September 22, 2022 – A Transitional Day on at Least a Couple Fronts – Northampton County

Another whimper of rain.

Once again, the rain had little impact, at least closer to home.  I had the day to fish, however, so I took a relatively short drive and fished a smaller limestoner.  The gage on a nearby creek had come up about 10 CFS for a blip, which confirmed what TV’s Sue Serio was saying about some rain in the Lehigh Valley.  It was still sunny, hot, and humid at home, so I did not even get the urge to leave until about 9 AM, and I decided to wet wade.  Water temps were good when I arrived before 10 AM, and the rain arrived shortly after.  I bet it showered for about two hours, the majority of my time on the creek, but the only stain came from a couple rivulets that must empty the streets.  It was wet wading weather while the front was still hanging around, but I could feel it cool off by noon when I was fixing to quit.  The wind also picked up, which dried out my wet clothes but also made me a little chilly!  Fishing was slow.  Somehow, I found two rainbows in a deep, spring fed hole.  I only catch rainbows here when the browns are being difficult.  I did catch 3 average wild browns too.  The rainbows ate a black micro-bugger during the rain, but I could not even move a brown with one.  They all took a purple hot spot frenchie in pocket water.  Like many of them, the creek was so low!  We need one of those hurricanes—well, the remnants of one with no winds—to sit over us for a couple days even to approach a recovery of flows.  I fished through a cold front on the final day of summer and caught some fish in that pressure and seasonal transition period, but it would be nice to have an easy, silly one in the not-too-distant future…

September 15, 2022 – Good to be Back on a Lovely Day… for Humans – Brodhead Creek

This plumper faired well this summer!

I guess the recon theme continues here.  I have not been to the Brodhead since June because July was really hot, and then August had nearly zero rain, and that does not make for fishable conditions on a freestoner.  Tell that to the former owners of all the flies, lures, and mono in the trees, as it was clear that not everyone stayed away this summer.  The Brodhead is a tough river, and so the fish are even tougher, but low flows and warmth are always concerning, regardless of the crick, and especially on a freestone crick.  The sight of at least ten mergansers hunting in a pack this morning did not allay those concerns.  Thankfully, I caught some fish today, even a rainbow that hit a bugger.  If a stocked bow can make it through the tough times, I am confident that those wild browns were inconvenienced for the summer but found a way, as they almost always do.  The best wild fish was only 13 inches, but that is not surprising this time of year, when dinks tend to dominate.  It was a 13-inch river fish, so fat and strong and fun to fight even on my 10’6” 4 weight rod.  I also started fishing after 8 AM in high sun, just before a dry cold front came through with some wind, so a better fishing day might have meant even better results.  I was just glad to be out there on bigger water, and in daylight not predawn light, after a long, hot summer of below average fish on small water.  A breeze, some low humidity, the nature show, and maybe 7 willing fishes all made for an enjoyable outing. It was good to be back.

Meat eating bow, meat eating birds, pretty river.

This was probably the last day this week to reap some benefit from the previous rain.  The creek was around 100 CFS, which is good for fishing and getting around, but to give you some perspective, the flows can be on average in the low 20s and even teens this time of the year.  There was probably more stain yesterday, but there was enough cover in the deeper runs this morning, and many if not all the active fish were in shallow riffles and pockets if I recall correctly.  During the rather fishless August for me, I was messing around with another wading staff configuration that I saw dude on the Troutbitten YouTube channel describe.  I happened to have a few light, cheap, and pretty expendable poles I found in my dad’s shed that fit the bill.  It actually worked out pretty well compared to my old system, although I am not used to walking with the stick in my hand between holes.  I really didn’t need a staff today, as I was prepared with felt and studded boots, but it was good to give it a go in easy conditions.  I also could have gotten away with my 10’ 3 weight rod in these flows and the average late summer fish that cooperate in the daytime, but it is good to get that longer, heavier rod in my hand too before the fall begins in earnest.

More wild trouts on the small CDC soft hackle.

