I have not even fished right down the street.  I decided to skip the really local spots and instead head to a few favorite holes in the City.  Totally oblivious that it was Easter Monday and a holiday for some, and totally unaware that the annual tournament had happened or was happening (?) on the Wissahickon, I was sort of shocked with how many dudes were out on a weekday, and not even a nice weekday—it was cold, breezy, and even drizzly.  I learned later that there were some primo club-stocked fish added to what the Commish had already stocked, including a couple brookies, a silvery brown, a red-band bow, and what appeared to be either a spotted striped bass or hen rainbow trout that ate a Nerf football for breakfast….

A prize winner was missed during the tourney?

I started out fishing a jigged bugger because the flows were great, and I landed at least three that way, including the two brook trout that made me begin to realize that something was up.  I had a good hole to myself, but one dude stopped when he saw me catch a couple, and then a couple fly guys also walked in below, so I retied and tried to nymph some pocket water away from the most obvious spots.  The rain will often spread the fish out, but time and rising water temps usually have the most impact, so I only found one bow in the pocket water and missed or turned a couple panfish or really small smalljaws, no doubt feeling sluggish in the cold water.  I ran into a father and son at a bridge, and I landed one below them before giving the kid a couple pointers and letting him have at a likely pod of fish under there.  I am not sure the fish would even be chasing a spinner very far in the current conditions, however, so I doubt I helped even a little with my brief suggestions.

Stockies mas fina

I wanted maybe a couple more fish before I had to quit, and rain was starting to fall periodically, so time was running out on at least two fronts.  I had two more spots in mind, and one of them had four dudes in it, so I went upstream to the next.  That had two fly guys on the other side of the creek, so I just headed to the top of the run to fish the seam on my side of the creek, figuring I might get a couple more to end the afternoon.  I did land maybe four more before quitting, including the pig rainbow in the twenties and probably close to seven or eight pounds!  It fought really well too, not like the typical brood stock pigs that just roll when hooked.  I got spotted too.  One of the dudes across the creek was Matt of Fishy Intentions (check out his website and YouTube videos).  He contacted me through this blog or the Paflyfish forum a while ago, so he recognized me.  Not the first time this has happened on a creek, and it even happened in the fly shop one day, so I guess I either have to shave my beard or reinstate the no face-shots on the blog.  Since I have not seen my face for much of my middle age (I don’t think my son has seen me clean shaven in 14 years), it is a pretty easy decision!  Matt and his buddy caught some fish and filled me in on the reasons for the nicer fish and the larger crowds.  I guess I stepped in it today.  I was just hoping to find a few holdovers to pass the time, but it ended up being a little more interesting than expected.

April 12, 2022 – Spring Break, Midday, with the Boy – Northampton County Limestoner

Looking for a fresh stocker.

My son is on spring break this week, and until my wife is off on Thursday and Friday, it’s just me, the boy, and the cat.  I knew he just wanted some unlimited gaming and no early bedtimes this week, maybe to see some friends, but he also jumped at the chance to get out on a nice day this week when we spoke about it last.  We both had doctor’s appointments and such this week too, but I had no class on Tuesday night, so with sun and 75 degree temps, today was the day.  It was a fun afternoon with lunch and even ice cream on the way home, but the fishing was about as good as it usually is when I get him out on a lovely afternoon for humans.  He knows timing is everything, but he also likes his sleep at 14, so his expectations were appropriately low.  We did mess with some fish, but it was hardly awesome fishing. 

Not even the bucket brigade could turn the tide in the current conditions.

Even fresh-from-the-truck stockers couldn’t help the cause today.  I originally didn’t see the truck go by, but I saw the convoy of pickups and SUVs behind it and realized this was no funeral but the stocking brigade.  We were not in a section of the creek that is a main focus of the effort, but they did stop and dump a few buckets on their way to the most utilized sections.  With water high, I wanted to see if the boy could move a big fish with the Rapala in a few likely spots.  We had the first cast curse as I was demonstrating how to fish the plug in the current conditions.  I must have tied a crappy knot, however, because the fish took the 8 dollar plug in about 5 seconds.  I was encouraged, but we had to work for a few more fish.  I landed a couple on a jigged bugger when he gave me permission to work a hole for a few minutes, and he dropped one before the net job after I rigged him up some nymphs under a thingamabobber.  Oh, the irony of seeing big fish pictures and hearing of my adventures and seldom having such successes with Dad!  I told him the next time we get out it will be in Jeff’s beach buggy or on the Susky sled with Kenny (or at least I will bring bait).  He is a little intrigued by fly fishing and the idea of wild fish, so a dry dropper on the right day is still in the cards this spring.

