March 19, 2020 – Messing Around with a Mono Rig and Landing a Mess of Little Fish – SEPA

Many fish in a short window, but this was a good one for today.

I believe it was a week ago today that we all started working from home, and we have at least another full week to go—at least.  My classes will be solely online until May, through the end of the semester, in other words, and I have a feeling the soft deadline of March 30 for the boy’s school is very soft.  Everyone is healthy in my immediate family, and Tami and I are still employed, so I really have no major complaints, though.  I am trying to stay grateful and positive.  Sure, it takes a little longer to do my classwork and my grading solely online, and it is an inconvenience to have Tami and the boy home in my usually quiet, often unstructured home office.  That said, I know two of my friends are laid off or furloughed already, and a couple others expect that any day now.   Like I said, grateful.  We have had a lot of fun too.  The boy and I have taken a few long hikes, flew a radio controlled X-Wing fighter, and Tami and I have come up with at least one silly, sometimes ridiculous, thing to do as a family each evening, whether that is puppet shows, or scooter rides around the neighborhood, a kazoo concert, ice cream sundae bar.  I had not been fishing since Tom and I snuck out on Saturday, but with the overnight rain, I was watching the gages for a window and was fortunate enough to get out for about 3 hours this afternoon. 

Muddy water, pretty browns.

It was a day for blue winged olives at Valley, so it was a pretty crowded afternoon.  With many people off, and mild days, and bugs, I pretty much assumed that at least a half a dozen visitors would be present at any given stretch.  I was not wrong.  In fact, I counted over 10 fly fishermen in my short window.  I really didn’t care.  I was looking to catch a couple fish while the boy did his schoolwork online and Tami made some phone calls and napped.  What I was really hoping to do was test out my mono rig formula.  I was playing around in the garage earlier in the week and tied up a mono rig on my nymphing rod.  You can Google Euro nymphing mono rig and probably find videos, even diagrams.  Orvis and others now sell one for 12 bucks.  I winged it, perhaps going on memory from the first George Daniel book, but since I caught at least 20 trout on my rig today, I would say I got most of it right.  I probably should have thrown a streamer, as flows were around 80 CFS and rapidly falling, but I figured that it is not everyday that I can nymph so close to Valley fish and not spook them.  Today was a good day to test the mono rig and expect to be bounced plenty.

A few Valley-decent fish in the mix, most on a hot spot pt jig or a sexy walts, both size 16 to 18.

The majority of the fish I caught in the first hour were very small, sitting in the softer spots close to riffles.  As the creek started to clear, and olives and midges started coming out in some numbers, I began creeping up in size and fishing deeper and bouncier water.   The best two were under 12 inches but not by much.  I would estimate that I landed over 20 fish if I counted every trout, but only 6 of them were over 8 inches long!  If I had been throwing a streamer, I may have caught 5 decent ones and been lucky to get one really nice one, maybe, but I had a plan in my head to fish the mono rig, and so it was a quantity not quality mindset, I suppose.  I am a believer, and I will be working on my leader formula a little more, or I may break down and buy one the next time I need to order tippet.  The sensitivity is pretty impressive.  A couple times, I felt little ones rat-tat-tat like I was 12 and fishing a meal work on 2 lb test.  I will probably give the rig a shot on a creek with a larger average size fish tomorrow morning before the thunderstorms arrive.  This was a good trial run, however, and it was good to get out.

March 14, 2020 – Third Time Was the Charm for Me – SEPA Blueline

A tough but sometimes rewarding (I'd heard) little SEPA anomaly.

