November 7, 2013

  Arrived at Spring Creek to a little bit more water than has been the case, the trout have started to spawn in the last 5 days and they are hard at it. Not as many as past years and I think it's a function of just not enough water but there are pairs actively enguaged in the spawn, leave them alone. I opted for a dry dropper rig with a #18 Hair Wing Royal Coachman dry and a #18 bead head Pheasant Tail nymph as the dropper, well it did not take long for the fish to tell me what they wanted, hell they were taking the Coachman! I took the rig off and knotted on a #18 BWO emerger and began to take fish after fish both small and larger guys all the while their brothers and sisters were haveing an orgy? If they are rising they are not spawing so there is no harm to the population. I did float an egg pattern in two redds because of the size of the males on them, took both of them and when I released them they were back on the redd ASAP. Look for either midges or BWO's to hatch every afternoon from now till Spring. A black #26 midge will do the trick as will a #22 Griff's Gnat when they want a buzzing midge as is the case sometimes, if they chase it when you take it off the water for another cast that's your key to add action to it. A BWO in sizes #18 to #24 will have to be in your box for the next few months.
  Sad to say the streamer fishing has been shit, heck I have only tried it one time, when the fish look up that's what I'll do. Ok all you Penns Creek snobs, dry fly fishing to any size fish is much better than killing yourself wading in heavy water fishing nymphs, just too dam much work.The dry fly fishing give you great skills for the warmer months plus it's getting you outside and fishing.
  Have a ball but stay off the water during deer season, your waders look to much like a deer to some guys!?

  Have to vent on a fly shop (TCO in State College) never has prices marked and the other day I wanted a small pack of white minnow wrap from Hareline, no price on it, at the register it was $6.30, WTF, yea I paid it but was bothered all the way home. I looked up the wholesale price and it was $2.97 a pack, no more 100% mark up for me, from now on if it is not price marked it can rot on the shelf!!!!!!!!!!!!