Mcmichael's creek in Monroe Co.

[Opie610]

Probably heading up to McMichaels creek tomorrow for the first time. Any helpful advice would be appreciated. Where to start? Where to park?

Thanks
Opie

 

[hooker-of-men]

The DHALO section isn't exactly big enough to get lost in, so starting points are pretty limited. There are two parking lots in Hickory Valley park on the Hickory Valley Road side. The land in between the lots is posted private property. Access is pretty self-explanatory once you're there. Just don't bother with Glenbrook Road on the other side of the creek; there's nowhere to park and it's a long steep cliff down to the water.

I've had more luck closer to the downstream (more eastern) parking lot, but I think everyone else has too because there are always at least one or two other people there (including the weekdays I've fished or walked the dog there this week).

Hope that helps.

 

[fisherboy3]

There are those two parking areas in the dhalo, and there is one more. there was an old slaughter house that is pretty run down, burnt down ect. Park next to it in the stroud park gravel lot. Good water throughout there. The dhalo was stocked 9 days ago. Goodluck.- Kev

 

[Opie610]

Thanks for the help guys I will post a report when I get home. By the way does anyone know if they float stock or just dump at access points?

 

[GenCon]

Opie610 wrote:
Thanks for the help guys I will post a report when I get home. By the way does anyone know if they float stock or just dump at access points?

I do not believe they float stock it. It does not really matter. There is always a ton of holdover fish. Also some wild. You just have to pick through the stockies to find them. I like to park at the lower end and work up. You are going through a golf course. It is a fun place to fish and relatively easy to wade. You may see some BWO's .

Good luck Gencon

 

[Millsertime]

I fished there Wed and was told it was float stocked by someone that helped. I landed several fresh stockers, all bows. Stoneflies and caddis. Some of the fresh stockers were even taking naturals off the surface. Pretty good for only being in there for a week.

 

[Opie610]

Just got back and had a great day! I parked at the bottom end of the DHALO section when i arrived at 7:00 a.m. Fished upstream up to the bend and nothing. Jumped back in the Jeep and headed for the middle parking area. I met two fellas from Quakertown that parked at the upper end and had fished downstream. They hadn't caught anything either. So now i'm getting a little nervous.
I get down to the water find a spot and after about 20 finally land a freshly stocked rainbow. The 4 guys in the hole above were just hammering fish, 1 after another. Anyway i catch a couple more stockers then move on downstream. There I land 2 holdover Brookies each about 13 inches. Very pretty fish. Walk back up to original hole land a couple more and then BAM! Something just smacks the crap out of my #16 pheasant tail. This this is fighting like it's big but i cant see it because the hole is pretty deep and it doesn't want anything to do with coming up. Finally i get it up and it was the most beautiful rainbow i have ever caught. Not big at all maybe pushing 14 inches but man did it fight. I would say definitely a holdover. The colors were unreal, like something you would see from out West .

Anyway great day and I cant thank you guys enough that replied and helped me out. Hopefully i can return the favor.

Opie

 

[fisherboy3]

Did you fish up through the golf course? They dump a good amount of fish in there.

 

[hooker-of-men]

Where is the 3rd parking lot? On the east side of the golf course? I only know the lot at the top of the hill by the giant building/slaughterhouse and the lot that's right on the water at the far west end of Hickory Valley Park.

 

[Opie610]

There is another one at the down steam end across the bridge on Glenbrook rd.
I mostly fished by the slaughterhouse parking lot. Walked down stone trail to the homestead type building. They must have opened the gate for the truck to drive right in. As far as the golf course I didn't have nay action there at all.

 

[fisherboy3]

Thats unusual. Those two deep pools at the bends in the creek usually hold a ton of stockies. The slaughterhouse has good water. There is a big rock that sticks out up stream of the trail and usually has some good fish in it also.

 

[hooker-of-men]

Fished today from afternoon into the evening, and the place - especially the middle lot - was bonkers. I staked out a spot as far from people upstream and downstream as possible and stayed put, but was still faced with a barrage of quite untimid folks passing through. Dudes shouldering in and casting into the hole I'm fishing. Spin fisherman hanging out of trees up on the banks and fishing right on top of me. No one was outright aggressive, but it was actually worse than anywhere I've ever fished on opening day besides the Wissahickon.

2 hits on dries, but lost them both. There was a hatch of what I think were small, brown caddis that was pretty intense, but my entomology sucks so I might be mistaken. In any case, lots of insects.

 

[Millsertime]

I fished McMichael's about a week ago. Not too crowded. I saw a few trout chasing caddis almost immediately. Switched to a black caddis and had 3-4 great drag free drifts from below the fish. No hits.

Moved upstream 10-20' to fish to the "risers" from an upstream angle. No hits. A few casts/drifts later, I don't recast immediately at the end of the drift which caused my fly to "skitter" across the water. More than 1 fish try smashing the fly. I recast and start to "skitter" the fly again which caused an obscene amount of drag. Fish hammer it and continue to cast after cast. I kept doing this in a single hole for more than an hour and landed many fresh stockers.

Bottom line: Fresh stockers are typically caught with unconventional but still enjoyable methods. Lol.

 

[J55tyger88]

^I noticed this same thing there, monday. After an overshot cast, I dragged my fly into the lane upstream of the fish I was targeting, and it got waffled by another. I noticed a lot of stocked brook trout feeding on the surface.

 

[waterman214]

Fished this past Sunday 3-20 and caught zero. Very cold out.

 

[Flatbrook]

Past Opening Day the crowds will thin. In the meantime a hike away from the obvious stocking points can pay dividends especially with the wild browns which are not shy taking stoneflies on top.

 

[RyanR]

Millsertime wrote:
I fished McMichael's about a week ago. Not too crowded. I saw a few trout chasing caddis almost immediately. Switched to a black caddis and had 3-4 great drag free drifts from below the fish. No hits.

Moved upstream 10-20' to fish to the "risers" from an upstream angle. No hits. A few casts/drifts later, I don't recast immediately at the end of the drift which caused my fly to "skitter" across the water. More than 1 fish try smashing the fly. I recast and start to "skitter" the fly again which caused an obscene amount of drag. Fish hammer it and continue to cast after cast. I kept doing this in a single hole for more than an hour and landed many fresh stockers.

Bottom line: Fresh stockers are typically caught with unconventional but still enjoyable methods. Lol.

Actually, skittering is a valuable technique for more than just fresh stockers. At certain times of the year or for certain hatches (notably caddis and stoneflies) it's practically a must have technique. Up in the Adirondacks, especially on rivers like the West Br. Ausable, it can often be a difference maker. Many guides will tell ya to "skitter 'em." Even up on the Upper Delaware there's times when skittering will draw strikes. My best day ever on Big Fishing Creek was during a golden stonefly "hatch" and for almost 2hrs the more I skittered and splashed the big stimulator, the more aggressive the wild browns slashed at it and took it. I know on other streams guys have had success skittering small black caddis in or near riffles early in the season when the little black stoneflies and caddis are on the water so I'm not too surprised by your success. I often like to mix in some skittering in heavy pocket water or in tannic-stained waters. Congrats.

 

[sarce]

^this! Skittering or Skating caddis dries often outfishes dead drifting. If you see the naturals buzzing low near the water...skitter away!

I've used foam ants in the same manner during a caddis hatch when I had forgotten a fly box and it seems they appear identical to the fish.

 

[Millsertime]

Agree with RyanR and Sarce on skittering advantages. My skittering explained in my post was excessive/obnoxious drag/skitter. Nothing natural about it at all.