New Zealand Fish

Fished Big Fishing Creek Tuesday because Penns was just too dam crowded with the Green Drake crowd here for another year. Peace and quite were the order not many people around and as I stopped to look over one of the best holes in the "narrows" a fellow was there just getting ready to fish and we talked about how it is not as great as it used to be all the while fish were raising everywhere! A nice small hatch of #16 Lt. Tan Caddis was coming off and the fish were on them, as I stood there I looked to the far bank from our high vantage point and there he was a brown of 5lbs or over and a guess would tape him over 24" plus, he was in shallow water and would have been a good prospect for a #16 PT nymph but as I pointed him out to the fellow who was dressed in tan he got nervous and began to swim around and disappeared into the deeper water! Note to self tan is not a good summer color, wear green or dark colors. They are still there but not easy but they can be had if you fish two people and spot them and fish a small PH on a very small wool indicator but your casting has to be spot on. Took several nice 9" - 11" Brook Trout (limestone brookies are just colored up nice) and some nice Browns on a #16 bubble back tan caddis and as evening began the sulphur's began hatching as did the eating- the fish are still there but they come out to play where there is a good hatch or when it gets a little darker. It is worth a trip there but the Drake will be there within a week so stay away for a while- think Summer Olive's for the next month!

Note About something missing

I forgot to mention that the last couple of time I was at Penns I would hear the toads (we called them hop toads growing up and you would get warts if you touched them) not a good amount of them but a few as of last Wed. they are finished with their annual mating ritual of signing and the males hanging on the females backs no matter what. Years ago we would see them ever where and the sound would be all night but that has not been the cast the last few years, something is wrong and we need to fix it fast before the toads become gone from our world as are most of the frogs. I saw the strings of eggs that have been laid and there are not that many, have you noticed the same or have you not even taken note of their absence?

A Windy Nothing Day

Was at Penns Wed. May 13 and it was just not happening, very strong winds and low temps were the cause of NO BUGS! A few small rising fish that I left some other nice guys fish to, heck they came all the way from FL and RI to fish so let them have a shot at the fish. I'm focusing my attention to that "1" very large fish that is in the bottom of the riffle that I have been playing with for the last 3 years and now Tom Rall has also spotted it - so it's game on who get it to hand first?
  A few March Browns, Grey Foxes, Hendrickson's, Caddis and Sulphurs are coming off but not in force because of the wind, the spinner falls just at dark have been epic but the catching has been weak! Some guys swear that the fish are taking March Brown spinners at dusk but in 50+ years I have not seen that many time, most time it is Grey Fox spinners that are on the menu or some left over Hendrickson's. If the fish refuse you spinner try a different specie and not just a different tie, by way have you ever picked up a Hendrickson spinner and looked at the belly- not the standard dark red brown color- maybe that might be a good thing to remember also make sure the spinners are not moving in the water- wing beats!

Hendrickson's & March Browns

The Hendrickson's are winding down with just a small evening spinner fall but thru the day the March Brown & Grey Fox are coming off and the fish are on them! Penns came up a bit on Thursday and it was off color but the fish still ate, it will only get better. Head to Big Fishing Creek for Hendrickson spinners if you want them but you'll have to wait till almost dark but it is worth it.
  We will have PE Duns and Sulphurs soon.