Penns Creek Angling During Our Recent Cold Spell

With the recent cold temperatures that we've experienced around Central PA, I've made trips to fish Penns Creek after taking water temperature readings of 62 and 64 degrees.  The fishing has been great in the early morning when I fished with Patrick Williams and then Jeff Scipione later in the week.  

Both days were productive and the main fly patterns were green weenies, stoneflies, hellgrammites and a variety of meaty streamer patterns.  Below are a few pictures from some of the fish that we caught, missing in the photographs are the two fish that tore me off while fishing 3x tippet.  The first time it happened, I thought was the bottom and then it took off downstream and the other was around eleven o'clock when a trout took my mouse pattern and its splash sounded like a bear chasing sockeye salmon in Alaska.  

The opportunities to fish Penns Creek under ideal water temperatures during the summer are few and far between but if you do make the trip to fish Penns Creek make sure you take a stream temperature to not put excess stress on the trout during the summer months. 

All in all, it was two great days fishing Penns Creek.  We had the opportunity to see a lot of trout, bass, a bald eagle, a dobsonfly attack Patrick, whitetail fawns, what a bat sounds like when it gets hooked and on top of it all, Central PA will miss Patrick Williams as he leaves to teach in North Carolina.  I know that a lot of anglers will miss talking to you in the fly shop but I can't say the same as the trout will not miss you Patrick, good luck!

Enjoy!

The fattest 6 inch trout I've ever caught. 

Nice brown trout caught by Jeff Scipione on a slumpbuster

Patrick Williams throwing some fly line.

Destination: State College, Penns Creek

As most of you know State College, Pennsylvania has been home to Kirk and I for twenty something years now. We have grown up fishing there and learned how to fly fish on our local streams. It wasn't until working (for a brief period) as a fishing guide there that I appreciated how far people were willing to travel to get a Central Pennsylvania trout on the end of their line.

This will be a multi-part series depicting several of our favorite streams the best hatches and the best time of the year to fish.

The first is Penns Creek. Penns Creek is located about 30 minutes East of State College with the easiest access being in the town of Coburn. Penns Creek is one of those rivers in our area that it would take many years to explore the whole river and it's intricacies. It has access points the are available to the angler entirely by dirt road, and not well maintained dirt roads... It has secret spots and spots a car cannot take you.

The best hatch on Penns Creek is assuredly the Green Drakes. This hatch brings people in from all over the country to hit the drakes just right. For that same reason this is not the best time to fish Penns Creek unless you want to fish with the crowds or fish entirely after dark. If I were to choose a time, I would head out to Penns Creek in Spring, March or April. Early March would be good, you could still hit some Hendrickson's possible see some early March Browns and some Grannom Caddisflies as well.

Helping us with this series is Patrick Williams. If you don't know Patrick, he was the president of the Penn State fly fishing club and has become a friend through fishing stories and shared experiences. He is a great fisherman, an innovative fly tier, and a skilled photographer. Here are a couple of fish from this year and the stories to go with them.

This brown was caught on Penns Creek on a day when there were a million bugs on the water. Sulpher, cahill, and large BWO spinners were floating everywhere, while small sulphers, orange cahills, light cahills, dark blue sedge, tan caddis and stoneflies were also buzzing around in the air. Fish were rising in some fast riffles, and while tempted to throw on a rusty spinner (spinners were easily the dominant food source on the water), I instead decided to go big or go home, and present a fly the fish would not be picky about. I had seen a couple large slate drake duns popping earlier in the day, and put on a #10 imitation. It took maybe 3 at most drifts over each rising fish to result in a take. This fish was feeding right at the head of the large riffle, and this take was the first rise I saw from it. I was actually casting to get a drift over a fish that was rising about 5 ft downstream of where this one was.

Again on Penns Creek, and again when there were tons of spinners, duns and caddis on the water, several fish were rising in a big pool. I tried the slate drake again, but with no takers. I switched to a rusty spinner, but again nothing. I was seeing a few giant stones (eastern cousin to the salmonfly, a legitimate #2 size fly) in the air as the evening light started fading. I had tied up a few patterns to imitate these monsters, and actually pulled a fairly large fish on one behind a boulder earlier in the day when prospecting as a dry-dropper. The fish apparently were keen on these slabs of protein at this time (about 8 pm), despite the fact that none were on the water. When this pattern drifted over the previously picky rising fish, they would literally roll on it. The only thing I could think to compare it to in PA was the first few days of the periodical cicada’s a couple years back. Many good fish were taken on this pattern, but sadly several either broke off (this pool is about 6’ deep with lots of boulders and wood on the bottom) or spit the hook on me. Luckily, this fatty didn’t, and you can see the #8 foam stonefly still in its mouth (the hook size is an 8, but the foam goes well beyond the bend of the hook extending out the back, the total length of this fly is about 2.5”).

I went to Penns several times to try to hit the drakes during the constant high water and scattered storms occurring during the hatch. These outings were made more interesting due to the fact that in late may I had broken all of my trout rods in a 48 hour period, which has to be some kind of record. Luckily, I was able to borrow one of the Penn State flyfishing club’s 8.5’ TFO rods for a substitute. One night I got there at about 7, walked far downstream from my car into the woods to a section of flat water which I hoped would still produce rising fish despite the milk chocolate consistency of the water. I got to my spot and rigged up and caught a few rising fish when clouds turned to rain, and then more rain. I forgot my rain jacket this day, but being wet didn’t bother me as long as I was catching fish. I then saw a flash followed by a loud crash of thunder when lightning struck the ridge just above where I was fishing. I decided that waving a 8.5’ graphite lightning rod while immersed in waist deep water was not the smartest idea, and decided to wait out the storm on the bank. The lightning got more frequent, and the rain started coming down harder, and by hard I mean God was breaking the seal all over me. I sat in a ditch and got pissed on for 45 minutes, and by the time the storm passed it was almost dark. I was soaked everywhere, including inside every inch of my waders, but hearing the slurping of fish once again taking green drake duns lifted my spirits. It turned dark and fish were still rising. I caught several but this one was the best of the night (the best that got in the net). All fish were taken on a 2XL #6 green drake dun.

