Browns on th LJ

[FiveWeight]

Howdy all,

We were up at camp last month, 8th thru the 11th. Fished the LJ at the Barree Access. On the 10th I fished the slow water down from the RR bridge. Water level was good. I could wade into places that I had not gotten into since last year. I was fishing a soft hackle wet fly and on the first cast to a log jam on the far bank a real nice brown hit the fly before it even had time to sink. This thing tail walked like a billfish. I was shocked. It took me a good 5 minutes to bring it to hand. I have a mark on my rod at 16" it was every bit of that and a little more. Nice and fat. This thing had some shoulders on it. I caught one more brown but no where near the size of the first one. Alexandria had a craft show/street fair going on so when I got back to camp I said something to the wife about it and we headed back up to stroll the street and grab some eats. A good day in central PA is was!

 

[jayL]

The LJ has managed to give one of those guys up ever time I've fished it this year. I have no context of what it was like before the last year or so, but I'd say it's a pretty healthy river.

Sounds like a great time! Congrats.

 

[FiveWeight]

Thanks on the Congrats jayL. I've been fishing the LJ for a number of years now and It can be frustrating for me at times but over all I do OK on it. I haven't fished a lot of it. From Alexandria to just above to RR bridge up stream from Barree. I'd like to fish it all the way up to Spruce but really don't know how long it would take to fish it that far. Any info on this would be great. I'd like to give the wife a time to come pick me up. Yes, I know there are a lot of variables in a guesstamate of that nature but just a rough time would be fine. Any and all thought on this would be great. I have brought so many really nice fish to hand in the last couple of years on the lower stretch of water. I find it hard to believe that it's me getting better but I'll take it for what it's worth. This past spring I caught the largest brown in my life on the tail water out of the dam off the back side of Corbin Island. It was easily over 20" and like a football. I damn near kept it and had it mounted but I thought better of it and let it go. I did take a picture of it and immediately dropped the camera in the water..... Not happy about that. The picture never came out and the camera is a gonner. Again, thanks for the congrats.

Tom's Place
http://home.ptd.net/~spenser4/

 

[dryflyguy]

5 weight -

That craft fair in alexandria is called Hartslog Days - got no idea what it means though. But it does bring out lots of people to that little town.
I also fished the little j that sunday - the 11th - by the route 305 bridge. It got a little breezy that afternoon, and knocked a good bit of leaves into the water. So, I took a break at the sports bar in alexandria, and watched the stillers beat the lions.

As for hiking up into the gorge - If you went straight up without fishing, it would probably take about an hour or so to reach spruce creek. But once you reach DB's stretch, you'll have to keep your feet wet, and that will slow you down some.
When I go up there, I usually fish my way up and back, and make a day of it. There's lots of nice water.

 

[TUNA]

It is about an hour walk up to Spruce, and the Beav's water is very nice. Lots of nice fish. If the water is high it's kind of tough getting up through all of the long slow holes, but it is worth the walk. I fish it several times a year, I live in Altoona, and always seem to do well from the Baree parking area all the way up to Spruce and above. I just don't like that the Beav has to put pig fish in there though. Shouldn't be stocking the Little J down there!

 

[littlejuniata]

Nice reports guys, I love to see folks enjoying the Little "J"

good to hear there are at least some trout with "shoulders"

I used to find fresh water shrimp on the railroad side of the river, just in spring seeps though, just below or at the club water, don't remember

I see all our Penn State folks are here, 35 degrees and sunny

Penn State 24 Ohio State 10

the town will be rocking

GO LIONS