Fished Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week and what a tail of different days, Tuesday and Wed. were cloudy and cooler with overcast skies and the result was just waves of #20 Olives, the fish ate well. Saw fish in the shallows were I have not seen them in years, nice fish that were very wary but catch able when the wind would allow for a good cast. The hatch went on from about 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM just as always in waves the trout would all start raising then after a bit stop then resume in a while, typical of a good Olive hatch. I stopped at Fisherman's Paradise (the actual place) to change back into street cloths and talked to a few fellows that said the hatch has been good in the Paradise waters and really good in the canyon section. I talked to one of my very old friends and he told me about the Grannom really becoming a good hatch below Bellefonte especially where they took out the dam a few years ago (McCoy's Dam), he said they are pretty good around here also, below Paradise. OK Thursday came and it was misting a bit but I thought it would be another Olive day BUT when I pulled into the Lazy Daisy parking spot every trout in the pool was up and not sipping, aggressive rising to Grannomns and for the next few hours it was heaven! A #16 Dark Olive bodied bubble back CDC caddis did the trick, catch one and dump the fly in the desiccant and go again. By about 12:00 things were over, typical of caddis emergence but I bet the mating flight will be good tonight or Saturday night! The forchita are not even blooming yet and that is a very good indication of the Grannomn hatch. Get ready for Penns to explode soon, I never got a chance to try my new extended body wet fly but hope to on Fishing Creek next week!
I have been comparing nippers for a few weeks and the results will surprise you. First I have been using a Abel black line nippers for the past two years and have not been totally in love with them, they cost $85.00 and cut OK but some time just not like I think they should. I wanted to try a pair of Simms Guide Nippers @ $49.95 but was warned they were not that good, I called Simms and told them what a fly shop told me and they did agree they did have some trouble with the first run of them and they assured me they were fine, well I got one and wow they are great for about half the price, they come in some killer colors and now I have one on every set up I have. What a sad commentary for Abel because years ago their shit was the best. I guess I'll send them back to be reworked but that costs $10.00 plus shipping, lesson earned- ask someone you see using what you might want to buy!
