June 24, 2022 – Maybe the Last Visit until the Fall, Maybe? – Brodhead Creek

Fog, clouds, then sun and breeze.  Many small trouts on big bugs with some bonuses.

I finally pursued my plan A from earlier this month this morning, leaving the house before 4 AM and driving in dense fog to fish the Brodhead for the final, maybe penultimate, trip for this spring/early summer.  The creek has been cold enough to fish, even while hovering around 90 CFS earlier this month, but the rain this week and the cool down raised flows and dropped temps. I may get one more window before it closes, although 90 degree temps return this weekend.  As far as flows, I like 100 CFS on the Analomink gage this time of year for getting at hard to reach spots, but even after waiting a day, I got 175 and falling this morning.  There was a bit of a stain, but decent enough visibility, and with dropping and clearing water, the fishing improved a bit by late morning from a rather decent start.  Many small caddis and midges were present, which helped the cause even if it was too pushy for risers to show.  I even landed a big fish just after 11 AM after accepting a day of dinks.

Small to average on big bugs.

I was a bit rough to start after only a few hours of sleep and unwisely choosing to leave the wading stick in the ‘Ru, but I eventually got my act together.  Fish were chewing, at least the little guys, and I eventually began to capitalize instead of hanging up or hanging in trees!  I had one decent 12 incher eat while I was still in fog and low morning sun, and I had a final fish in that 12-13 inch range to bookend the trip.  In between, there were several 6 to 10 inchers hanging in the soft edges out of the current.  I had some bumps with big bugs deep under the current too, but besides the first 12-incher, I could not seal the deal until I found the right combo of bugs—which ended up being two big ones, a size 8 jigged pheasant tail on the anchor with an extra tungsten bead, and a double-beaded gold stone on the dropper.  In 100 CFS like I wanted, it probably would have been a day of 25+ dinks on smaller bugs, based solely on the number of times I got bounced by fish that did not or could not eat the bigger bugs in heavier current.  As you can see from some pics, though, plenty of 8 and 9 inchers held onto the big pt long enough for a photo and release.  I did try to fish a single bug for a while to avoid losing some much tungsten and the tangles of heavier water, but I did not toss the bugger at all.  That choice was just based on a feeling about the water clarity and sun, plus all those bugs on the menu.  Nevertheless, with all the dinks eating, on the way home I was definitely wondering if I would have moved a few fish looking for YOY or fish fry to chomp on while the light was lower.  Hindsight, you know?

A couple decent ones and a piggy tease.

Persistence pays, however.  On most days, I don’t stop believing something extraordinary might happen, and that mindset works wonders when an opportunity finally appears.  On the walk back downstream, I could see that some holes that were marginally fishable earlier were improved by 10 AM.  I even got a couple smaller fish on the swing when I still could not wade safely into position at a few favorite spots, so they were still up and eating.  Around 11 AM, I reached the first hole where I caught a 12 incher first thing in the morning, and I worked it again with those two massive nymphs.  A good 18+ inch brown ate the pheasant tail here and put up quite a fight.  It was just a beautiful fish too.  At the time, I was sure it was wild based on colors and the vibrant blue eye spot, but looking closely at the pics, she may have been a long, long time holdover.  That said, I have caught other wild fish here that have that “German brown” look to them like this one, and she fought like a wild fish, so we can call it inconclusive.  I am not mad at her either way.  

Strong and beautiful fish during bonus round.

Mostly small wild browns, but no stocked rainbows today, so that was something positive, I guess.  Of course, I would have been pining for one or two if the browns were being dicks!  I continued to have high hopes that I might find a few more adult fish to end the day, and I did wade into a couple spots that I skipped in the morning as I waited for safer flows.  In one case, the wading did not pay off.  A favorite spot was dead, but one other run delivered on another 10-incher as well as only the second fish over 12 inches for the morning.  It was another looker and healthy fighter that ended up being my last fish of the morning.  The sun was getting hot now that the fog was gone, but a little breeze extended my fishing until about noon before I decided to call it a day.  I debated taking a walk back to one run that usually produces, especially now that flows and water clarity were converging in a positive way, but I figured the bonus window I had just experience, including a very nice little pig, was probably enough for today.  I will keep an eye on a few more NEPA cricks that I have not visited in a good while.  There may be at least one or two June trips in me before summer mode commences in earnest.

More shots of the best of the morning and b reel.