Wow. Central PA streams blown out....again!

[afishinado]

I checked the gauges the morning LJ up, Spring up again (never went down very much) and Penns running at 4000cfs (400 is the average). I've never seen a spring like the one we've had this year.... :roll:

 

[Fredrick]

Jays down there again fishing

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear afish,
I'm in central NH and it's no better here. Even the little cricks are ripping. I'm probably going to look for a pond to fish.
Regards,
Tim Murphy

 

[JackM]

At the Jam, John_F guided us to a not-unknown smaller stream with wild fish. While there was a lot of walking and less casting for a dry fly angler, there were many areas where several quick drifts of a small wooly bugger were possible and at least one drift that was fruitful. Enjoy the small streams. Most years by now, you'd be ringing your sweat into the stream to keep the water levels up.

 

[dryflyguy]

In my 30 years of flyfishing, I can't remember a spring that's been this bad weather wise.
Just storm after storm after storm. And often, bad weather like that will be kinda localized. In other words, if SW PA gets hit hard, I would still usually be able - with a little driving - to find some streams in another area that are still fishable.
But not this year. The whole state seems to keep getting pounded.

I know another PAFF member who has become so frustrated by all the lousy weather, that he has given up flyfishing for the year - and maybe for good, so he says

 

[sniperfreak223]

dryflyguy wrote:
In my 30 years of flyfishing, I can't remember a spring that's been this bad weather wise.
Just storm after storm after storm. And often, bad weather like that will be kinda localized. In other words, if SW PA gets hit hard, I would still usually be able - with a little driving - to find some streams in another area that are still fishable.
But not this year. The whole state seems to keep getting pounded.

I know another PAFF member who has become so frustrated by all the lousy weather, that he has given up flyfishing for the year - and maybe for good, so he says

well, I've just given up the streams, but I've been spending a lot more time on stillwaters fishing bass and panfish.

 

[midnightangler]

The fish need a year like this every now and then. They are feeding without being hooked every other day. Its going to be that much better next year.

 

[JF_]

My spring cycle has been to schedule thu and/or fri as vacation each week, just to cancel it as the week comes to an end. This is the first spring that I've not used up a lot of vacation time. Looking forward to June (as I have for Mar, Apr May with little success).
John

 

[DaveS]

dryflyguy,
Let me know if he wants to unload his equipment!

It's just the weather and that how it goes. I just packed the truck and I'm headed out. I missed the Jam, so if I can't find any fishable water, I got a cooler full of beer and my pooch for company.

I'll post the results when and If I come back.

Dave

 

[PaulG]

I'm 67 years old and I don't remember a spring like this, not in my fishing years anyway. The last two nights here in Enola we had some real bad storms, more on the way today and tomorrow.

PaulG

 

[jdaddy]

PaulG wrote:

I'm 67 years old and I don't remember a spring like this, not in my fishing years anyway. The last two nights here in Enola we had some real bad storms, more on the way today and tomorrow.

PaulG

I was driving from Shippensburg last night when that storm hit and the vast majority of people, even truck drivers, were pulled off on the side of the road. It was putting it down.

 

[Acristickid]

Penns is nothing more than a cruel joke.

FPC

 

[dryflyguy]

JackM wrote:
At the Jam, John_F guided us to a not-unknown smaller stream with wild fish. While there was a lot of walking and less casting for a dry fly angler, there were many areas where several quick drifts of a small wooly bugger were possible and at least one drift that was fruitful. Enjoy the small streams. Most years by now, you'd be ringing your sweat into the stream to keep the water levels up.

Dredging for brookies is not my idea of good fly fishing.

And that's been the real kicker about the fishing this year. Usually, when the large streams ar blown out, I can always find a headwater stream in decent shape, and still catch fish on drys.
But during most of my outings this spring, even the small streams have been roaring too much to catch fish on top

 

[tocar]

While I wait for the stream levels to drop (guessing August), I'm heading out to the local lake to target carp. Might be a challenge (well, more of a challange) because the shallow flats where they gather is now close to three feet deep!

peace-tony c.

 

[davekile]

Really this really screws the weekend the weekend for me too. Just shocking the amount of rain and impact on the streams this spring.

Can only hope we get a break over the next few weeks.

 

[dryflyguy]

tocar wrote:
While I wait for the stream levels to drop (guessing August), I'm heading out to the local lake to target carp. Might be a challenge (well, more of a challange) because the shallow flats where they gather is now close to three feet deep!

peace-tony c.

That actually sounds pretty interesting to me Tony.
Are you able to coax any of those things up to take a dry by any chance?

I caught some of them during the cicada hatch several years ago.
And they do give quite a tussle!

 

[tocar]

Most of the carp I catch are on dries. They gather around a mullberry tree that hangs over the water. When the berries (both green and ripe) fall into the water, those big lips go gaga over them. It's not unusual to see a dozen or more carp sucking berries off the water's surface. My "secret" fly is nothing more than green, brown and purple deer hair spun on a #10 hook, trimmed to oval shape. I also tried adding some weight to them so they "plunk" when they hit the water, then slowly sink, just like the real berries.
I broke a rod last year when I hooked into a +30" carp that took me into my backing, and pulled my kayak around the lake. Too much force on my part when he headed toward the bushes caused the rod to snap. Tried to land it by hand, but the hook straightened and he was gone.
If you haven't tried fishing for carp, I reccomend going to your local lake and giving it a try. For sub-surface flies, any med to large nymph pattern will work. The trick is to cast ahead of them and wait for them to approach. A very slight twitch will get their attention. When they take, set the hook and hold on.

peace-tony c.

 

[troutbert]

dryflyguy wrote:

JackM wrote:
At the Jam, John_F guided us to a not-unknown smaller stream with wild fish. While there was a lot of walking and less casting for a dry fly angler, there were many areas where several quick drifts of a small wooly bugger were possible and at least one drift that was fruitful. Enjoy the small streams. Most years by now, you'd be ringing your sweat into the stream to keep the water levels up.

Dredging for brookies is not my idea of good fly fishing.

And that's been the real kicker about the fishing this year. Usually, when the large streams ar blown out, I can always find a headwater stream in decent shape, and still catch fish on drys.
But during most of my outings this spring, even the small streams have been roaring too much to catch fish on top

No need to dredge. The dry fly brookie fishing is getting good now that the water temps are getting up over 50F.

Last Sunday I caught fair numbers and a few nice ones, on dries. The water temperature topped out at 51F in the afternoon.

Today the brookies were really hitting dries. The water reached 54F in the afternoon. That's getting into the good range.

In both cases I fished in the afternoon. In the morning the water temp would have been cooler, and they probably would not have hit dries very well.

So, you can sleep in, and have good dry fly fishing in the afternoon.

 

[TLoomis]

Just saw this after I made my thread...rain sucks

 

[gochs]

I'm pretty upset about all this rain too. Everything in my area is mud. I cleaned my fly line a few minutes ago and I had about a half pound of clinging dirt left on the cloth.

Anyone want to show me a brookie stream? I don't kiss and tell.