Last Week BWO's!

Last Wed. was "THE DAY" of the month, Olives were hatching just about everywhere on Spring Creek and they brought up some really good fish! Mind you not every section of Spring had them, Rock Road, The Willow Hole, Hartle's Bridge and above, the hole just above the 550 Bridge and a few other spots had them above Bellefonte and of course the "shit plant" run had them. Just what we needed a day filled with clouds and crap weather always equals olives- check the weather forecast and go when it's bad, this Saturday would be another good day, cloudy windy snow and cold temp's will make them ride the water for a long period of time and give the trout confidence to take our imitations- go if you can. Not hearing much from Penns or Big Fishing Creek but I'm sure they are there as well just remember to check a lot of water to determine if they are on, it is amazing how sporadic they are, also remember that they come off in spurts heavy for a while then tapering off only to start again in a little while. If you find a good section stay put till at least 3:30- 4:00 PM, next week with the time change that will be 1 hour earlier- Enjoy- OH they were #20's.

A Sad Day For PA Trout

I'm not very political and hate to see shit e mailed to me or have to hear some one's views on politics, that being said it is a sad day for PA Trout after what our lawmakers just did at the expense of our resources. Our leaders passed HB 155 and sent it to the Gov. for his signature, I'm sure the gas company exec's will help him move the pen as he signs it! What does it mean, well before when anyone did construction along a stream they had to install a 100' buffer and maintain it, not so much anymore. This must have cost them to much and told their guys to change the law! Can you imagine how much silt will now be allowed to run into our head water streams, this is one of the biggest points of impaired water- silt. We had a very good law before and the protections that were in place helped to slow or stop the excess runoff that occurred during construction along our streams. It seams that the protection just cost too much and our law makers did the bidding of those who pay them- not us- hell even Jake Coreman voted in favor of the new law and he sits in some of the best water in PA, can you imagine what the gas companies will do with this in the Brook Trout streams in the north of PA. I can only imagine what would have happened if Ralph Able was still with us, why the hell would they change this when the Fish & Boat Comm. was against it- money talks and we the people loose!

We need rain

Wow do we need a good shot of rain, it's very low and clear to fish streamer's effectively unless your out very early or late in the day. Our days have been filled with too much sun for the BWO's to really be effective, some #20 dark tan caddis hanging around the stream edges, October caddis out but not in mass some Paralep's are found around Coburn but you never know when they will fall. Yes we have had a few great days of flying ants but you have to be in the perfect spot to take advantage of their flights ( they are normally found a good sunny day after a period of cloudy wet weather) and a few good days of just fishing a #16 black foam ant in the surface film or a #16 wet black ant under a dry have been a good bet but we need water. I have seen a few browns getting ready to spawn but there is just not enough water for them to get started, plus the water temps are not in the zone yet, will be have any early spawn we will if we don't get a good amount of water before the end of the month, so do your little rain dance and let the streams rise to give our fish some room.
  One saving daily event has been a great midge hatch on a few specific holes on Penns, Johnson's and Stan's Bridge pool are two of the best but you have to be spot on casting and slip striking with a side motion to keep the fish from running around the pool and putting all the others down, a #24 black or cream down wing midge patter is all you need.
  Another bet is Spring Creek for the same midge hatch but if your there and a few clouds do come in look for #20 BWO's to hatch.

What was large is now small

The other week I was fishing with a long time friend and the conversation turned to how all the streams seem smaller than they were 40 years ago. We seem to be able to fish were we at times had a hard time to reach, is it better wading gear, better rods or better lines. I know that way back we were using Seal Dri's with cotton blue jeans underneath (freezing all the while, or melting hot) and old rubber soled wading shoes but with youth we were able to get most anywhere we wanted. We had 9' rods, I have one of the first 9'0" #4 Scott graphite rods ever build and used and sold ton's of old Fenwick HMG 905's, we even played with Scott 10'0" #5 rods ( can't land a fish with them, hard to get them close to you) and we had T&T's, Winston's along with a few really good fiberglass rods, so I think our rods selection was fine. Our fly line selection was limited to SA & Cortland, back then we had a Pro Shop line of 444 lines but they were soft and really would not shoot that well and SA back then was a joke. Now we have unlimited choices of rods, lines and wading gear but is that what makes everything looks smaller or are the streams not that big any more with the loss of water? Heck you can hit about any spot in Penns, Fishing Creek, Spring Creek and Bald Eagle, heck even the Madison seems to be not over powering like it was those 40 years ago. Any ideas and don't say it's because were a getting bigger or older, hell when your old you shrink, the question still baffles us?
  OK it just might be the lines but it still seams that all the streams are smaller in volume or is it because were have fished them so many times we have become familiar with the water shed? A very interesting conversation to be part of.
  A note of interest, there might be another fly shop open in the former Penns Creek Angler spot, time will tell?

Last Week 10/2 & 3

Had a TU meeting in State College last Thursday night and on my way decided to give Penns in Coburn a look, there were fish up everywhere but they were not consistent nor were there any indication of a hatch- no Paralep spinners. Drove by two locals and they asked me to park and shoot the shit, what a wonderful time I had with them, just hearing about the eagles, osprey's and heron's and of course how hard the fish are to catch today, really nice guys who care about the stream and know what's going on about the total local environment, if you see a tall bearded fellow with a Vietnam Vet hat on stop and ask to see his pictures- they are special.
  I fished and took all my fish on a #16 black ant fished in the surface film, slow wading was key, you had to wait for the fish to show where they were, a nice easy time, low water and pleasant temp's. We need a shot of water then a good cloud cover to get the Olives going on Penns or you'll be fishing to midges till Nov.!
  Checked Spring Creek after I was done with Penns and found fish up in a few locations, Bald Eagle was running very dirty but Spring was fine but low. Picked my area for Friday and was off to help pick up my Granddaughter from preschool, what a wonderful experience to be able to do, retirement has benefits.
  Went to the Spring Creek Chapter of TU meeting and was well informed about the Little J, what a great org, they have to protect that water shed . I changed my membership to Spring Creek from RB Winter due to the local chapter not wanting to do much of anything. The next time your fishing Spring Creek just look at the new parking areas, Paradise (2), Rock Road and the in stream improvements that are apparent, not to mention the other projects they have completed this past year now that's what I want to be involved with! They make you feel welcome and keep you in touch with wonderful e mails that fully explain what they are doing and what they need- you to help- your are part of them. We felt that form the very first meeting with them, now my wife and daughter are involved with them. To all you TU members how many of you signed up your wife or daughter under the special offer, we have two more TU member in our family.
  Spring Creek on Friday was alive with rising fish but not at every hole, you had to find them- under Hartle's bridge below Paradise was one such spot, #20 BWO emergers was the ticket. There are two very large fish under the bridge and I hooked one but he took off upstream and had me into the backing in a few seconds and pop off he was. I remember 30 years ago Jim Leathers fishing under the same bridge for the resident big boys and how much fun he had doing it, just made me stop and think about guys like him that I was honored to fish with, that is a sign of getting old.
  This week will not be a good one, my Lab Trico has cancer and he will leave us very shortly, no more fishing for him but I know that he will be waiting for me at The Rainbow Bridge then we will fish every day. If you have a dog give them a special hug, that's all they ask for. My guy has been a Therapy dog for 9 years and in the time he and his sister have visited VA Hopitals, Federal Prisions,
Schools, Nursing Homes and Janet Weis Children's Hospital giving out those soft warm kisses that make everything OK, I will  miss seeing how much we help people forget about their pain if only for a brief moment in time. Time is running out and I know it is the right thing to do but why does it have to hurt soo very much.