Tom and I picked a challenging day to visit a little SEPA trickle that has wild reproduction but is already pretty technical fishing on a good day.  Low water, high sun, breezy, but we eventually saw bugs and fish.  Much like our Thursday marathon, we spooked more trout than we caught, but unlike the last two times I crawled around this place with him, one of us actually landed a decent small stream fish—and it was me this time, while skittering a caddis dry fly too!  It was just an impromptu thing.  He texted me in the evening yesterday saying he was thinking about giving the creek a shot on Saturday afternoon.  I said I would touch base in the morning, and we both ended up having a window around 1:30 or 2 PM.  I got plenty of woods time in today, having taken a long walk with the boy along the Wissy in the morning.  It was a cooler, dryer day, but still mild for this time of year.  Tom and I didn’t expect much when we saw the low flows, but we decided to target a couple holes we know are often occupied with wild fish.  Tom has landed several, just not with me present.  Like I mentioned, I saw enough of them to know he was not lying, but I had never hooked one until this afternoon.  After the spots produced nothing but three chubs, we explored more of the creek, recon for the future, but were lucky enough to spot a small group of fish that we had not disturbed.  They were in flat water, but it was deep enough that we could crouch and not be seen—which is not often the case here.  Tom tried to drift a couple bugs on an indicator down to them.  The first time, nothing happened, so he made a second cast that landed closer to them, and one of them came up like a brook trout and popped his tiny thingamabobber!  He got excited, set the hook, and ended up with an epic tangle that can only happen on a small, tight stream. 

On a skittering dry fly after all that sneaking.

Me, I was so sympathetic to his plight that I was already tying on a deer hair caddis to float over them….  My second cast was pretty spot on, and then I also extended the drift by gently shaking out a few feet of line.  A big fish, like 14 inches, slowly rose behind the dry and even turned and followed it downstream.  It was not what he wanted, but he was hungry.  When my line was about to straighten out and drag, I decided to see if skittering the bug across the surface would get him to take.  Instead, a smaller competitor who had given this one space to look and refuse said, I will take that!  Tom and I watched it happen in clear water, and I giggled the fish all the way into the net for a photo and release.  We put them down, so to rest them we took an exploratory walk upstream, but when we returned, we could see a riser further downstream in the same hole.  Tom’s turn to creep.  He even climbed out on a down tree in order to get some room for a backcast.  Good cast, fish rose, and he landed a chub!  On that note we called it good, just content that I now have first-hand knowledge of wild browns in this little suburban sanctuary.

March 12, 2020 – From SGLs to Posted Signs to Keystone Select – NEPA

A fool's errand, but an enjoyable, aerobic one.

The Silver Fox and I took a full-day tour of some of my old and current stomping grounds in the Poconos.  Without accounting for low flows due to zero snow melt this winter, I suppose, the plan was to search a couple spots in State Game Lands for wild browns and brook trout.  Tom loves small stream fishing, and he has shared a couple of his trickles with me, so today the plan was for me to march him through at least two of my old favorites.  We ended up getting in an enjoyable and aerobic hike, as this first spot is mostly a steady climb uphill in a gorge buffeted on each side with rhododendron and rocky peaks. 

Looked like the spot....

The flow looked a little low, but I was encouraged that I caught a little four-incher at the first spot we stopped for a breather.  Until you get into the headwaters, this creek involves fishing for skittish wild brown trout in brook trout water, so it is not easy unless you get some help from a caddis hatch and/or good flows.  One gets them in the current picking off nymphs, so you have some cover, the other just plain covers the sound and sight of your approach—maybe even allows you to skitter a dry….  We had clouds, even a brief sleet shower, to shield us a bit today, but the flows were just too low for this early in the spring/late in the winter.

The brookie version of browns.

When we arrived in a prime stretch and fishing was slow, I was worried that my little spot had fallen into decline, but eventually we began spooking more fish, probably a couple dozen of them in the end, set up in shallow tailouts waiting for bugs that never showed.  We landed a few beautiful little wild browns, but fishing was not good enough to commit to the second creek I had in mind, also an uphill hike.  When decision time came for a move, we instead hiked downstream from the spot where we entered the woods to a couple holes where I have had success in the past.  It’s been at least four years, maybe more since I have been here, but the two holes were still intact.  We caught one little one in a hole that should have held the best of the day before we spooked the others, and we surprised another fish in the second hole even before having to reach in for snags.  Because of postings, fresh ones (more on that below), we could go no further downstream.  It was 2 PM by then, anyway, and we were close to the ‘Ru, at least in distance not altitude (!), so I pitched something different for round two: very freshly stocked, like one day in the water, Keystone Select monsters in Stroudsburg.  

