TU redd count

We completed our annual redd count on Spring Creek, our section this year was down from other years, total was 109 and we usually see about 130's but we think it is due to the low water this year. We did see that the PA Fish Comm. did take out the dam at the blue bridge at the upper edge of the Benner Spring hatchery that might have opened up more areas up stream for the trout to use, we did see 4 good redds in the area where the dam was removed, this was never a good area. We also found some really good trout food, a nice buck that kust died in the water and is food for anything.

Also the walking patch along side the stream has been improved and is now really nice to walk on, years ago we had to get up on the hatchery side and walk along the frnce and fight brush not this year a few yards in the stream where we could not see but most we spotted from the patch, this patch will take you from Rock Road all the way to Paradise! I will post all the results as soon as iI receive them. I must say this year the entire layout and e mails received were outstanding, the tables were organized an A picture of a very large redd!

d well thought out, the lunch and snacks were laid out perfectly and you had everything that you wanted to eat or drink, they even offered hot apple cider! We could still use help next year, put it on you 2025 agenda!

We need help

Next Sunday the 24th we could use some help counting "redds" on Spring Creek, meet at 10:00 AM at Spring Creek Park in Houserville between State College and Bellefonte, coffee and other food is provided as is some instructions. You need really good sunglass's in order to see into the water, really no need to wade that much because you can really see the redds from the banks if they are a bit elevated, come join us! Jim

Over and over

We seem to be having the same weather pattern over and over again BUT that is fine, Trico's in the morning (with the cold condition they are a bit late) Ants and Beetles in the afternoon then a bit of a lull then Iso's and Yellow Cahill's and their resective spinners. It is a great time to be a fly fisherman or woman BUT becareful the Rattlesnakes and Copperheads are out in full force, dam near stepped on one the other day below Coburn, a very large yellow phase that did not make a sound! Now is a great time to try out some new water, go to a new section that you have not been to in a while and try and figure it out, it's fun to push yourself or pick out a rod that you have not fished in a while and give it a turn, you might just be suprised. One other hint- WATCH OUT FOR FLYING ANTS!! It is the perfect time of the year!

Same day all over again

I felt a lot like the movie "Groundhog Day" same set up on Bald Eagle, Trico's began as did the trout, more rainbows again all around the 12-15" mark, some very aggressive and some not so much. It only matters if you see any of the fish come up and snub their nose at your fly, if that happens no matter how many time you float it over they will NOT take until you change your fly, maybe smaller or bigger, maybe caddis or even an ant but no takes after a snub. I have noticed that a few of the rainbow are not really acting right, some seem to try and take from a side angle, I think that it might be from wounds on their jaws? I was in a totaly different area and found that the fish were in fact just as nice as the other day, I'll go again on Monday to a spot much lower on the stream, this area holds some really great browns but they are really tough, first cast must count! I always go up to "Fisherman's Paradise" the area not the store, and talk with the local guys that are at the picnic tables after their morning fish, they all say that the spinner fall is not great in the project area? There is an on going discussion between the Fish Comm. and the Spring Creek TU about the steam side vegetation, PFC wants it not tended to and the locals want it groomed as it was in the past. This area is very hard to fish now given the fact that you can not get in the water but the fish are now holding very close to the banks under the shade, who is right? A word of caution- The entire Paradise stream side vegetation is alive with "Deer Ticks", some memebrs have already gotten Lyme disease so if you go wear long pants and long sleaves and check your self when your done. The beetle fishing is also just wonderful in the upper section of Spring Creek above Houserville, this is a good starting point- just be aware there are some sections that have that muck bottom and it is really hard to get out of it! If you feel it back out ASAP, it's really hard to get thru it.

