Redd Count results

Attached are the Spring Creek redd counts for all the years that we have been doing it, note that in the begining years we did not have full coverage as we do today. As you can see Spring Creek is in very good condition as to the number of spawing fish. Jim

TU redd count

We completed our annual redd count on Spring Creek, our section this year was down from other years, total was 109 and we usually see about 130's but we think it is due to the low water this year. We did see that the PA Fish Comm. did take out the dam at the blue bridge at the upper edge of the Benner Spring hatchery that might have opened up more areas up stream for the trout to use, we did see 4 good redds in the area where the dam was removed, this was never a good area. We also found some really good trout food, a nice buck that kust died in the water and is food for anything.

Also the walking patch along side the stream has been improved and is now really nice to walk on, years ago we had to get up on the hatchery side and walk along the frnce and fight brush not this year a few yards in the stream where we could not see but most we spotted from the patch, this patch will take you from Rock Road all the way to Paradise! I will post all the results as soon as iI receive them. I must say this year the entire layout and e mails received were outstanding, the tables were organized an A picture of a very large redd!

d well thought out, the lunch and snacks were laid out perfectly and you had everything that you wanted to eat or drink, they even offered hot apple cider! We could still use help next year, put it on you 2025 agenda!

We need help

Next Sunday the 24th we could use some help counting "redds" on Spring Creek, meet at 10:00 AM at Spring Creek Park in Houserville between State College and Bellefonte, coffee and other food is provided as is some instructions. You need really good sunglass's in order to see into the water, really no need to wade that much because you can really see the redds from the banks if they are a bit elevated, come join us! Jim

Over and over

We seem to be having the same weather pattern over and over again BUT that is fine, Trico's in the morning (with the cold condition they are a bit late) Ants and Beetles in the afternoon then a bit of a lull then Iso's and Yellow Cahill's and their resective spinners. It is a great time to be a fly fisherman or woman BUT becareful the Rattlesnakes and Copperheads are out in full force, dam near stepped on one the other day below Coburn, a very large yellow phase that did not make a sound! Now is a great time to try out some new water, go to a new section that you have not been to in a while and try and figure it out, it's fun to push yourself or pick out a rod that you have not fished in a while and give it a turn, you might just be suprised. One other hint- WATCH OUT FOR FLYING ANTS!! It is the perfect time of the year!

Same day all over again

I felt a lot like the movie "Groundhog Day" same set up on Bald Eagle, Trico's began as did the trout, more rainbows again all around the 12-15" mark, some very aggressive and some not so much. It only matters if you see any of the fish come up and snub their nose at your fly, if that happens no matter how many time you float it over they will NOT take until you change your fly, maybe smaller or bigger, maybe caddis or even an ant but no takes after a snub. I have noticed that a few of the rainbow are not really acting right, some seem to try and take from a side angle, I think that it might be from wounds on their jaws? I was in a totaly different area and found that the fish were in fact just as nice as the other day, I'll go again on Monday to a spot much lower on the stream, this area holds some really great browns but they are really tough, first cast must count! I always go up to "Fisherman's Paradise" the area not the store, and talk with the local guys that are at the picnic tables after their morning fish, they all say that the spinner fall is not great in the project area? There is an on going discussion between the Fish Comm. and the Spring Creek TU about the steam side vegetation, PFC wants it not tended to and the locals want it groomed as it was in the past. This area is very hard to fish now given the fact that you can not get in the water but the fish are now holding very close to the banks under the shade, who is right? A word of caution- The entire Paradise stream side vegetation is alive with "Deer Ticks", some memebrs have already gotten Lyme disease so if you go wear long pants and long sleaves and check your self when your done. The beetle fishing is also just wonderful in the upper section of Spring Creek above Houserville, this is a good starting point- just be aware there are some sections that have that muck bottom and it is really hard to get out of it! If you feel it back out ASAP, it's really hard to get thru it.

Rainbows and Trico's

Monday was a perfect Trico day, cool and humid, conditions that allow the bugs to hang around for a while, saw a great flight just at the downstream barrier of Fisherman's Paradise but my mind was on Bald Eagle. Drove there and found the fish just starting to rise and this was 8:45 AM, someone had just dropped of a load of bread on the shore for the ducks and the carp both were feeding very well till I broke them up. The first fish that I hooked took off like a cannon and jumped at least 4 times just a great fight, a very nice rainbow! The rise just got better and better, pick a fish and work him till you either screw it up or hook it, some of the fish just went nuts like the first and when they got too far downstream- OFF the went. Had 4 really good rainbow and 3 great browns along with a few chubs one of which was chased by a very large brown trying to eat him while I was fighting it. I kept seeing a really good brown head and tail but could not get him to eat a Trico spinner, so at the end of the spinner fall I put on a #16 Tan Caddis new style tie, and took a few more fish till I saw the good brown rise again so I put one over him and as it floated over him I thought it was past and looked to my right to see another fish rise and you guessed it- he took the caddis and it was just too late to get a good hook set-DAM. There are just a bunch of good size rainbows in Bald Eagle at this time, don't know if they put them in or they are from a late stocking, usually we see just a ton of very small rainbows that the state stocks to get rid of excess hatchery stock (brown trout food) but have not seen them this year. All in all it was just a really good day and Wed or Thusrsday look to be just as good. The water is cold and the fish are up BUT they are really picky.

Two rods at this time

At this time of the year you really need to carry "2" rods to be truly ready for what happens, during the Trico spinner fall you will see many violent rises to the "little tan caddis" that are on our water at this time of the year and a quick cast over that fish will result in a quick take. Well how do you do this, fish with someone and carry 2-3 rods, one rigged for #22 Trico's, one rigged for #18 tan caddis drys and maybe a 3rd one rigged for beetles. You think that would be hard, well it is not, when my fishing buddy was alive we would take "3" rods along and have them ready at this time of the year, we took turns either catching a fish or not hooking one then the other guy would get the rod choice, this worked very well and made us both much better fishermen. I suggest that you find someone that is not in to competive vertures and at least try this out- I'm off to find the Trico's and caddis today!