Something completely different.

Because of a long detour, we ended up crossing over the Mighty Brodhead up by one of my favorite stretches.  Fishing is off limits in the general regulation sections across the state, but Tom humored me for a walk to see firsthand if there were any changes to a spate of postings that went up last year.  Because of the rain last year, I didn’t fish this part of the creek much last summer and fall when it was all going down, and when I fished the creek with Jay late in the fall of 2019, we steered clear of this section except for an inconclusive drive-by.  Well, I had heard rumors that folks like local guides and the TU chapter were trying work with the landowner to keep open a section that has been open to fishing for as long as I can remember.  Your may recall that I have fished this creek since the late 80s!  Our walk confirmed that a lot more work needs to be done, unfortunately.  It took a while to shake off the disappointment, though I was prepared for what I found.

Alive!  Alive!

When we rolled up to the lot for the DHALO stretch of McMichaels, there were 5 or 6 vehicles there and a few fishermen visible from the road when I took a reconnaissance drive downstream.  So be it, we thought.  Recently stocked trout, so it was to be expected, and the usual decorum about space would be relaxed too.  We just decided to rig up and find an unoccupied or recently vacated hole or two.  The first run with any depth came up empty, but we saw a spinner guy downstream in a deep hole lose a big fish.  When the deep hole ahead of us cleared, we worked in and found a decent rainbow.  Not long after, I drug a big bug, a size 12 hot spot jig, near the sweet spot of the hole and got to tangle with my first of two Keystone Select delegates.  This one was a really quality looking brown of at least 18 inches with nice fins and colors, not your average brood stock released after the prime of life. 

A net meant for brook trout...

I had been giving Tom first shot or his choice of water (head of run, tail of run) but I really concentrated on letting him lead after that.  Fish were barely hitting, and the drastic changes in depth meant making a lot of tedious adjustments in order to hit one on the head and make it eat.  I call it ugly fishing: dragging attractors through deep, muddy holes in cold water, but then again, I had caught a big brown.  I wanted Tom to get one, ugly fishing or not.  He missed a couple and saw me miss a couple, but when I left him alone during the last 20 minutes of fishing, he landed 2.5 (one broke him off) without me coaching or watching—I did see one clear the water with an impressive leap from my vantage point downstream.  I didn’t quit fishing, just gave him space in a good hole that had active fish.  I went down to fish the deep, flat hole by the parking lot, looking for another one of those delegates.  I found one, this time a rainbow over 20 inches.   Ugly fishing, but it is still fun to mess with two outsized trout in an afternoon.  She went back healthy, and so did the brown, so maybe a kid or someone new to the sport will also get a momentary thrill.  For us, it turned the page after a rougher, tougher morning chapter.

And even bigger.

It would have been equally fun, perhaps more fun, to have Tom land one of them, but he was there with me for both, so we some had laughs, and I had a photographer for the second pig.  Same sentiment with the morning.  Few others would be so game for a fool’s errand on his day off.  Two 50-year-old dudes huffing up a mountainside to land 5 or 6 tiny wild fish in 45-degree weather with some beef sticks and canned lattes between us.  It was a good day to be oblivious to the world too, as COVID 19 finally triggered a state of emergency in my state and county.  Tami, Lukas, and I will be home for a minimum of two weeks, so I lost my home office just in time for the start of my next three classes.  I am fortunate and grateful that the nature of my job permits an online-only option, however, and my office away from home will be open if I need some sanity.  I ran into Eric in the neighborhood and talked about Sunday morning, and Tom texted about Saturday, so great minds think alike?

March 11, 2020 – Another Rare Afternoon Trip Made Rarer – Pickering Creek

One pretty fish away (for a minute) from the crowd.