Rainbows and Trico's

Monday was a perfect Trico day, cool and humid, conditions that allow the bugs to hang around for a while, saw a great flight just at the downstream barrier of Fisherman's Paradise but my mind was on Bald Eagle. Drove there and found the fish just starting to rise and this was 8:45 AM, someone had just dropped of a load of bread on the shore for the ducks and the carp both were feeding very well till I broke them up. The first fish that I hooked took off like a cannon and jumped at least 4 times just a great fight, a very nice rainbow! The rise just got better and better, pick a fish and work him till you either screw it up or hook it, some of the fish just went nuts like the first and when they got too far downstream- OFF the went. Had 4 really good rainbow and 3 great browns along with a few chubs one of which was chased by a very large brown trying to eat him while I was fighting it. I kept seeing a really good brown head and tail but could not get him to eat a Trico spinner, so at the end of the spinner fall I put on a #16 Tan Caddis new style tie, and took a few more fish till I saw the good brown rise again so I put one over him and as it floated over him I thought it was past and looked to my right to see another fish rise and you guessed it- he took the caddis and it was just too late to get a good hook set-DAM. There are just a bunch of good size rainbows in Bald Eagle at this time, don't know if they put them in or they are from a late stocking, usually we see just a ton of very small rainbows that the state stocks to get rid of excess hatchery stock (brown trout food) but have not seen them this year. All in all it was just a really good day and Wed or Thusrsday look to be just as good. The water is cold and the fish are up BUT they are really picky.

Two rods at this time

At this time of the year you really need to carry "2" rods to be truly ready for what happens, during the Trico spinner fall you will see many violent rises to the "little tan caddis" that are on our water at this time of the year and a quick cast over that fish will result in a quick take. Well how do you do this, fish with someone and carry 2-3 rods, one rigged for #22 Trico's, one rigged for #18 tan caddis drys and maybe a 3rd one rigged for beetles. You think that would be hard, well it is not, when my fishing buddy was alive we would take "3" rods along and have them ready at this time of the year, we took turns either catching a fish or not hooking one then the other guy would get the rod choice, this worked very well and made us both much better fishermen. I suggest that you find someone that is not in to competive vertures and at least try this out- I'm off to find the Trico's and caddis today!

Raspberrys, Beetles, Ants & Trico's

Had a few hand fulls of black raspberries on Monday and it's time for the beetles and ants on Penns, Spring, Fishing Creek and Bald Eagle. Spring did not dissapoint for the beetle action, just find some slower water that has a good amount of cover along the bank and plop the beetle near the shore and watch out BUT not all the takes will be seen, some take them so softly that it is dam hard to see, I had 4 tkaes this way and never saw it till I lifed for the next cast and wham there they were. I think that my new beetle pattens that uses metalic dubbing and rubber legs just is a bit too heavy to float really well and that is why some of the takes have been just maybe under the surface. I also saw a good amount of Trico's and saw a few rises to them, not a good hatch/spinner fall but it will only get better. Also remember that the small Psedo's will be on the water on Penns and Fishing Creeks in the mornings and the fish get on them big time, size 18 dark rust spinner will do the trick as will a black ant fished WET!! I just might be tempted to try wet wading this next week but will have to think that one over. Get out there before it's just too warm.

Drunella (Cornuta)

Sunday evening again found me below Coburn looking for the spinner fall, well it was on! Not many cars at the walk over bridge is a suprise, walked out and took a peak, rising fish and a garder snake on the bridge! Got dressed and walked to my area, as soon as I got in the water "2" fish were rising just above me, took the first one but the other was just above and to the right of a large rock, missed him once and when he began to rise again I got the dam fly stuck on the float into the rock, done! All in all I took a bunch of browns and had "4" of the really nice fish landed with one more running straight into a root pile and breaking me off. The next to last fish I had to give him the fly because I could not get the forcepts out fast enogh to release him so I bite the tippet off BUT when I tried to tie another spinner on it must have taken me 5 imn's to do it all the whitle selling my soul to the devel. I tired everything I could to get that 5.5x tippet into the flies eye and then it just went it, took one more big guy and when I lifterd him out of the water I noticed that the fly was again in the corner of the mouth and need to be cut- so much for the night! I need those darn C&F fly threaders or somebody to go along to tie flies on! Checked out my other guys on the way out and the one at the top of the run is on fire eating as is the other "3" just below him along with more at the bottom of the run, looks like another trip to Coburn this week. It does not get better tna this BUT it is not everywhere so be mobile

