They are on now!

The Olives are on Spring Creek coming off in waves after about 12:00 noon but again you'll have to look for them, do not assume that they will come off where you are, be mobile! It does help if you have seen them in an area before but not a guarantee they will be there, I would avoid any areas below Bellefonte because of the volume of water the spring and Logan Branch bring in. Look for a good riffle coming into a long deep pool to find the best area, a small #18-20 pheasant tail nymph fished deep and left to hang in the current at the end of a drift will work well before the main hatch. When the action starts nothing works better than a emerger or a small soft hackle dead drifted into the pod of rising fish. No need to fish spinners at this time, have never encountered them during this event. Do not leave if the fish stop rising just sit tight and wait, Olives come in waves, most of the action will be over by 5:00 or a bit later.
  If you head over to Fishing Creek, be aware that the water is still up but if you want to fish use a small Chimera pupa, #16-18 bright green thorax with a black or dark brown head and get it down. I have tied a few of these with Loon UV resin on the Datum Glo Brite Floss of flour. orange for the thorax. If you get your fly down to the bottom you'll find a ton of these attached to your hook when you inspect it at this time of year, the trout love them. Any other time I would fish a flour. green thorax pattern. The Chimera is also a wonderful pattern for Penn's.
  If your on the way to Penn's nothing works better than a #12-14 golden stone fly tumbled along the bottom. But a traditional Hare's Ear tied short on a standard length hook works really well. I tie them short meaning I don't tie them to the bend because if you look at a lot of the clinger type nymphs they are all a bit short in length, do by all means use Partridge for legs on them or if your a hunter good quality wood duck works well, legs and tails are very important for this pattern. Be careful if you wade, the water on both Penn's and Fishing Creek is cold and swift.
  A word about Patagonia, I have complained to them for the last couple of years about where they get their models from, all their sleeves are longer than normal, heck I have some new base lawyers that seem to fit people who have orangutan length! They have told me that in 2019 changes will be made so normal people can find clothing that fits them and not something you have to constantly push up to be comfortable. A solid buy can be fount at Dick's, a Patagonia Better Sweater is on sale now but get their fast before your size is gone, normal pricing is $99.00 now down to below $70.00, they are the warmest piece of clothing that you can take along fishing with out adding bulk to your body, check them out.

Oh well a couple of days is OK

Got in a couple of good days of Olive fishing but as of today 3/22/19 that will be over for a while, the entire middle and eastern part of PA just got hammered with yet more heavy rain! Will we ever return to a normal year, well only time will tell, in a normal year the moisture shuts off around the end of May and we go thru summer dry. We all have cabin fever this year due to either cold and ice or just too much rain and run off. I for one have no desire to fish heavy nymphs and fight the current or walk and find water to fish close to shore, even Big Fishing Creek is just too wild at this time again, even if you have the chance of catching a really big brown there, it is just very hard to do.
  The best thing about this year is that no one should ever need to tie flies during the season, heavens knows I have more than enough for a lifetime but you always seem to want to tie something different or improve a pattern that you have. I have been tying a lot of the new Peridon nymph patterns and have tried them when the olives have been on but still think a Pheasant tail is still the very best pattern to have in your box, yes the new style does get down fast and stays on the bottom and does catch fish but not any better than a PT.
  It's too bad the fly exchange that used to be held in The Union County Sportsman's Club is no more it gave a lot of guys a good shot in the arm to exchange ideas on fly tying and new patterns and just plain BS between good guys!
  In any event go outside and do an NON rain dance and see if it helps!!

March 2019

As the Spring comes into view, it is looking OK not great but just fine, not too much rain/snow and stream levels are going down, except on warm days the level will bump up due to melt. If your going try to find a stable day that does not have those big spikes of warmer temps because the inflow of cold water will put a damper on the trout. Yes Olives and Midges are happening but you have to look at many spots to find the feeding fish, these hatches are not universal T/O the streams. Just got word the even Big Fishing Creek has some rising fish but you'll have to look for them. An Olive emerger in a size #18-20 is doing the trick and a black midge size #22-24 is the thing to use ( I also use a dark grey pattern), don't forget the Grif's midge!
  I was in TCO fly shop in State College and picked up a new fly box, Tacky Hydrophobic SD Waterprooof Fly Box and about shit when I felt how much it weights- not for me! At my age I'm trying to eliminate weight not add to it. If you get your flies wet of put wet ones in your box just lay them open when you return from the stream to air dry and in a short time all will be fine- check out the Tacky and I think you might agree.