There were 4 or 5 vehicles along the short DHALO stretch of the Pickering at 1 PM this afternoon, but I wasn’t in the mood to crouch Valley, which could also have crowds looking for olives.  Instead, I walked a good 500 yards downstream of the usual haunts to look for holdovers that got washed or willingly made their way down since the stocking in the fall.    I was secretly wishing for a wild brown too, since I found one last year in this general area, but that did not happen today.  I did, however, find a really nice holdover brown in a hole that should have held more.  She had great fins and colors but too many fused clusters of spots and no blue eye spot.  Still, it was fun while it lasted.  A nice guy who had never fished the creek must have seen me go downstream to avoid him and followed, thinking I knew some secret stash of spring stockies.  Poor fella.  He cast all over the pocket water I intended to sneak up through, so I was not surprised that I found nothing else here in sunny conditions and normal flows.  I was glad that I did not get pissed since he seemed relatively new to the game.  Instead, I offered some help on bugs and higher percentage water.

Clear with normal flows, plenty of bugs.

Little black stoneflies, larger midges, and black caddis were all present.  The brown took a CDC soft hackle jig with a purple hot spot, so she might have been enjoying the twin-propellered stoneflies.  I was rolling a walts worm on the anchor, but I caught nothing on that today.  By the time I reached the area where I parked again, the other dude had gone, perhaps to stockier pastures upstream.  It was plenty stocky where he had just vacated, however.  Those who read this blog a lot know I don’t fish the dry much, but since today was the second rare afternoon trip this week, and some porky rainbows began rising to the caddis, I had to give it a shot.  It was ugly, the rig not the fishing.  I tend to leave my nymphing leader on and just tie a long piece of 6X mono tippet to the tippet ring like a lazy, albeit cocky, mitch.  I did not have a lot of larger dries with me, and I didn’t even have an olive caddis, let alone a black one.    I tied on a deer hair caddis in about the right size.  It must have been one of Sam’s because it had some little touches, like a bit of shuck and a fancier hook with little to no barb on it too.  Needless to say, I was pretty excited when a 16-inch rainbow came up and ate my first drift over her.

Some porkers.

I would say during the next hour, waiting for rises and resting the pod after fighting a couple particularly rambunctious ones, I landed a total of five plump rainbows and dropped a couple others.  Maybe the three weeks since their February 27 stocking date were awfully kind to the new guys, but based on the white-tipped fins on most of them, I would guess that the fish looking up were the holdovers from the fall stocking.  I was surprised not to find another brown in the mix, but I don’t know if the TU guys stock browns in the fall, so maybe that further supports my theory?  Either way, I made a second rare late afternoon trip rarer by busting out my dirty dry fly game for a minute.  You know, the 10-foot 3 wt. Orvis Clearwater did not cast the dry all the badly either!  Like earlier this week, though with different bugs, the hatch petered out around 4 PM.   I was home for dinner and able to pack up in the daylight for a NEPA adventure with the Silver Fox tomorrow.

Many looked liked holdovers, and they liked the dry fly.

March 9, 2020 – Leisurely Fishing the Second Shift – Northampton County Limestoner

Not a day for olives, but they must be showing at times.

It was close to 70 degrees today, bright and sunny with a bit of a breeze.  Nice people weather, but maybe not fish weather.  With the changing of the clocks, I was not raring to go this morning, and I had to finish some reading, writing, and work for the upcoming week, but I was getting restless by 11 AM.  I talked to Tami on the phone around noon, and she too was feeling tired and rudderless.  My advice to her to just get out at lunchtime and take a walk helped me, too.  I started tinkering around in the garage debating whether to do a wader repair or start raking the lawn or something, but instead I started packing the ‘Ru for fishing.  The boy takes the late activities bus on Mondays, so I didn’t need to be home, and I rarely get to fish past 2:30 PM on a weekday.  I took a gamble that olives—or fish conditioned to look for olives since conditions weren’t great for much more than midges—would be active midday.  No food, one water bottle, and 4 hours later, I had put together a half-decent afternoon of fishing.

Normal flows, but a good tint.