I started out tossing a big jigged bugger, and I moved two rainbows before sticking a third.  I worked through a stretch of creek with the bugger, but when I realized it was after 9 AM, and I only had the one fish to show for this effort, I switched to nymphing a large bug with a tiny soft hackle on the dropper.  Nothing ate the size 10 pheasant tail, and nothing ate the golden stone either, even though I saw some stonefly cases on the rocks.  However, the size 16 CDC tag fly was the right call.  I caught at least 6 more fish, all wild browns, once I tied on that bug.  I used a smaller anchor fly in some shallow spots too.  I broke off one decent fish on 5X and a 16 bomb walts in a favorite run of pocket water, and that was the only confirmed eat of a fly besides the little soft hackle.  I may have set the hook too hard, not used to using the 4 weight, but it was more likely a crappy knot on the anchor because it came back with the telltale squiggle.  By 11 AM, it was feeling like it was over.  That did not stop me from taking a walk to a favorite deep run, perhaps just to see how it had faired.  In general, the creek looked good, but I did encounter at least three trees smack dab in the honey holes.  One I could work around and landed a fish from anyway, but I am hoping the next flooding rain pushes the other two out of the way and doesn’t leave all the bug eating limbs behind.  The last run looked incredible, but I could not get an eat in that hour from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, even in the shade of some steep banks.  

Close up of the best fish.

I may have had a bump or two when I popped on an indicator to reach across some current to the far seam, but they may have been little fish pecking at little bugs.  They were faster than me, out of practice with a bobber and with this bigger water rod.  For a late start in late summer, I was happy to catch some fish and happier to be back on my home away from home waters.  The wading staff thing is workable, perhaps better than my holstered collapsible option for situations when I am going to be using it a lot, Eric’s big buggers still catch, and my long rod is anxious to get started on meat eating pre-spawn brownies.  We just need more rain!  With seven or eight more dry, hot days in the forecast, the Brodhead will return to less than mighty in no time.  At least it may stay cooler now?

September 12, 2022 – Small Stream Sneaking in the Stained Water – Berks County

A few decent small stream fish in the mix.

I decided to do a little recon on a creek I have not fished since the late fall of 2021.  It is stocked a few times in the spring, but it also has a decent population of wild fish that begin to dominate the scene again once the interlopers are eaten or go belly up.  After this warm and exceptionally dry summer, I expected to catch the variety of rough fish that I did, and I was also not surprised that only one holdover ended up in the net.  I usually fish this creek in the late fall and winter, but I guess I needed a change from the Lehigh Valley limestoners on my summer list.  It was probably a bit premature, as the water temperatures on this mostly freestone creek were in the mid-60’s today.  The last round of slow, steady rain added a bit a volume, and plenty of small seeps and rivulets were adding cool water, but I could tell the creek had been low by the amount of vegetation on the banks.  Had the water temps been a bit cooler to start, I think my plan would have been great, but in the end I had to return to the usual small bug script to put together a decent tally.   It was humid as heck, and even wet wading it was not the most comfortable morning to fish, even if the woods turned lush and lovely overnight from just a little bit of that much needed rain.

Mostly stained but certainly not high + mid-60's not magical temps.

I arrived with a small black bugger on the anchor and an SJ worm on the dropper, but I had an inkling that would not be the ticket when I saw the creek.  The water was stained in the deeper holes, muddy in the muddier spots, but the riffles were clearing.  I had two big old chubs eat the bugger, and I saw two decent trout take a look, but it appeared that the streamer bite was not going to happen.  I stuck with it a while because I could cover a lot of creek, and this was partially a recon trip, but eventually I wanted to catch a trout.  I rigged with 5.5X, a 16 frenchie with a purple hot spot, and one of Eric’s buggy little tag flies on the dropper.  Once I did that, I had a steady pick of fish for the rest of my upstream walk.  Most of them were fallfish, creek chubs, and dace of all sizes.  They loved Eric’s bug, and only one trout ate it, so I eventually clipped it off.  The honey holes were disappointing, maybe because of the stain and lower oxygen levels, but pocket water produced enough to make it a fun, albeit swampy trip.  There were no bugs present, not even midges, and so many fry that I know I will toss a bugger again next time too.  Although, there are caddis in October, so that might be a moot point by my next visit.

