March 2012 Report
2003-2012
Reports
^^Please check out our archives^^
September 29, 2003 - Update/Stream
Report
We were able to scout out Penns over the weekend. Definitely
not fishable with the gage reporting 1,400cfs on Saturday and then jumping
to over 2,000cfs, after the rain Saturday night into Sunday. Below is
a pic of Penns just below the c&r section. Here the stream is running
over 2,000cfs. If it ever comes down we could be in for a great fall
season up there...Bugs noticed were isos, blue winged olives, october
caddis, crane flies and dark winged/green body caddis. For the october
caddis use a tan/orangish body caddis with light wings. Focusing in
on the pocket water (eddy water behind rocks), hitting each and every
basketball size pocket, can be and extremely productive way to fish
this fly. Actually, fishing an iso dry in the pocket water can be rewarding
as well.
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September 22, 2003 - Fly Pattern
This time of year Isonychia's can provide
some fantastic action. Especially so on our larger waters - the Lehigh,
Penns and the Upper Delaware. Since some isos tend to hatch out of the
water be sure to focus in on the shallow water, as well in the heavy
water where there are current edges behind boulders. Eddies where fast
water meets the bank is worth focusing in on. Since isos area fast swimmers,
be sure to sometimes sweep the fly up off the bottom - imitating a hatching
nymph. Spinner fall action can be hot. Don't forget the jacket though...Below
is an effective nymph pattern - notice the white dorsal line and the
usage of peacock herl...mmm mmm...trout like'em too!
Isonychia
Nymph
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Hook - standard nymph, pupae or swimming nmph
- #10-14
Thread - black
Tail - peacock
Rib - gold or copper wire and brown osterich herl
Mid-dorsal stripe - white thread
Wing Case - brown thin-skin
Legs - brown hackle
Thorax - dark brown, black or peacock dubbing |
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Tying
Instructions...
1) Hook size 10-14 on standard nymph, pupae or
swimming nymph style hook
2) Tie in 3 peacock herl tips for tails w/ black
thread to shank
3) Tie in gold or copper wire for rib, a strand
of white 4/0 or greater thread and a strand of brown osterich
herl to hook shank
- You can also tie in 0.10 diameter lead wire and wrap to add
bulk &
weight to abdomen
4) Wrap the 3 strands of peacock herl for abdomen
up to thorax
5) Spacially wrap brown osterich herl up to thorax
and tie off. The O-herl replicates the gills on the nymph.
5) Pull white tread over top of abdomen and secure
at thorax
6) Wrap wire up to thorax and tie off.
7) Add piece of brown Thin-Skin for wing case
8) Tie in piece of black hackle for legs
9) Use dark brown, black or peacock dubbing and
build up the thorax
10) Take hackle and wrap 2-3 times for legs (trim
bottom hackles when complete)
11) Pull Thin-Skin over top of dubbing/thorax
and tie off
12) Pull white thread over top of wing case and
tie off
13) Whip-finish and add head cement to complete
tie.
September 15, 2003 - Lehigh
River - Lehighton to Walnutport
Had Nate and Brian in the boat this weekend. Nate
won a free float trip that we dontated as a door prize to TCO for their annual Spring Party this past March. We must have rescheduled
this trip 5 times this year due to water being too high to fish but
we finally got some nice flows and decided to hit it. Nate decided
to bring along his best buddy Brian. Nothing like having two college
buddies that are best of friends in the boat all day. Let me tell
ya the trash talkin started early and never let up. All
in good fun.
Nate wanted to see the mighty Lehigh and we did just
that. We put in at Lehighton and floated to Walnutport.
We covered over 12 miles of river today. Water was extremely clear with
a temp around 64 degrees F in the AM and 69 degrees F when we reached
Walnutport. Flows were around 600 cfs (Lehighton). Fishing
started off hot, hitting mostly nice sized smallmouth around the 12
inch mark and some decent size fall fish on brown wooly buggers.
Trout action pick up as we made our way closer to the PA Turnpike bridge.
Fishing seemed to slow in the afternoon but we finished with a flurry
of activity right before dark. We had some caddis, isonychia and
BWOs sporadically hatching all day. Right before dark we had a
fairly heavy hatch of sulphurs that brought a lot of fish to the surface.
This was great to witness for this time of year.
Today's tally was about 6 or 7 trout to the boat with some long distant
releases. Biggest fish award goes to Brain boating a beautiful
15" bow. Nate had a big fish on just before dark but never
landed it and we never got a look at it
.hook pulled after a five
minute battle. All fish were fat, healthy, very colorful and most
importantly RELEASED! Great job to Nate and Brian.
Lehigh River brown prior to release |
The mighty Lehigh River |
Nate with a Lehigh River 'bow |
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September 8, 2003 - Lehigh
River - Lehighton to Bowmanstown
Did a morning float on Saturday. Noticed quite a few
bugs throughout the time on the water tricos, caddis, and a few
insonychias. This just goes to show the continued improvement with the
water quility in the Lehigh. Tricos were swarming over just about every
riff. Flows were running pretty substantial about 1,350cfs at
the Lehighton gage with a pretty heavy Pocono Plateau tannic
stain. With this type flow/clarity finding rising fish can be tough.