I saw isolated olives and some larger midges, like size 18 or more, when I arrived.  Much smaller midges were everywhere.  The water in the channels had a good limestone tint, but not enough stain and particulates to make the sunshine really cloud it up.  It looked good, in other words, so I started nymphing a deep hole up to the head of the run, and twice hooked a monster.  I truly believe it was a sucker and that I had hooked his lazy self twice because he wouldn’t give up his lane.  Due to some overhanging trees, I had to keep the rod at a low angle that he could use to his advantage, but the size 18 walts really gained no purchase twice.  Thankfully, after that minor drama, I did land a nice 10- or 11-inch wild brown on my dropper, the same hot spot soft hackle jig I had been using last week to mimic the emerging olives.  I caught about 8 fish between this time and 4:30 PM when the bite just died, one more fish just before I decided to leave, and they were split evenly between the two small bugs.

A few decent small stream fish.

I was not shocked to see another car parked along this stretch when I arrived, but I didn’t run into the other fishermen until they were walking out—two young guys throwing spinners.  They were walking up from below me, so I was encouraged that no one had fished the pocket water upstream.  I did my best to sneak up through the creek, hoping not to spook up into the run fish set up in the tailout, and I guess I did a decent job.  I landed three trout and dropped one (more tree branches overhead) in this short run, and I landed a fourth in a slightly deeper depression in the riffles that feed the run.  Like last week with Sam, some fish were very shallow and on the edges of bouncier water—conditioned to wait for emerging olives, as I had hoped.  Most of the fish were deeper today, however, but not that deep.  It was not silly fishing, but I picked up two more, including a couple close to 12 inches long as I worked my way through the pocket water to the flat hole where I usually turn back. 

Bright.

I decided to try the deep hole where I began the afternoon, and I hooked some part of the large fish again, so I had now decided sucker for sure (man, I hope).  After that, I ventured downstream to fish some more pocket water, but I was worried that this was the area the other dudes had fished, two of them wading and disturbing.  I think my fears were confirmed, though the time of day could have had something to do with it, as I couldn’t buy even a hit.  I switched to smaller bugs because midges were still present but no more larger ones, no more olives either.  Even that proved useless until I had worked my way back to the sucker hole one last time.  Since it was close to the car, and I was mentally planning to leave for home, I gave the small bugs a shot.  I landed what I believe was my ninth fish here, still on the soft hackle dropper, though.  I couldn’t get to an even ten, but after a good 45 fishless minutes, I was happy to end on this high note.  It now stays light until nearly 7:30 PM, but with leafless trees and long shadows, the bite does seem to end much sooner than that.  I did appreciate the novelty of leisurely fishing at this time of the day, though.

March 5, 2020 – Well, Sam, That Did Not Suck! – Centre County Limestoners

A successful day not far from town but away from the crowds.

Based on the number of dudes fishing the dry fly or waiting to fish the dry fly, the olives have been showing regularly in Central Pennsylvania.  Unfortunately for me, the larger destination creeks (except for Penns, maybe, and even that was higher and apparently not fishing great today) were flowing just a bit too high today.  Good thing I know a guy who fishes the region a lot, often for money!  I met Sam at his place around 6:30 AM this morning, and we took our time figuring out a plan.  He texted me last night giving me an out, in case I had my heart set on one of the bigger creeks, but I knew that if he was fishing somewhere today, I was going to tag along.  We fished a couple spots off the worn path, but we spent most of the day hopping around often-reliable Spring Creek.  We caught some fish at each stop, but when the olives starting popping around lunch time, we put together a really nice day of fishing, with a good average size over 10 inches long and a big(ger) double for Sam.  I even fished from 4 until about 6 PM solo after dropping Sam off at home, so he could get ready for work.  While the fishing was not nearly as good and the fish decidedly smaller, I still landed at least 8 more before I packed it in for the long ride home.

Pretty fish from our first stop.