Green Drake Victim!

The follower submission this week comes from Caleb Rebarchek. He was out with his Dad fishing the green drake hatch on Fishing Creek and captured this great picture of Grizzly Adams and a nice trout to boot! 

Hey Kirk and Brian,

Just wanted to send this picture along to you guys. Dad and I were on Fishing Creek back on the evening of Friday, May 25th for the Green Drakes. Flies were in the air, but this is the only fish that either of us caught that night. It was a 16-inch brown that gave him a good fight, and when I saw him hook into the fish I figured I'd play the part of the good son to go and take his picture with it. The cigar stub and Grizzly Adams beard just add to the picture, I think.

Tight lines!

Caleb

Sulpurs Still Going Strong!

So those of you who had the time to fish the Drakes on Penns, I'm very jealous, but I hope to get a chance to fish it this weekend!  For those of us who don't have enough time to get down to Penns, I made the trek to Spring Creek.  The water was moving significantly faster then the last few weeks but the fish were just as active!  

Most of my fishing was done in eddies, behind rocks and other seems where the slower water met the faster water.  One specific eddy I caught close to 10 fish all ranging from 12 - 15 inches.  It was fun to see multiple fish bumping into one another while chasing my parachute sulphur.  

Penns/Pine Creek is the place to be right now, but if you don't have time to get there, Spring Creek will do!

Enjoy!

Weekly Fishing Report

I may not live there anymore but I still have contacts to let me know what's going on in those rivers in central PA. Most important news that everyone should take note of. The green drakes are starting! Seriously, this is traditionally a hatch that happens around memorial day weekend or even the first week of June, and it's starting now. I don't know what to tell you other than tie some green drake nymphs and some adults and seriously pay close attention because any day now it could break into full bore and you will miss it. Things to think about when fishing the "shad" hatch:

1. You don't have to fish only green drakes, sulphurs, march browns, caddisflies will all work leading up to and through the hatch. 

2. Fish subsurface before and during the green drakes. 80% of fish feeding happens subsurface drake nymphs and other traditional nymphs will work well when everyone else is struggling to match the 8 million flies on the surface

3. Fish the coffin fly, just before it gets black dark tie on a coffin fly and fish that instead of your drake I have always had more luck with the coffin fly plus it's white so you can see if with the shine of the moon. 

Now for whats going on, on the rest rivers in our area!


Spring Creek


Water levels are elevated and flowing at 235cfs and normally the flows are 124cfs.  The good thing about Spring Creek is that the water levels drop quickly in comparison to the other local streams.  The dry fly fishing has remained great (prior to the rainfall) with sulphurs, cahills, crane flies, and tan caddis.


Hatches-
Sulphur size 14 - 18
Light Cahill size 12 - 16
Tan Caddis size 14 - 16
Crane Flies size 16 - 20


Hot Fly-
Orange Sulphur Sparkle Dun size 14
Yellow Parachute Sulphur size 14
Pheasant Tail size 14 - 18

Fishing Creek

The rain has pushed up the water levels a decent amount and it's probably a little high and off color. Think about giving it a day or two and head out there looking for fish feeding on sulphurs and in a week or two the drakes will be there as well!

Hatches-

Sulphurs size 14 - 16

Tan Caddis size 14

Black Midges size 24

Some stoneflies lingering around too. 

Hot Fly- 

Sulphur Sparkle Dun size 14

Penns Creek

Penns Creek has near perfect conditions for throwing streamers through the day and hitting some big fish on dries through the evening bite. Of course the drakes are starting but the sulphurs are still in full swing. I would focus on that with a side of slump busters because they always catch fish on Penns when the water is up and off color. 

Hatches-

Sulphurs size 14 - 16

Tan and green caddis size 14

Orange craneflies size 16

March Browns size 10

Hot Fly-

Green Drake Nymph size 10


Little Juniata/Spruce Creek




The Little Juniata and Spruce Creek have not received the amount of rain compared to the other Central Pennsylvania Streams and it has continued to drop close to normal levels.  If you have time go and fish go to the Little Juniata.  




Hatches-
Sulphur size 14 - 16
Gray Fox size 12 - 14
Light Cahill size 12 - 14
Crane Fly size 16 - 20


Hot Fly-

Orange Sulphur Comparadun/Sparkle Dun size 14

Yellow Parachute Sulphur size 14

Pheasant Tail size 14 - 18

Eric Norman Stepping up!

Eric Norman caught this 17 inch brown on Penns Creek this past week. He made a specific point in his submission to mention that Harry Tomlin is now officially behind him in pic submissions again. Haha let the rivalry continue! 

"This brown was caught on a caddis! Mayflies are for sissies!! Hope you are doing well in the Sunshine State. Nice blog and while you are missed in the shop you aren't missing much except for some stellar fishing... Oh and thanks for reiterating what a great pattern the pheasant tail is. I got away from it but you brought me back to reality!"

Well thanks again Eric! Keep the pics coming, keep hammering big fish, and we will keep posting them!