Lush and lovely, one holdover, uber-chubs dominated.

The first trout I landed was a pretty fish, but it had no eye spot and fused patterns, so just a small holdover brown that no one wanted to eat, I guess.  After that, I did catch at least half a dozen YOY and another 4 or 5 smalls before putting together a handful of small-stream-respectable fish too.  In the spirit of recon, I walked deeper into the stretch than I usually do.   I guess I usually don’t have to cover as much ground in order to put together a satisfactory catch, but it was good to visit some of the holes I rarely visit.  There are some good ones that I must remember for the winter!  The last real fish came around 12 noon.  I was in the shade and wet wading, but I could tell it was hot out of the canopy.  I did not recall the forecast calling for 85 degrees, but that was what it was saying on my dash when I started my ride home.  Another front coming through on Monday might bring rain.  At the very least, it is supposed to end the humidity.  I may check the gages in the morning, but I think I will probably wait until Thursday or Friday to get out again.  Instead of getting excited about warm rain, I am hoping a few more cool nights might make an even bigger difference.

Eventually a good number of pretty wild browns on small bugs.

September 9, 2022 – First Good Fish in a While and a Handful More - Northampton County Limestoner

Stirred not shaken...

I fished from 8:30 AM until about 12:30 PM today on a stretch of a favorite creek that I have not visited since June, I bet.  Despite the persistence of low water, I think we have turned the corner on water temps, at least.  Even at noon, I took two measurements under 60 degrees today, which probably means not all the rainwater ran right off.  The longer, cooler nights help too, I am sure.  I have fished this creek at different spots a few times this summer because the water temperatures can stay good in certain areas, and I even had a nice 16-inch fish during that hot July, but I stayed out of the areas more prone to low water and warmer water.  I also fished that predawn to 9:30 AM shift a lot, which gets old about this time each season!  The creek has tricos, and as I sagely prognosticated on Wednesday, they are not quite done yet, just delayed a day or two by the last storm.  Small bugs were the ticket.  Actually, I had one spot in mind to fish with a micro-bugger when I arrived, but that did not last long when I saw how clear the creek was.  I knew it had been extremely low, and it did not spike all that much after the rain earlier this week, but I did not expect gin clear again.  Well, it was not primo-gin clear, more like Banker’s Club in a plastic handle clear, or dirty martini clear, but not much help with spooky wild fish….  In the first 40 minutes, all I could muster was a holdover rainbow, and that was after rigging up with 6X and those small bugs.

Eric said I was due for one.

I dropped the boy off at school around 7:05 AM, and I had an hour ride to this creek, so it was not all that early when I arrived—again, I thought I might have just a smidge more stain and could catch a break from that summer early shift nonsense.  The sun was bright and the tricos were swarming.  I nearly targeted one steady riser but opted to try and get him to eat an 18 perdigon instead because I did not want re-rig yet again after having just clipped off the 4X and the little bugger not 15 minutes prior.  He did not eat, and he started going again once I passed, but I had my eye on some pocket water still in deep morning shade instead.  I took a minute to add the perdigon to the dropper and used a 16 frenchie with a purple hot spot on the anchor, and I finally notched the first of my four rainbows in a deep braided run.  This fish was fat, but it did look like it had had a rough summer.  As the photos below show from a historically deeper and cooler spot I fished later in the morning, not all the bows struggled so much.  Nevertheless, I was glad to be on the board and now had confidence that I could get at least a couple more trout to eat small bugs in braided and pocket water that would cover my approach.

Tough summer for #1, tiny bugs.