We started at a skinny tributary that I have fished with Sam a few times before.  It has several springs feeding it to charge it with impressive volume for a small creek.  With high sun and clear water, we spooked more than we caught, including a handful of quality fish, but we did catch some fish too.  I caught a pretty rainbow and a couple colored-up browns, and I lost a couple or miffed a hook set.  I was feeling tired to start after the long pre-dawn drive and spent some time reaching into the trees, even reaching both arms to the elbows into the water to save a more disastrous tumble.  Fish were eating if we didn’t spook them, however.  When Sam lead the charge upstream instead of me, he put together at least one nice run of 3 or 4 fish, and he landed at least 5 here.  As the water got even skinnier, we decided to hunt for some space along Spring Creek.  After wading this first creek, it felt like a vacation to wade the tamer limestoner.

Some nicer fish today.

There were trucks parked in many sidings and lots, and we saw a handful of dry fly prospectors as we drove along the creek, but with Sam’s local knowledge we found a productive open stretch to fish during the early afternoon olives hatches.  Before that, however, we pulled into a parking spot that is usually occupied and fished a short stretch of water that was too good to pass up.  It was here that Sam landed a double, and one of the fish was likely the biggest of the day, a plump 15- to 16-incher, I estimated, and the second fish wasn’t too shabby either.  He had one other nice fish eat and get off later in the day.  It is a pleasure to watch sometimes, especially after I have put up some numbers myself and am content!  He fishes a place like Spring Creek with an eye that not everyone possesses.  Part of it is knowledge and experience with the creeks in the region, of course—just as I often feel like I am stepping in my own boot prints, on a first name basis with fish, when I stroll around Valley—but he also has a good idea of how fish will act at any given time.  Today, he pulled some solid fish out of 6 inches of water, places I might once have skipped before I had the pleasure of fishing with Sam.  

More pretty fish.

After the leisurely stop for a double, and to allow me to catch a dink or two in shallow water with small bugs (small walts and olive imitations worked all day), we took another ride to look for open water.  Forgoing lunch for some jerky and cheese sticks and left-over coffee, we walked into a solid hatch of blue-winged olives that lasted at least 90 minutes, a 90-minute stretch of just exceptional fishing.  Spring Creek has the reputation of having plenty of small fish, but we maybe caught three under 10-inches during this window.  A couple were close to 14, and Sam hooked bigger, and all were plump, strong and beautiful.  I am always amazed with what a 12-inch wild fish can do with a bit of current in his or her favor, and a couple times I set the hook on a fish that moved only slightly more than soft snag—just solid, healthy fish!  

No monsters, but some strong, healthy fish.

We ran out of real estate, and Sam out of time, a bit before 2:30 PM.  He had to work at 4:30 PM and still needed to eat and shower before that, so we started for his place.  Along the way, Sam pointed out a couple stretches that I might want to try.  I was not planning to drive through Harrisburg in rush hour, so I had decided to fish until dark or until I was totally worn out.  By the time I got gas and a little food, there was a truck in the one spot I was hoping to fish, but I pulled in a ways below and fished some marginal water—though there was some recent stream improvements that may someday change that.  There were plenty of little fish, from 4 inches to 8 inches in the sandier, muckier holes, but I eventually landed a couple respectable fish as stream conditions improved.  By the time I reached the spot that Sam pointed out that really looked fishy, the other dude was packing up, so I got to see it anyway.  The best fish I caught along this stretch was about 10 inches, but the hatches had fizzled out and the fish were a bit deeper and less active.  Still, it was a lot more fun than driving home or walking College Ave or napping.  I was home by 9:30 PM and in bed by 10, leaving most of the clean-up and unpacking until morning.  Not having had the chance to get out to see Sam this past fall, today had me itching to find one more day this spring before he gets too busy!  I am glad he is busy, however.  Dude can fish, and I know he’s an equally good guide!  I get quite the education each time we fish together, and I only pay in beer and custom fly orders.

Some success on my own to end the afternoon.

March 3, 2020 – Everyone is Feeling Good – Northampton County Limestoner

It is approaching on....