April 5, 2022 – A Slightly Better Stockie Experience – SEPA Freestoner

A couple stocked brookies.

The Silver Fox sent me a text on Monday saying he had a lot of action on Sunday at a local club-stocked crick.  When he said they were sort of where they were supposed to be, he made my decision about where I would try to chase stockies at least once this week.  Because the place gets a fall stocking too, and is often stocked with care, the experience feels a lot closer to “real” trout fishing.  In contrast, Eric has gone down the street, which is not only a scarred wasteland following massive tree removal operations to make the park safe post-Ida, but also a dump ‘em at the bridge situation.  No thanks. 

Fun just picking one or two out of unlikely spots and a couple go-to holes.

Based on Tom’s trustworthy reporting and with few exceptions, I targeted pocket water away from the obvious holes and had a blast for about two hours.  I caught probably 10 small rainbows that were likely stocked in the fall, as they were white-tipped, holding in out-of-the-way pockets, and acrobatic as heck.  I think all but two took a size 16 duracell and those others took a 16 red tag fly on the dropper.  When I fished two favorite holes, I did find a couple bigger brook trout that I believe were stocked this spring.  I had to be home before noon for a meeting on Zoom, so I fished from maybe 9 to 11 and had a surprisingly good time.  I used to take my dad here too, so that was an added bonus to have those memories along for the walk.

April 3, 2022 – Called an Audible and Switched it Up a Little – SEPA Limestoner

A dozen little jewels in tight spaces before the next front or was it between fronts?

Eric said he was ready to go today, but then the weather got complicated for him at work, so by 10:30 this morning we spoke and decided to go our separate ways.  He eventually ended up going down the street for a fresh stockie, but I just couldn’t do it.  Before leaving the house after 11, I ran through some spots close to home and knew the weather would keep folks in the house at least until the sun came out, but I ultimately ruled out stocked fish this early in the season.  That said, I have to be around my desk at lunchtime a lot this week for training online, so if I fish it will likely be for some of those fresh stockies.  The Sunday after Opening Day did not feel like a trip I wanted to make just yet, though.  Instead, I took a gamble that I might have this particular section of a popular creek to myself, and I was lucky enough that it worked out.  The rain that was supposed to happen barely made a mark on the gages last night and never really arrived today, so the water was low and clear, especially close to the skinny headwaters where I was.  I targeted one deep hole with the jigged bugger and mono rig I had on my 9 footer, and I moved one fish and landed a chub and an uber dink brown.  It was time to retool and meet the challenge of the day, I guess.  I took the time to rig up a tapered leader and a dry dropper rig and had a lot of fun after that. 

Fooled a few small stream decent fish, even a couple risers.

I only saw a few risers, and I actually targeted two of them successfully.  There were not enough risers or bugs to throw a BWO dry the size needed to fool them on the surface, but both rising fish I targeted took the size 18 dropper.  I also landed probably 10 more small but lovely wild trout on the dropper close to cover in what deeper water I could find.  Besides the cloud cover, the conditions were difficult, so it was a great day to refresh my small stream skill set for a few hours.  I caught half on a little flashback BWO nymph and half on a CDC red tag fly, both very small.  Even creeping, kneeling, hiding behind what cover I could find in the leafless woods, I spooked a bunch of fish.  That is par for the course in low water on a small creek, but it was good to see so many survivors, as this section of the creek was hit pretty hard by last year’s storms.  There were at least two former honey holes unapproachable because of oddly deep water and down trees.  The creek is barely 10 feet wide in spots, and yet there is now a section that is waist deep and full of rotting leaves.  I tried to navigate one such spot to get in position for a great undercut bank, but fear of taking water over the chest waders, made me retreat and bushwhack to the next spot instead.  Late last year in stained water, I did not even attempt to wade this one section because it looked so deep and mucky.

