New guy

[WoodRiverTroutBum]

Hey guys, my name is Alex and my wife Liz and I both fly fish for everything from native brookies to tuna. We just can't get enough!

We are from Rhode Island but I did live in Delaware Water Gap for a short time, unfortunately I didn't get to fish while I was there.

This weekend we need to be in Stroudsburg for a funeral and plan on fishing Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday. We will bring our trout rods but what we are really hoping to get in to are some smallmouth! We are going in to it completely blind with the exception of whatever I can research over the next two days. Hopefully we can turn it in to a successful trip.

If you guys have any questions about me or my fishing please don't hesitate to ask, I am one of the nice people from RI haha.

Alex

 

[JackM]

Welcome to the board. I can't answer your question as I am from the other side of the state. I am sure you will have many options. I assume you are looking for moving water, not a lake. But, do you like small wadable waters or larger wadable rivers? Streamer fishing or top-water action? This would help narrow it down and assure (if ever possible) a successful trip. How's the fishing up your way?

 

[WoodRiverTroutBum]

Thanks Jack!

Basically anything that is wadable, I am willing to fish. We will have rods from 2wt to 8wt with us to cover brook trout to pike. Neither of us have targeted smallmouth with the long rods yet so that is what we would really like to get in to.

Top water is king but I don't mind fishing subsurface if that is what I need to do to get the bite. I am spinning the heck out of some deer hair over the next couple days to try to fill the boxes up with some poppers and sliders. I also have some foam poppers and will tie some wooly buggers and maybe some small streamers. My only limit to fishing subsurface will be that we only have floating lines for the lighter weight rods. If this wasn't such short notice, I would be a little more prepared.


I was looking through some of the rest of the forum, you guys have a great community here! Lot's of pictures too, I like that :-D

Alex

Edit*

I almost forgot! The fishing is great up here!

 

[JackM]

Pennsylvania is a very rich state for a variety of fly water and species. I don't think anyone will insist you need a sinking line, though on larger rivers, sink-tip setups are popular with streamer FFers. Good luck!

 

[krayfish]

If you are looking for smallies in that neck of the woods, the lower Lehigh and the Delaware River offer some very good bass fishing.

Looking at the surface water gauge and at the forecast, the Delaware would be a death trap to wade. You may have a better chance on the Lehigh (unless it's a rafting weekend). You may be limited to tiny mtn brookie water this weekend.

 

[WoodRiverTroutBum]

Ouch, not what I was hoping to hear but appreciate the information. Our original plan was to head north to NY for smallies but that means a lot more driving and a lot less fishing so I still plan on trying to make PA work. Even if I have to fish creeks and ponds I guess that is what I will do. I will definitely still check out the Lehigh, if it doesn't work out this time maybe next time we will get our hands on some pontoons and try to find some Musky.

 

[SBecker]

Lehigh will be a death trap as well. Rafting weekend and expected to be over pool level. They will match inflow which will be really high after the storms tomorrow. Honestly, I am not sure there will be anywhere for good smallmouth fishing this weekend. Delaware would have been my top choice, but Kray covered that.

 

[krayfish]

Here's the info from Catskill files stream conditions: "The Main Stem is floatable only but is roaring like the Mississippi."

That report is referring to the section that's probably 60 miles above where you were looking to fish. There are a lot of feeders that dump in swelling the river even more. It's got to be muddy like yoohoo. The flow is almost 6000 cfs at Lordville. At Montague NJ, it's almost 18,000 cfs. At those levels.... a pontoon is a death wish. A drift boat would be for expert oarsmen only. I'm not sure that they completely crested yet and there's another 1-3" coming late tonight through Thursday morning. That will spike the flows even more. The dams are spilling over so they can't drop the flows. It's going to be SEVERAL days (mid - late next week) for the flows to drop enough to be pontoon friendly. I'm just trying to save you the time or a possible injury. Here's the USGS link. Dark blue and black dots aren't good for fishing but are good for keeping the flows up and temps down.


http://waterwatch.usgs.gov/?m=real&r=pa&w=map


You may need to drive more to the center of the state. Penns, Spring, Loyalsock, Pine, Big Fishing, etc....they all might be good this weekend even after the rain. Check the gauges.

 

[WoodRiverTroutBum]

Thanks, I definitely wouldn't plan to fish areas that are dangerous and bringing some toons down wouldn't be this trip but a trip in the future to make up for this one.

Looks like it will be either ponds or higher elevation streams this time. Chances are that would be the case anywhere in the north east with all the rain we got.

 

[krayfish]

There's a bunch of us that float up there.... PhilC, Berber, Becker, myself, caddis, DaveS and several others. Don't be shy and feel free to reach out to forum members. We will do a trout based gathering at the end of summer. Chance to meet the guys, fish new water, swap techniques, etc.

 

[Wmass]

Hey Alex, Do you mind giving me some info on RI fishing? I am moving to Wakefield next month and I want to know what the area has to offer. I already know the area well, just not the fishing spots that well. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[WoodRiverTroutBum]

Thanks a lot guys!

Wmass, I will do you one better and take you out when you get up here. We can do salt or fresh, or both. In Wakefield you will be right in the middle of prime striper fishing.

 

[krayfish]

Delaware at Lordville gauge....17,400 cfs and I'm not sure it peaked yet. You'll need to give it a week before its safe.

 

[Fishidiot]

Alex,
Even here in center state - a two to three hour drive from Stroudsburg - the bass rivers are very high right now. The small trout streams in the Poconos ought to fish well. The ponds in the Poconos usually have lots of pickerel and LM bass and should fish well with poppers in the am and evenings. Good luck with your trip.

 

[WoodRiverTroutBum]

Thank you very much Idiot. Ha, that just doesn't sound nice at all! :-D

My new pending plan is to do what I have to do in PA and then head out to a lake in NJ. I think we will camp over night and weather permitting, rent a boat all day Sunday and see if we can get some toothy critters to bite. Maybe with the cold front and cold rain we had the pike will be in shallow. I can hope can't I? If not, the lake has a bunch of other species including wiper which I have never caught or fish water that held them for that matter.

This will be my first time targeting pike with the fly rod. Actually, I have never really targeted them, they were usually caught back when I fished for bass with conventional gear. I am not stressing out what to get to tie some flies, the shop closes at 6pm tonight so my lady has to do the shopping. This is difficult because I am a hands on shopper and with all the kinds of flash and synthetics it is hard to decide exactly what I want without being there.

I think I may tie a few on tubes. I know I am using 4/0 Partridge universal predator hooks with 45lb wire and a 2/0 Owner circle hook stinger hanging off the back, then I will use more wire as a bit leader with one end tied to the fly and the other with a large loop so it will be easy to swap them out and wont require cutting the expensive wire each time we change flies.

Sorry, stressed out about the whole deal and rambled a bit there.