Spring Creek Before the Storm!

Jeff Scipione and I hit up the streams today before all of the rainfall arrived in Central PA.  We fished Spring Creek and had a lot of activity fishing sub-surface.  Initially the morning started off slower then what we thought but we ended up hooking into a bunch of healthy trout.

We started off taking fish on inch worms and sow bugs and then the rainfall started to drizzle.  I quickly switched to an aquatic worm and fish destroyed the pattern.  Several of the initial takes from the fish almost took the rod out of my hand and made the hook ups very easy to land the trout.  As the rain started to pour down on us the fishing picked up and we were slamming into trout.  Soon after, the grumbles of thunder and the realization of the two-inches of precipitation that was on its way forced us to call it a day.  If only it could've held off for a few more hours, but we always need the rain this time of year to keep the streams healthy for the remainder of the summer months.    

Shown below are only a couple of the larger fish that we caught, but stay tuned for the rest of the fish that are on Jeff's camera!

Enjoy!

  

The Intern Strike Back!

For those of you who wondered where Brian is, he is archery hunting for elk in Colorado.  No word on how he has done yet, but I'm sure if he has a good story he will share it with everyone.  A big thank you to Harry Tomlin on his photo submission or a recent brown trout caught on Spring Creek.    

"Hey guys fished spring creek on labor day.  This fish was last cast.  You can tell by the head it was big.  Forgot the Nomad net and had to take a quick pic and release. Really was last cast on a less than productive afternoon.  My favorite little bwo emerger floating behind a stymie. Above the pink trailer in a log jam,  thought I had hung everything up as planned." 
 Thanks and peace.

The intern,

Harry Tomlin

Spring Creek Update (08/29/2012)

Spring Creek is always a safe bet as a fly fisherman.  An angler always has a great chance of hooking into good trout on a variety of fly patterns.  These trout feed frequently and when a fly is presented to them in a drift free manner, they do not waste an opportunity to eat.  Sure the fish are a bit sluggish compared to early fall and spring months but if you fish during the coldest temperatures of the day, you will be able to hook into several trout.  

Enjoy a few of the pictures from a recent trip on Spring Creek.  One of the most memorable moments on Spring Creek this summer happened when I caught the first two trout pictured on back to back casts.  They aren't gigantic but they were extremely beautiful fish between 15 - 17 inches.  

Cast #1

Cast #2

Clay Blunk's biggest trout on the fly!

Nomad nets get the job done again!

Logan Branch Submission

Here are a few pictures of Matt Buterbaugh with a massive rainbow trout (Logan Branch) and brown trout that he caught on close to the confluence of Logan Branch and Spring Creek.  I can attest to this stream holding some large trout, but these two are at the top of the food chain. Great catches Matt!  Thanks for the photo submission. 

Spring Creek (08/12/2012)

Spring Creek has continued to fish very well in the early morning hours between 6:00AM - 11:00AM.  I've been having a lot of success using Elk-Hair Ants, Inch Worms, Olive Scuds and a variety of other terrestrial patterns.  The key spots to fish have been shaded areas and deep cuts along riffles or a combination of the two.  Setting the hook has been extremely easy because the trout will go out of their way to destroy any of the patterns listed above.  

If you are going to go out, make sure to set the alarm early or find a fishing buddy and do some night fishing after dark!  I have a most wanted trout that I'm going after this morning (probably as you're reading this post)!  Hopefully it agrees again today as I had a mishap the first time I had it on the line, but that's another story for a later post!

Enjoy!

Spring Creek Update (08/02/2012)

Spring Creek has been fishing pretty well during the early morning hours. I've only been fishing when the water temperatures are below 64 - 66 degrees Fahrenheit. From the reading that I've done, the trout will begin to lose weight when the temperatures reach 70 degrees. Even when the water is between 64 - 66 degrees, I release a fish as quickly as possible and do not spend a lot of time documenting the trout.

I've been using mostly inch worms, scuds and a variety of Czech and caddis nymphs. If I want to catch a fish on top I will fish an ant or some type of terrestrial pattern or a combination of any of those flies. Below are a few fish pictures that I've snapped quickly before releasing the fish as fast as possible to ensure a healthy return back to the water.

Also, I would like to give a special thanks to the guys from Nomad nets for sending us a pair of nets. My Nomad Hand Net has done an outstanding job netting a lot of fish while offering an extremely light weight, durable option to securing a fish. Oh and it floats! Check it out in some of the pictures below from the most recent trip to Spring Creek.  I had a great time on the water with Patrick Williams!

Enjoy!

Spring Creek Submission!

Special thanks to Bryan Doyle who sent us a beautiful picture of a Brown Trout taken on Spring Creek.  The picture shows how big the trout was but I'm sure it was a treat to witness up close and personal!  Harry "The Intern" Tomlin does another excellent job in pointing fly-fisherman in our direction. Thanks Harry!


Hello, I was in TCO today talking to Harry Tomlin and showed him this brown I caught last week on Spring Creek along Benner Pike in the McCoy section. He was impressed and told me to email the pic to you guys. I figured it was close to 20 inches.

Nice catch Bryan!

Spring Creek Update

Yesterday I woke up early to fish Spring Creek.  The action was fast paced and there weren't many others on the stream (which is always a plus!).  I started out fishing terrestrials and picked up a decent amount of fish.  The key was casting into areas around overhanging branches that offered shade and protection for the trout.


On the water there were tricos and tan caddis and the fish were mostly feeding on the trico spinners.  I switched to a trico spinner and tied on a 30 - 36 inch section of 6x tippet and had my work cut out for me.  As I'm sure everyone is aware, trout are very selective when it comes to feeding on tricos.  I managed to catch three trout on tricos, but I had several bend backwards or nudged it with their nose in refusal to take the fly.  It was a challenging but fun process but once they were finished feeding on top I switched to a green inch-worm.  Below is a selection of pictures from fish that I caught!


An important thing to note is that if the water is above 70 degrees, please do not go out and fish as it puts a lot of extra stress on the fish.  If you can avoid it, the trout do not need to die when they can be caught on another cooler day.


And remember to voice your opinion on our poll! Everyones vote counts.

Follower Submissions!

Both of the Andy's sent in great Photo's this week! The first is from Andy Ramish and it is a fantastic shot of an aquatic insect we all wait for... the Green Drake. The photo is perfect and captures everything that makes up the drake hatch. Bugs everywhere, fish feeding, and a couple cold beers...

The second submission is from Andy Reynolds. 


I was finally back in action again on Spring Creek after what seemed to be an eternity, but as the day was coming to a close, I was treated to this beautiful brown at my favorite spot. I got a few fish in the pool to eat a small tan caddis but it took a very light bodied CDC emerger to get this guy to move. The take was amazing as I've replayed it a hundred times over in my head wishing only that I could go and do it again and again. It was perfect closure to a great weekend! -Tight Lines

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