March 11, 2026 – I Guess This Is My Annual "Fish Live in Water" Post? – SEPA

A little off and cold still.

I am no stranger to jumping the gun, and it’s hard not to when air temperatures are getting into the 80s, but I got too excited today.  I could have chased stockers or fished a smaller creek close to home with predictable flows and water temperature, or joined the midge and early BWO chasers on Valley or Saucon.  But I got too excited.  It’s the first time I have had a spring break in over 4 years.  Not that I was off all week like when I was faculty, but I had no students to advise this week, so I had days to burn.  Looking at this blog, I often took my first trip to Central PA during this week each year.  Spring Creek olives are pretty predictable, (Big) Fishing Creek a bit more dependent on the lack of snow melt.  I did not have that kind of time today or this week really, but I did want to see one of my favorite creeks an hour from home, at least.  The good and bad thing about having this blog for the last 10 years is that I knew to approach this morning with low expectations.  In two weeks’ time, this creek and its sometimes-dickish wild browns will be ready.  I have the text and pictures in the archives to prove it to myself.  Today, I had to be content with Karen’s northern cousin, who ate a perdigon and gave me a short but lively tussle on a 3 weight.  Since the water was dirty and deep, for 15 seconds I was ready to net my first decent brown of the month.  Too excited.  I did honor him with the "hand with fish shot" as if he was the intended quarry.  The trouts were quiet.  The water was really cold, so even some hatching midges did not get them interested today.  The afternoon may have been slightly better, but the color of crick did not convince me to stay.  Somewhere upstream, snow and ice was melting.  Should have gone to Valley 😜

On the mouth with an 18 perdigon, of course!

I blame Larry, really.  We briefly discussed meeting up today.  In one text, he mentioned chasing redhorse suckers in a local warmwater crick near his house.  Because we did not meet up, I did not take the day off, just flexed the morning hours to allow for some mental health time and aerobic activity.  I marked a spring break with a couple fishing trips, but I did not burn PTO on suckers.  Like on Sunday, I was confronted by some new trees and obstacles to conquer to get into the spots, but that is good intel when the real fishing days begin.  We also had our second meeting about the Mayfly Project this evening and got a lot more information, so it was a fishy week if not a fish-catching week.  I take the boy back to school on Sunday, but with three freshmen in the car with me, I am not sure I can fit any gear in the ‘Ru.  Pocket Fisherman?

March 8, 2026 – A Springlike Reprieve from the Long Winter Still in Progress – SEPA

Caught some wild trouts.

We may finally be turning the corner with this more sustained climb into the 60’s and 70’s.  I am not putting away the snow shovels just yet, but I did spend some time in the garage on Saturday prepping my fishing stuff for spring, and I even took a trip on Sunday morning that netted me four wild trout in a really pretty place.  There was some new wood in a honey hole, which made for an interesting approach to the spot, but it had to be done.  This creek was locked in ice just a couple weeks ago, so I knew the fish had retreated to the deep holes.  This one particular hole is over 5 feet deep, I bet, so an interesting challenge when fish are pecky in 40-degree water temperatures.  If they were stacked down there in the depths, they stayed stacked way down there on the bottom.  I did get one to take a bugger on the fall before resorting to dredging up the remainder of my catch from the depths with a big stonefly or heavy perdigon and a bobber.  I was hoping some fish would rise up off the bottom to take midges, and early black stones were crawling out, which prompted at least two rises to struggling adults, but nothing really developed in the time I was on the water.  It was all good.  I had to quit around noon today anyway. 

Skinny from a tough winter, but the snow is nearly gone and bugs are hatching.

I started early in the fog and did not see another fisherman until I was walking out around 11:45 AM.  I had the first shift to myself, and I hope he had the second to himself.  Honestly, this is the kind of spot where I keep rolling if I see another car in the lot, but some dudes don’t care, I guess, or maybe wouldn’t know where else to go after driving a distance.  I just wanted to catch some fish, so I put a time limit on my outing and was happy with a handful. The boy is home for spring break, so we had plans with my mom later in the afternoon.  My students are off this week too, so I may have to get sick on Tuesday or Wednesday before the weather turns and the chill returns.  I am due for an adventure, and it’s been since Eric and I fished early in January that I have caught a real, adult fish.  Not only am I due for an adventure, but I am just plain due, I guess.  I am working and have a couple meetings on Tuesday, and even an all-day symposium on Friday, but Wednesday is looking promising on all fronts, at least early in the day, which I prefer anyway. 

A tough winter sent some new wood into the wintering hole, but flowers and bees are back.

The boys were out or at least thinking about the near future.  Ward texted early in the morning to tell me these mornings make him remember Opening Days of yore.  Pete was itching to get after some walleye.  The group chat had some fish and nature pics from Josh and company.  Larry sent some flowers, which made me notice bees all over the crocus popping up in my own beds and lawn.  Robins have been around for at least a week, maybe longer in pre-mating and therefore quieter stealth mode.  Snow piles are still melting, and you may even notice some residual snow in my crick pics from today.  The shady sides of the hills may take a bit longer yet.  We need rain, but flows were decent today, decent enough that I may try a bigger crick next time.  I do have a second meeting with the Mayfly Project crew on Wednesday night, however, so Wednesday's trip might just be another SEPA excursion, maybe a NEPA one, but probably not a trip chasing olives in Central PA, not yet anyway.

Pretty morning in a pretty spot.