I got the feeling this week that I would not have streams to myself, even on Tuesdays, for very long.  I am going to miss the solitude, but I am looking forward to more aggressive and cooperative fish too.  Olives are going wild, and the fish for them, so the season has nearly begun in earnest.  It doesn’t take long for the guides and the shops, who may keep the intel to themselves for a few glorious days, to start sharing.  Folks gotta eat, I guess.  While it is hard to feel a sense of fishing urgency at every mild day this winter, the nice days still have a way of luring me out there.   Same with rain events, I suppose, especially when olives may show even stronger those days (not to mention the streamer).  I have a lot of grading to do before March 8, but I got a lot done on a beautiful Monday, so I took a few hours for myself on this fishy-feeling Tuesday.

No dink day and up to 13+ inches.

Rain was scheduled to move in around noon from west to east, and it did arrive close to schedule.  I don’t think it poured until I was driving home, and there were breaks in the afternoon before round two.  Man, I drove through a violent storm at about 9:30 PM after my class!  Felt like a tornado.  I arrived before 10 AM, and the parking lot was empty.  Besides one other dry fly guy casting to risers, who arrived later, I had the place to myself for a productive 3 hours.  This spot is no Valley, even though it is Class A, so bringing 6 maybe 7 fish, all of them over 10 inches long and hot, to the net was bordering on an exceptional day.  The kicker was close to 14 inches, but I hooked a monster sucker by the tail at one point, so it did not act like a sucker with all that leverage on me, and had that been a trout….  The dry fly guy must have witnessed that battle because he asked me if I hooked a steelhead down there! 

Good flows, slight tinge.

On the drive in, I saw that one freestone tributary was still running a bit stained.  The main creek just had good flows and a nice limestone tinge to it.  Even by 10 AM, the olives were going wild, and I had several fish taking emergers in a prime riffle and back eddy.  Last time I fished here, I creeped into position and landed two decent fish on midges fishing the back eddy with an indicator.  Before trying the main run, I did this again today, and my first fish was a plump 12 incher that buried the bobber not 3 feet into the potentially long drift.  He jumped 4 times and made quite a ruckus, so I decided to cross at the tailout and fish the run from the other side when I could not rouse another on this side.  Fish were still taking bugs at a steady pace, and I landed my best of the morning on a hot spot Frenchie, which accounted for all my fish today, right in the moving water.  Between this fish and the monster sucker I landed shortly thereafter both making a fuss all over, well, the hole got quiet after that.

Healthy average.

I moved some distance downstream and fished pocket water and deep runs back up to the first hole, landing two more solid 11- to 12-inch fish.  The fish had ceased rising in the first hole by now, so I started making my way upstream towards the lot.  By now, I had noticed the dry fly guy, so I stopped and asked how he was doing, which way he was headed, and so on.  He planned to fool the risers in front of him, so he gave his blessing for me to target a few holes upstream of him.  I skipped the riffle immediately above where he was fishing and dropped into the next one.  A favorite spot that has produced multiple fish over 17 inches gave up another 12-incher instead.  I also found at least one more decent fish in the next stretch of pocket water.  By now the rain had started to fall, lightly most of the time with a few brief showers, so I fished one last spot and checked my phone for time.  I had a little more, and the other guy had left the spot he was fishing, so I fished the head of the run he was targeting and landed my smallest of the day, a 10-incher, which is still decent for a small creek.  No dink day!  The fish must be feeling good too.  They are not fighting like winter fish, and they seem to be putting on some weight too.

Measure up.

It was now past 1 PM, so I let the rain make my decision to quit and get home to eat and rest up for my class.  I got undressed in a pretty steady rain, and it fell heavier at times on the ride home, so I did think of the streamer for Wednesday.  The second round of rain at night was a lot scarier, and it sounds like winds again on Wednesday, so I may be disciplined and just get my work done.  As a reward for this adult decision, I am taking a ride to see Sam in State College on Thursday.  He is going to get very busy soon with guide trips, as the word is surely getting out about olives.  I also have a spring break next week, so I hope more adventures are in store, perhaps a brookie excursion, fresh stockie beatdown, all off the above?

Just a pretty fish.