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.