Years to catch the bugger

Well it only took 4 years to catch this trout, I like to fish the long pool below Coburn that is on the Bud Teamen property becuse it has some really fine trout be they a challenge to catch but this happened during the Drake hatch. I was at the bottom of the pool sitting on one of the big rocks that give you full view of most of the pool, well a very big fish caome up and took a dun and pushed a ton of water doing it! Well I saw it and was going to wait till he came up again and he did BUT some clown in a white tee shirt also saw it and came down stream and asked if i saw it and I said yes at the same time he cast is spinning line in complete with a huge bobber and nite crawler! Well it was time to leave! I have checked on this guy for the past 4 years but have not seen him again but in fairness I don't stay that late any more but this May I was there by accident during the Drake hatch. Well he started to rise and take about every 4th or 5th Drake that came down the pike, It took a while till I could get down past those rocks and slowly wade upstream not makeing any waves or sounds, it took "2" casts over him till he took- then all hell broke loose, thank heavens I had 4x on but I just could not handle him, he went where ever he wanted to go and that was mostle upstream. I finaly got him under control and had a great time slowly playing him till I could get him close BUT as usual I did not have a net and try as Imigh to get him along my leg to pin him and get my hands around him, hell I even trie to grab him by the tail, it must have looked like a clown show. I never did get him close and in one split second he was gone- a GD curled leader end came back to my head. I will only say he was at least a 4-5 big boy and worth the wait! Still to this day I will not carry a net in PA, I do not need soemthing else to worry about. This is the best part of trout fishing finding good fish or fish that are in very tought places and just trying to get good clean shots at them and being happy if you do or do not get them.

Water water

This past week was a good one if you like trying dry fly conditions, meaning what the heck are they eating at any given time? I saw a multi. emergence events the days I was on stream. At this point in time you really must just stop casting and pay attention to what the fish are telling you, in the rif's it was March Brown's and in the tail outs it was Grey Fox's, in the evening below the riffles and mid pool it was Sulphurs it all is dependent on where and when you are at any given time. This Friday we had 2" of rain at our home but it was a pretty gentle rain and not a sudden event so our streams might just hold up. I know some guys are hyping it up for the Green Drake and high water and yes I remember when Jim Leathers and I fished at Johnson's during a very high water event we only leaned over the bank and did very well just casting a few feet up or down the bank only ever getting in the water in a very few places BUT be careful remember that waders do fill up with water very fast when you not wearing a belt and even if you have one on it's not easy to right yourself. I am still seeing a ton of guys on the stream and parking is getting to be a real issue, seems as if we are seeing no manners both parking and on the stream. I had some ass hole come down stream after I landed a few fish and he just kept getting closer and closer till he was on top of me, I did not explode but got out and moved. We need more golf courses to get these ass holes off the streams. It's hurry up and wait for the Drakes and I for one will not be anywhere in that mess but go if you want BUT remember the rules about fishing after dark in the C&R section of Penns.

One of the best times to fish

Now is one of the best times that you might have this year to fish, March Brown's, Grey Fox, Caddis, Stoneflies, Crane flies and of course Sulphurs! It can be very hard to determine exactly what the trout are on at some times but when in doubt it's usualy the smallest fly (because most of time it's the largest population). I love this time and will wade up the middle of the tail outs of pools and fish to the banks using a March Brown or Grey Fox emerger usualy with great sucess and this year has been no exception BUT at any given time I'm ready to change if I see some other kind of activity. At this time of year I'm not really a fan of spinners because the dam March Brown's seem to appear then poof don't fall and you got nothing in your hand. This year seems to have more anglers than normal and that is a trend that is concerning because of some of the no trespassing signs that have popped up, another sign of just stupid people joining our ranks- please take up golf and get the hell off our streams. This past week I saw stupid people parking in places that should have been left open but again in their haste they choose to park up a lot and not leave any room for the camp owners! If you want to see a total zoo this week go to Spring Creek and partake in the Sulphur experience, it's not bad during the day BUT in the evening it is just not something you want to see, total combat fishing just as bad as the stupit Green Drake on Penns! The sulphur harch and spinner fall on Penns will chalange the best of us because of the different stages of the emerging duns and what each fish is feeding on and the same holds true for the spinners, males or females which is on the menue. Please be respectful of all land owners and most of all each other, let's keep this a clean experience.