Some colors, but not much to hide behind yet.

More wind arrived around 2 PM, of course.  What else is new this year?  It sounds like a parade of fronts most of this upcoming week too!  I persisted even though I was increasingly hanging backcasts or landing casts a couple inches too close to cover through no fault of my own, but when I didn’t blow up a hole, I was still able to land a few more in the wind.  By 3 PM, it looked like a storm was coming and the wind was pretty ridiculous at times, but I sneaked back to the spot where I tossed the bugger to start, and I landed one more fish for good measure.  The best fish was all of 10 inches, and most were 6 or 7 inches, but that was what I expected here.  It was more about fooling them in tougher conditions, and I would have been happy with a handful.  To have three hours of steady action was an unexpected blessing and far better than rainbows with all their fins stubbed from rubbing the cement pond too long.  You will probably see a couple pics of those this week, however....

March 31 and April 1, 2022 – Still Just Riding the Extreme Ups and Downs – A Couple SEPA Limestoners

A couple outings outdoors.

I was able to find a couple windows to get out this week, but nothing all that awesome was happening.  There is a reason wind is a four-letter word, and I am used to fishing the beaches and bays where you just have to deal.  However, I feel like the late winter and spring this year have been excessively front-y and therefore windy.  The clearest evidence is the wild temperature swings each week.  On Thursday I snuck around a Lehigh Valley limestoner and had minimal success.  I was fishing ahead of the coming cold front that was set to bring rain, thunderstorms, and high winds in the evening.  I beat the rain, but I did not beat the wind—or the pollening.  At times, when the wind was really cranking, it appeared to be raining yellow tree pollen, and the stuff was coating the crick in fuzz.  At least a bobber was not going to be spooking fish. 

A thick hen in that 13 inch range.

That said, fish were acting like they were expecting to hunker in place soon, and most were already in cover.  The best fish, a good 13-inch plumper took a size 18 bomb waltz close to cover, really close, like I had to sneak a cast between a rock and a tree branch and hope the breeze didn’t take me into the mess and screw up the perfect spot.  Thankfully, I was successful and landed the best fish of the morning.  I also dropped a couple 8 inchers that barely hit—again, the cold front or maybe just because I handlined them instead of using the net?  I did land a 10-incher under a bobber in a deep wintering hole.  I had a couple more hits in this same hole, and actually saw a few little guys, perhaps YOY, rising once every 10 minutes to a midge or equally small olive.  In this same hole, I also stuck and landed a beast—a beast white sucker.  No, this was not Karen or even that creek, but I have the touch I guess.  As you can see from the shot in the net, right in the extended mouth parts too.  Skills, yo,

Karen's cousin likes the walts too.

The rain arrived as expected and gave Valley a little bump, but even at 70 CFS and falling the turbidity this morning and into the afternoon was sort of off the charts.  My experience with Valley before last year’s storms was that I could often see it falling and clearing in real time.  More recently, the water falls just as quickly, but the mud and leaves remain much longer.  I am going to have to plan differently before heading over there after a rain.  The water was warm enough to move fish potentially, but again I was contending with yet another cold front, or the back end of the same one.  Even though it was sunny enough to light up the muddy creek, wind still made anything but streamer fishing, and with a heavier bug, close to impossible.  I had no chases at all, no splashes at the surface as I lifted to cast again, not even on a black bunny leach.  I did land a handful of average fish just hopping an olive and black jigged bugger along the bottom.  The hits were barely commits, but I only missed maybe two other fish, so I had decent enough touch today if fish were feeling it.  I had to be home by 2:30 PM, so I did not have the time to fish the sweet spot of color, but more weather was coming and wind was increasing, so even the perfect turbidity for a streamer window may have coincided with yet another front.  Better days ahead, I hope.  Although I keep saying that, I do believe that spring will finally get here and even out the days.  Even in low water, consistent weather is a friend to the trout fisherman.  These extremes, not so much, but there are moments of opportunity, and I will be there for some of them regardless of what Ma Nature decides to do.

Still muddy at 12:30 PM and five average fish.