I was concentrating on “rainbow water,” but at this time of year, for active fish at least, rainbow water can be brown trout water too.  The great fish I caught next had its head right in the plunge of whitewater, not in the soft pocket near the plunge where I have notched at least three pigs in the past.  I was happy to see him, but I was a bit alarmed that he took the perdigon dropper in like 12 inches of water and was dragging the frenchie on the anchor through all the late summer algae.  He definitely managed to pick up some salad when he made the first downstream run, but I was able to keep him out of rocks and other debris long enough to get a net under him.  It was a beautiful fish!  I only did a hand measure, but I am confident that it was over 18 inches with a healthy girth too.  He was obviously made of tougher, better-suited genetic stuff than that first rainbow, and some of the rainbows in this creek can get damn near wild—or maybe even wild, as I caught a possibly sublegal fish later in the day that was either wild or Trout in the Classroom planting or something.  Because this solid brown trout was in rather shallow water, it was quite the battle on 6X and my 3-weight rod.  I took it easy on both of us.  I let him run and went after him using that light tippet instead of trying to train him to stay in front of me. He only jumped one time when first hooked, but in the good water temps, it was a fun fight that covered at least 30 feet of crick before I got the net under him for a brief photoshoot and release.

Small bug, big fish, freelance dam builders, as if this creek needs more of those!

A couple other similar spots were disappointing, but I did manage another decent wild brown at the end of this first beat.  For this last run and hole, I had clipped off the perdigon dropper in order to fish just one bug, the size 16 frenchie.  With the light tippet and the single, sparse nymph, I was able to get deep enough to stick another pretty wild fish, this one in the 12-inch range.  I was hoping for more here, at least one more, but I could not buy another hit.  I even floated the sighter to fish the back of the deep run and tried a small indicator and some patience too.  It was about 11 AM and getting hot when not in the shade, so I took another water temperature reading—58 degrees here!  Instead of going home, I decided to walk back to the ‘Ru, lose a layer, refill the water bottle, and try one more spot with deep cold water.  After a short ride and a handful of almonds for some calories to ward off the midmorning stumbles, I headed right to a deep hole under a bridge, hoping for a flurry of holdover bows before calling it a day.  Surprisingly, no one was home or at least cooperative at this honey hole, but there is a trusty waterfall (in general, a structure whose days are numbered along this watershed, although someone decided to make their own lowhead dam in protest?!) at the end of this particular stretch too.

A couple shots of the only other brown.

I had to do the old cast 50 feet with a mono rig and a bobber and a single frenchie in order to land another three fish before I decided to quit.  A couple fish were rising here, and I believe I got at least one to eat my ugly but stealthy presentation.  It was very apparent here just how clear the water was, as I could see at least six feet deep, maybe more.  The water here when I quit was also under 60 degrees, but the summer was also kinder to the rainbows here even before this cool down and most recent rain.  Two of the fish had great colors and good fin regrowth, and I even landed one that was likely sublegal size or just at 7 inches.  I learned recently that TU’s Trout in the Classroom program (TIC) switched from brookies to rainbows, so that is one possibility I did not do much research about.  There is also the slight possibility that some natural reproduction happens here.  And then there is the possibility that someone is stocking fingerlings or something.  Never say never on this creek, I have learned over the many years I have fished it.  

Much healthier bows, clear cold water, TIC or wild or barely legal?

There was a good breeze, and that was sending a 59 degree mist my way, but the sun was hot and the fish had pretty much stopped rising or showing themselves in the depths.  I figured three fish at this last spot was worth the drive and the short walk to investigate.  Downstream of this deep hole or two, there was nothing but mostly sandy, clear, shallow water.  In high sun, even with a dry dropper or something stealthier, I was convinced it was over.  I had been fishing on bonus time since 10 AM by my estimation, anyway, so I packed it in and enjoyed a ride home with the windows down.  Glad I stuck with the plan even if I didn’t arrive at prime time or to prime conditions.  More rain is expected next week, starting Sunday, in fact, so here’s hoping September keeps moving in this positive new direction.

A couple bonus shots.  Piggie and smallsie.

September 7, 2022 – Huge Spike of Rain Came and Went but the Stain Remained -Northampton County Limestoner

A pig for today, a bugger eater too.