Water water everywhere

You could just tell that our wonderful Spring was not going to last, our water levels were just about perfect until we got 4+ inches of rain and the prospect of more coming over the next few days, my advice get out today! Hendrickson's and Blue Quills are going strong on Penns and Big Fishing creeks, Spring is just about ready for the Grannom, things move fast even in high water conditions. It has not seemed to be as crowded as in years past but the true test will be when we see the first Sulphurs then we will know how crowded it will get. I see some guys that will tell you the high water is no problem for them and the rest of you to bad, not a good presentation to give to people who look to you for good solid info., be honest in our assements of conditions and not put busniess in front of safety plus make sure our newer people have a good experience on the water. Just got a look at some of the new wading shoes from Korkers and they look really good, I have been using a couple of pairs of Cloudvale light weight shoes and love them because of the weight and that your not tired from dragging around really heavy wading shoes. I hope the trend to lighter weights continues in the future, it sucks having to walk in the those heavy shoes. I guess it is a function of getting older and not needing that heavy ankle protection because we are not aggressive waders. Get our and enjoy befor the 1.5" of rain falls on Thi=ursday.

Get out there!

Do not wait any longer, go fishing now, the Hendrickson's are on Penns big time! have not seen many Quil Gordon's and the Grannon's are not far away! Little black caddis are also on the menue, caddis in the AM and Henny's around 11 AM and if you stick around all day you'll see a caddis egg laying and a Henny spinner fall in the evening. Our streams are in grat shape and the temp's are about right for this time of year, just remember that you may not be the only fellow to be fishing the same area so give people space. Haooy Easter

Spring is upon us

Spring is here well it was! Now we are going to deal with high water for a time, the Blue Quills have been going on for about 10 days on Big Fishing Creek and the trout have been on them big time,don't plan on getting to the stream early because this is an 11:00 AM on hatch. The Quills start slow and go for a burst then stop and come again. The Olives have been great on Spring and the midge rise has also been very good. It's time to fish Litle Black Caddis pupa on our streams because they will be out shortly as will the Grannon when it warms up. Note this Wed. the 27 at 7:00 PM in State College at the State Theatre there will be a showing of the Fly Fishing Film Tour- a great time to watch the films and win some really cool stuff- plane on going.

Going back

Started to update all my fly boxes and clean fly rods and reels, tying new patterns and reloading the flies that I use the most. I have noticed that i have far too many differend manufactures of hooks and have made the decision to limit them to Tiemco, Fulling Mill and 1 series of Trout Legend. I still love Gamagatsu hooks but they seem to be very hard to find, old Mustad are fine but the eyes seem to be a bit different now that the newer hooks are out. the one hook that I will never us is Firehole, the owner will not own up to deffective materials and now I see on Facebook some guys are bitching about the size varations of them. We have all seen differences bewteen manf's but with Tiemco and Mustad there seems to be at least comp. sizes. OH my I forgot Diacchi- great hooks but again they seem to be a bit hard to come by but their "big eye" series is a gods sent to us old farts. So in closing I will be giving a lot of hooks away to the Spring Creek TU fly tying class this Winter.

Year in review

2023 was a good year not great but good. Had great fishing for the times that I got on the water, Grannoms at Fishing Creek along with Hendrickson's. March Bown's and Grey Fox on Penns were also wonderful below Coburn at a spot that I have not been able to fish in a few years because of some really weird people and a huge dobermen that I later found out was nice after meeting you!!! Sulphurs were also wonderful on both Penns and Spring Creek but they also tend to bring out a ton of people. The Green Drake is not something I care much about because of the amount of really dumb people out when they are on! The summer Olives and small tan caddis were wonderful below Coburn as well as the caddis on Spring Creek. The Trico's were outstanding on both Spring Creek and Bald Eagle but on the Eagle you have to get there within the first 2 weeks or you have a hell of a time catching fish after they have been fished over. The raspberries on Spring Greek were just outstanding again this year, ate a ton and took a pint home with me! This fall the Olives and Midges have been and still continue to be a great way to spend a cloudy afternoon. Results of the redd cout for this year was just wonderful, this year we counted 1,829 redds and in 2022 the count was 1,473 shows that our number of fish spawning has increased and that means more wild trout in the system. On a side not Jan. 20th @ 2:00 PM in State Colleg's "State Theatre" there will be aspecial screening of "Live The Stream- The Story of Joe Humohreys, tickets are $15.00 and be purchased at the door. Jim Sorry I did not say much about the Summer Olives but I did catch "3" of the largest trout of the year during that time frame but I will remember that sesson with the "dick head" and will not be going back to that favorite portion of Penns in the near or far future, time to move on it's just to much effort to deal with really dumb ass people.