Results of redd count

The annual redd count on Spring Creek was held last Sunday under snow & ice conditions but it got a lot better by noon, still cold and a bit windy. Spring was at normal levels and the rain that we had the night before really never made a difference. I checked some of the more popular spots on Saturday and found a lot of active spawning going on, the Pines was full as was Paradise!
  Last year we didn't do well because of the high water but this year it was perfect. Over the course of two days I did the entire section from Rock Road parking lot down stream to the Benner Spring bridge (the blue one), really called Shilo Road bridge. I counted 137 redds not all of them had fish on them but there were a few really big females on some of them along with a few very active males just milling around. I called Ray my partner and told him not to try and come over the 322 mountains because of the snow and ice conditions in the higher elevations, that's why I did it in two days. It is hard to do it all in one day by yourself because of having to park your car and do the entire section then turn around and walk back to the car! Some of the conditions on the hatchery high bank are really hard to walk on but you need to get good elevation in order to see!
  I'll post the results as soon as they come it.

Time to find out how many

Sunday is the time to find out just how many trout are spawning in Spring Creek this year, we should get to see quite a few pairs and a bunch of wild smaller males around the many red's in our section. We check the stream from Rock Road parking lot downstream to the bridge below Benner Spring hatchery. We can just about tell where we will find most of them by now since we have been counting every year since 2015! Some years we find only empty redd's but sometimes we find pairs on them, can never tell when? Remember never step on a redd because of all the eggs in them, even if only a few become adults that's just fine, wild trout are just like jewels.
  When the spawn is over the trout will go on a feeding spree to build up reserves that they lost during all the actively. You can target them with streamers, leeches or white or very light orange egg patterns, just remember to use barbless hooks. Speaking about hooks and tying materials, why is there such a shortage of smaller counter sunk beads! Seems as if every time you need some everyone is out! Have been tying to buy them by the 100 packs and that is not an easy task, I love the mm. size designation and not the dam 5/64 crap, anyone know where there is a good source- not rip lips- they are always sold out!!!
  This is a great time to catch up on YouTube videos and get you list done for the Winters fly tying needs, you always seem to see or need new stuff- Get Tying

Join the swingers

Yes get hooked up with the swingers, and while your at it enjoy the nice fall weather. The water may be low but you can find some decent water to swing some trout spey or larger wet flies or even better some leech patterns. Simple tackle and not much movement needed on your part, hell not much wading needed either! A sink tip will work with a 7 1/2' leader tapered down to about 4x with only one fly, cast quarting downstream a give a good mend to slow the fly down till it gets down to where it needs to be and just guide it thru the water then at the end of the drift give the line some soft tugs to get the fly to move a bit, this gives the illusion of it trying to escape. Do the same again as you move downstream but remember to slow your fly down to the same speed as the flow, if your drift is too fast your fly will ride to high in the water. If your using a weighted leech make sure you give it a bit of action during the drift. Any one of these patterns or methods will result in some good fish without much effort, slow it down.
  One really great pattern is a large soft hackle using pheasant hackle and after shaft hackle tied on a #10 2x long hook with a bit of .20 lead near the thorax.
   Be careful there are some redds showing up on Spring and a small amount on Penn's.

Redd check Nov 24, 2019

It's that time of year again, the Spring Creek Chapter of TU to hold their annual redd check on Spring Creek, you can sign up by going to their web site and asking to be included. We have a great time both before and after counting. For the past four years Ray Sheetz and I have counted the stream from Rock Road bridge downstream to the Benner Spring bridge and have found our numbers to be in the very good range except for one year we think most of the trout spawned earlier than our count. It is just wonderful to see the amount of natural spawning that occurs here, while we have not seen to many really big females lately they are there! Join us if you want of just show up and walk along with us, bring waders and very warm cloths!
  Break out the BIG black streamers this week! Do not think Penn's does not have a ton of fish enjoying the spawn, they do it's just a bit harder to find them because of the bigger water, just look for good gravel bars!