If there was a good timing for a streamer window after this long-awaited deluge, I personally did not get the timing right.  I saw Valley spiked at around 1000 CFS, and it had been under 15 CFS (!) for a month, but it was still too high at 200 CFS when I checked yesterday afternoon.  It was the first day of school for the boy, anyway, so I was just curious not really entertaining the option of heading out.  Flooding rain this time of year can also make the water temperatures go up not down, so that was another reason to wait it out a day.  I figured I could have good nymphing today, especially if the lighter rain continued over the night as forecasted, but those bands did not really roll back in until this afternoon when I was driving home.  I guess this also means I might have good nymphing tomorrow morning too, but I have a couple things to take care of, so I am not sure if I will get out.  I did, however, give it a go today on a creek without a gage.  I was hoping it was still up a bit more since this one has been really low, but that was not the case.  After the month we’ve had, I was not mad at the stain in the water, which even allowed me to pick up a few on a small, jigged bugger after I grew tired of the one- and two-year-olds eating my small bugs in pocket water.  I ran into one other guy who said it was a dinkfest for him and, with the exception of one or two fish, that was pretty much what I had as well.  Still, it was a fun three hours on a creek I have not fished since maybe June.  And all those dinks are a good sign for the future.

Not high but stained, a lot of smalls and YOY (not pictured!).

I drove the boy and a buddy to school this morning, so I was up early, but I did not have the energy or desire to pack up for fishing until after my second cup of coffee around 9:30 AM.  I knew the water would be cool, and the clouds and drizzle would help my cause.  I did not see any notable bug activity, but I may have been late for any remaining trico action or, more likely, the rainy weather put that waning hatch off for a couple days.  For the first 30 minutes, I fished some good water with a size 16 frenchie and a dark perdigon on the dropper, and surprisingly I had maybe two tentative bumps.  It took that long to realize that the other fly guy was ahead of me!  The brush and grass had not been cut back in months here, the light was low, and he was in a camo hoodie, so I did not see him when I looked around before starting my morning, and the only car in the lot appeared to belong to an elderly woman out for a stroll—or so I thought.  No biggie, but at least it made me feel better about not even getting bounced.  They were all small fish, and many YOY, but this other guy divulged that fish were eating the first time through.  Even this fella here who fished “used water” for 30 years from the back of a bass boat is not that good on a pressured SEPA limestoner!  After I apologized for not seeing him, dude and I chatted a bit more and figured out a workable plan.  He was almost done his morning, so I gave him space and took a longer walk upstream to fish some pocket water he had not intended to fish today.  I did return to this first stretch before going home today, and my best fish and couple other average fish took the micro-bugger even in brighter conditions and after two guys had fished through—thank goodness for some stain, you know!?

A couple other young adults.

Actually, the best fish of the day, maybe a hair over 12 inches but thick and healthy, came from a reliable spot in this first stretch.  It is just nondescript and perhaps difficult enough to discourage many fishermen from trying it.  As a result, I would say I land a decent fish from this lair at least 75 percent of the time.  After the dink fest, I needed this one, so I made a special trip back to this little spot just before quitting time.  Before that, I worked some favorite holes for a steady pick of YOY, smalls, and even a couple sunfish in a (sometimes) big fish eddy.  I did pick up at least one 8 incher and another pushing 11 in the pocket water, but it was hardly on fire.  Not one fish ate the perdigon, which I should have swapped for a reliable walts or something, but since the hot spot frenchie in both gold and purple were doing the trick, I just soldiered on with the perdigon doing little more than providing the right weight for the small bugs on 6X tippet to get down but not buried in the moss and algae.  Because the stain persisted, my last move was to put on one of Eric’s jigged micro-buggers on 4X and go back and fish a few deeper spots on my walk back to the potential honey hole.  I hooked an average or two on the bugger, and moved a handful of smalls, so even though it was close to noon by now, I kept the faith.  Not a huge fish by any means, but the secret spot did pay off when my only respectable fish of the day clobbered the bugger on the fall.  I figured that was about as good as it was going to get today, and it was not like I was there at prime time, stain or no stain, so I headed for home a little after releasing this one.  If not Thursday, then Friday—I feel like I have to take advantage of the residual rain and these cooler temps at least once more this week.