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?