Clarks Creek - Gypsy Moth Caterpillars

[pafisherman]

Hey Guys..
I was fishing Clarks Creek yesterday. It is fast becoming my favorite stream. I have found lots of picky somewhat uncooperative trout...lol. I tend to like to fish dry fly fishing and have been able to pick up some fish on EHC. Anyway on Sunday the wind was blowing a bit and lots of stuff was falling from the trees into the water. I noticed a number of fish taking something off the top but no real hatches were apparent. Ants beetle etc. brought no strikes. As I was walking the banks I saw a number of gypsy moth caterpillars hanging from the trees. and had a few on my arms. I have never read anything on have not seen a fly desined to imitate a gypsy month caterpillar but the more I think the more I am sure they were taking caterpillars..so far they are pretty small.. off the surface...
Anyone else think I might be correct..??
Bill

 

[Padraic]

Bill,

I don't think they would take the Gypsy Moth. I think that caterpillar has a sticky poison that tastes bad to the trout. Anyway, I have seen trout hit them and spit them out really quick.

Clarks does have a famous catepillar "hatch" of green inchworms. You can use green weenies (which I tie unweighted for this time of year) or specific patterns. I also like Lime Trudes this time of year. LT's are good for sulphurs and yellow sallies, but I think the trout on Clarks just get keyed in the color.

 

[MattBoyer]

Padraic wrote:
Bill,

I don't think they would take the Gypsy Moth. I think that caterpillar has a sticky poison that tastes bad to the trout. Anyway, I have seen trout hit them and spit them out really quick.

Clarks does have a famous catepillar "hatch" of green inchworms. You can use green weenies (which I tie unweighted for this time of year) or specific patterns. I also like Lime Trudes this time of year. LT's are good for sulphurs and yellow sallies, but I think the trout on Clarks just get keyed in the color.

I'll second Pad's opinion for the most part, and I do think they have a toxin, but for some crazy reason, I've had days back when baitfishing where they worked. I had always been told since I was little that trout didn't eat them, but a few times when my buddy and I were fishing for natives we saw them being murdered, so we caught some and had a blast. It was like fishing dries with a 3 1/2 foot rod. I'm wondering if there are some strains of brookies that aren't bothered by them, as it's only ever happened on 2 small creeks that I have seen. Either that or we never gave them the time to spit them out.

Boyer

 

[Padraic]

Matt,

I think they have to "learn" that the gypsy isn't good to eat. And then of course, trout have rotten memories. So they probably have to relearn it everyday. So I am sure that trout hit the gypsy, they just don't hit them twice in the same day or hold on to them long.

 

[buffalo]

Bill
We gotta hook up sooner or later, besides the feathers and some egg making material I have a green inch worm pattern and a tent catepiller pattern that have worked for me on Clarks in the past.

If you like PM me you address and I'l mail a couple of these flys out to you.

Bob

 

[TimB]

I fished Clarks Sunday afternoon and saw the same caterpillars. Saw some on the water and quite a few hanging from trees.

Not too sure if they were gypsy moths or not. The trout weren't very active (for a change) so I never saw if they had much interest in the worms on the water. Thought about greasing up an unweighted woolly bugger to see if the trout were interested, but never actually got around to it.

BTW, There were probably more anglers on Clarks on Sunday than I've ever seen in the fly stretch. I can't imagine it was the fish for free crowd, but the extra traffic sure put down the trout.

 

[PaulG]

Tim, Bill

Im starting to feel better, and need to get back into some fishing, next time you guys go let me give me a call or let me know.

Tim, I have noticed when aother streams are high, clarks gets a lot more fishermen, plus the fish for free day probably added to the pressure. I can remember not that many years ago, if you drove up through the fly area and seen 4 or 5 cars, I would think it was crowded,times have changed, I still love the place!

PaulG

 

[tabasco_joe]

Padraic wrote:
Bill,

I don't think they would take the Gypsy Moth. I think that caterpillar has a sticky poison that tastes bad to the trout. Anyway, I have seen trout hit them and spit them out really quick.

Clarks does have a famous Caterpillar "hatch" of green inchworms. You can use green weenies (which I tie unweighted for this time of year) or specific patterns. I also like Lime Trudes this time of year. LT's are good for sulphurs and yellow sallies, but I think the trout on Clarks just get keyed in the color.

One of the shops in the Pocono area is selling Gypsy Moth Caterpillar flies. maybe they work just because they are buggy? (Or maybe they don't work and it's a sales thing.)

When I was researching Bt for the thread I posted I did see some data that suggests mice that were fed large amounts of Bt developed internal lesions. They probably were fed mountains of the stuff but it would be heartening to know that trout aren't gobbling up tons of dead caterpillars after the spraying.

 

[LarryFine]

I'm pretty sure trout don't like Tent Caterpillars since I've chucked many in the stream with no takers but I do believe trout will eat the Gypsy Moth variety. The only problem is the Gypsy Moths have been in decline in certain areas thanks to spraying so the fish MAY have forgot how delicious they are!

In any case the late great Chauncy Lively once had a Gypsy Moth caterpillar pattern in the old PA Angler magazine that consisted of an extended body made of bunched black deer hair ribbed with ostrich herl. It was a killer back in the pre-Sevin days.

Today I buy Bill Skilton's cylindrical foam in black and do a simple foam inchworm in black with or without the ribbing. The green Skilton foam tied as a floating inchworm is also great on Clark's!

BTW pafisherman; Yellow Breeches Outfitters used to have the Skilton foam in stock.