You gotta key on the really slow areas behind islands, eddies,
or along the banks. And it was in these places we did see a few fish
come up. Landed one brown on top with a brown cdc caddis. And missed
a few others this way as well. Managed all other fish on buggers. In
fact we got a nice looking brookie on the bugger. About a dozen smallies
came to net as well - with a couple in the two pound range - fat smallies
for the Lehigh. Hopefully with the cooler temps and gradually lower
flows the fish begin looking up. Big water and close to home
the Lehigh. Give us a shout if you would like to check it out.
Some pics to some shortly...Nice stretch of weather coming our way for
a bit - get out and enjoy. Especially the bigger waters since it has
been a while since they have been fishable - ie., Lower Delaware, The
Susquehanna and Juniata.
Lehigh River brownie |
Lehighton put-in |
A sharp lookin wild Lehigh brookie |
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Update - September 4, 2003
Here we go again
Streams and rivers
are at record levels for the date. This just continues to be an unreal
year for precip just about everywhere - with the trout and smallies
getting a long rest from the pressures of being a targeted species by
us fly fishers. Just think what those brownies are gonna look like in
Penns next spring. However, before we get there, fall can have its rewards
as well. Continue to look for isonychias, olives, October caddis - which
is essentially a big-orange caddis about a size 10. I would focus underneath
though, with a pair of wets - buggers (could be the fly
of the year
), stone flies, hares ear, iso nymphs, caddis
worms. And load'em up with weight.
The rewards of fishing Penns in the fall..
For those looking to hit the salt - keep
an eye on the swell created by our friend - Fabian. From what we hear
- there are lots of blues around in the Ocean City, NJ area. So as long
as the food doesn't move - nor should the fish. Bait is silversides
- clousers do the trick and this can be a good time to clean-out a few
of those beat-up flies. Shoot us an e for more info on this
The
Lehigh is pumpin' mid-60 degree water from the dam. We plan on hittin'
this over the weekend - curious to see how this fared this summer
Continue
to keep involved with LRSA regarding any and all news about the Lehigh.
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Take a look at the above two
charts, taken from the USGS site. The left one is from about a
month ago and the right from today - 9.4.03...Anywhere you see
a black dot means the gage is reporting a record high water level
reading for that day. Anywhere you see a blue dot means the reading
is in the top 10% for that day. Can we say groundwater! |
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Penns Report - September 2,
2003
Dean hit Penns Creek this past weekend for a couple
of short fishing sessions in the catch and release area. Caught
4 fish Sunday evening, 2- 12" browns, 1-16" Rainbow and 1-
PFBC stocked fingerling (fingerlings in Penns you say?? - more on this
below). Early Monday morning brought heavy rains to the area.
The creek rose about 6 by 9 am and turned a bit off color.
Fished the lower C&R area for about 3 hrs. 8 - 12"-14"
browns were brought to net and 3 more PFBC fingerlings. Flies
of choice this weekend were Isonychia and stonefly nymphs with a Nitro
nymph as a trailer nymph. 90% of the fish took the Nitro.
All fish were fat - full of food and had plenty of spunk in them.
It has been a great year for this fishery. Water temps ranged from 60-65
degrees F. Isonychia and caddis were hatching in small numbers
but BWOs were most plentiful of all the bugs hatching. Fall fishing
on Penns should be spectacular.
PFBC fingerlings? Yes our beloved PA Fish Commission
stocked Penns Creek with fingerlings this past June. The PFBC
did this stocking in an attempt to increase trout populations and improve
the trout fishing on Penns. Humm?? I for one don't
agree in mixing wild trout populations with stocked trout whether it
be catchable size or fingerlings. Studies prove that the two populations
don't mix well. Hopefully all the PFBC is doing is adding to the
forage base for the 18"+ browns that swim in Penns.
As far as the quality of fishing in Penns, just look at our past Penns
reports and the fishing has been excellent in my opinion.
We have had great outings this year catching a good quantity of fish
and the quality/size of trout has been the best in many years.
Yes, Penns trout are tough to catch and don't seem to like to rise for
dry flies. If I were a trout in Penns, why would I want to rise
for a dry fly and expose myself to predators when I have food drifting
among the rocks and in front of me 24/7. If you put your time in, willing
to cover some ground and work a bit harder to catch fish, Penns can
by a very rewarding experience. Your surroundings will speak for
themselves.
If your interested in some Fall fishing give us a call
or shoot us an "E". Everything is shaping up to be a
spectacular fall season. Plenty of water, lots of active fish
and dont forget the scenery!!!!
A beautiful, well-fed Penns holdover 'bow - she ate the nitro.
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Schuylkill Report - September
1, 2003
Floated the Schuylkill in the Royersford area
water
clarity was great - upwards to 5' or so. Lots of small fish landed with
one nice Schuylkill smallie coming to net. Finding deeper water was
the key. Buggers and clousers did the trick - no topwater to speak of.
The smallie in the pic took a chartreause cone-head bugger. Just as
we were ending our float was when the skies opened up. Boy did it rain!
And at the time of writing it looks like we are in for some more.
Russ with a nice smallie.
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