hatch charts for Bushkill and Little Lehigh

[forksfishing]

Hello all,

New fly fisherman here and I’m very happy to find this site.

This will be my first time fly fishing other than a day trip while in college many years ago. I managed to pick up a 5wt 9ft rod and reel with some weight forward floating line and now I need to figure out a good set of flies to start out with. I live in the Lehigh valley and would like to try some streams close to home like the little Lehigh and in particular the Bushkill in Easton.

I'm trying to find some hatch charts for these creeks as I thought that may be a good place to start so I can figure out what types of flies/sizes I should start with, leader size, tippets etc. Also can anyone recommend some streamers and terrestrials that I should have in my box for these streams?
Thank you for your time

 

[Volksnurse]

Is this what you mean?
http://www.paflyfish.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=136

 

[whheff]

Whe the Little Lehigh Fly shop was open Rod had a hatch chart for the LL. I don't know if Dave has that same chart now that he is running the Heritage Fly Shop on the LL. Stop in and ask him if he has that hatch chart.

 

[sroach]

Here is another one, it's from another web site.. sorry if that is not allowed here:

http://www.flyfishingconnection.com/lehighcreek.html

 

[forksfishing]

Thanks to all for the replies and links!

I was able to find an address for the Heritage angler so I wil have to check that out as I need some help picking out my first set of flies for these creeks.

Does anyone have a phone number for the Heritage angler or know when they are typically open?

 

[Volksnurse]

This is it:
Heritage Fly Shop
2643 Fish Hatchery Road
Allentown, PA 18103
610-248-8836

Hours:
Monday: Appointment only
Tuesday: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Thursday: Appointment only
Friday: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 to 2:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 to 2:00 PM


Thanks FaceBook!

 

[Chaz]

Here you are, this is based on my experience on these streams.
Jan 1-30 a smattering of little black stone flies, the main hacth coming off in Feb.
Also BWO #20 sporadic on warmer days. Both of these can be fished with nymphs for the entire period.
Midges about anytime during this timeframe.
Feb 1-28 little black stone flies # 18 on any given day the entire hatch can happen in a couple of days time. Usually very good if there is snow on the ground.
March 1 -30 Large black stones #14 all month into April. They last longer when the cold weather extends into April. Later in the month especially on warm days look for little black caddis in # 18 and #20.
April 1 through Dec, Crane Flies, especially orange # 18,also gray and olive. During this same period. Caddis, gray tan and green, with sporadic black caddis mixed in. All in # 18 except the green they would be #14.
May 1- 31 This is when the bulk of the mayflies hatch starting with Pink Cahills, and ending with #16 Sulphurs, in between we have some March Browns, # 14 sulphurs which I’ve seen as early as May 1 but usually not until after May 15. #14 Light Cahills, #18 BWO’s. Also don’t overlook the spinners and nymphs of these species.
June 1-30 continues the smaller sulphurs, and any time during the month you stat to see Little Blue Quills in the morning and the spinners in the evening. These are mostly #18’s but later during the hatch become #20’s. Often confused with tricos. BWO’s during the evenings.
July 1- 31 Tricos in the mornings # 24 there is no other size of these bugs in Pa despite what others claim. BWO’s in the evenings. Midges anytime
August 1-31 Tricos mornings, # 14 white cahills also morning spinners during the evening.
A smattering of Hex. Atrocaudata about an 1 ½” long in the evening, male a female are di-morphic males darker than females. Isonychias hatch is sporadic all summer but increase as the summer ends with good numbers falling on the water toward the end of August and thru Sept.
Sept. 1 – 30 #14 Isonychia all month spinners in the evening. Some fall caddis start in late Sept. these are cinnamon # 12’s and #10’s. Nymphs are green and build stick houses. Use a greeny worm to imitate the nymph and pupae.
Oct 1-31 continuation of fall caddis. #18 BWO’s Isonychias slow down.
Nov 1-30 tricos end on Dec. 1 but are hatching later and later during the day up till then. I’ve seen them as late as 400 pm. Hatches pretty slow except on warmer days. Most days are nymphing or streamer days.
Dec 1- 31 nymphs of various species especially stone flies. Also brassies, and Al’s Rat.
I may have missed some doing this on the "fly." But this is pretty much it, with these hatches occuring throughout SE PA.

 

[steve2u42]

wow Chaz, that is an awesome report. wish there were more like it for other streams in Pa.

 

[Chaz]

Many good trout streams have an assortment of these bugs, maybe not all and the best of the best have your hendricksons and gordons and some others.

 

[forksfishing]

Thanks Chaz and to the rest of the community for your time. This is extremely helpful to a new fisherman like myself. Now I at least have an idea of what type and size flies I should start with this season.

Very much appreciated!

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Forks - Chaz's "hatch chart" is pretty good for the Little Lehigh, but it leaves out some important food sources for the fish.

The source waters come from springs that emanate through limestone rock strata. The feeder streams that dump into the Little Lehigh are also limestone spring fed. Other than stormwater runoff from developed areas, the majority of water in the stream above the sewage treatment plant is limestone spring water. Despite some claims I've seen on the forum, the Little Lehigh is a true limestoner.

That said, an important food source for the fish includes scuds and cressbugs. It's also got a good population of craneflies, and immitations of cranefly larva (Walt's Worm) work well all year long.

I've participated in several stream surveys that sampled the bug life in the stream, and we always found that midges were the predominant food source available to the fish.

Various minnows, sculpins, crayfish, and terrestrials were also found in good numbers. Suckers also spawn in late winter, and their eggs are an important food source as well.

There's other bugs that can be found there, but usually not in fishable numbers. At one time, green drakes were introduced, but never really established themselves. Seeing yellow drakes is not uncommon, though not in good numbers.

From my experience, the food sources available to trout in the Little Lehigh are very similar to Spring Creek in Centre County. The flies that work on Spring, also work well on the Little Lehigh, and visa versa. YMMV...

H.A.

 

[Chaz]

I left out the fish food and crustaceans because they aren’t hatches per se, but they are important food items. The question was about hatches.

 

[littlelehigh]

Thank you Chaz and H.A. for this awesome break down on the LL I can't say I've never seen anything else printed in such detail regarding the LL on the interweb.

Chaz I've seen big bugs size 10 ish on late March or Early April mornings. I've wondered if they are Quill Gordons? Your thoughts? It was when temps were above average for the day.

These posts deserve to be added to anyone's scrap book who will ever fish the LL regularly.

 

[mushumatt]

Wow just helped me so much thanks chaz and HA making the drive tomorrow morning to get a day of fishing in, never fished the LL gonna be fun

 

[snag]

Thanks Chaz and H.A. Great info for a beginner like myself.

 

[PhilC]

I've never seen March Browns or Isos on the LL, only on the upper Lehigh...I'll have to keep an eye out

 

[Chaz]

There are some of each though I wouldn't go there expect them on the LL, but the Bushkill is goof for both.