Got skunked at Ridley yesterday

W

Wmass

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Sep 17, 2006
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I fished from 2-5:30pm yesterday at the FFO section. It was bitterly cold but the sun came out later in the day. I got a few takes but they fish were just messing with me. I was using small olive and black BH wooly buggers and a rainbow crystal BH soft hackle. I started by just dead-drifting them under an indicator, then I switched to stripping the buggers in. The guy fishing next to me got one rainbow, but that is all I saw him get.

I was wondering if anyone had fished here recently. It seems like every time I have fished here I can't seem to catch anything (but a cold). I typically hit the large pool by the parking lot and then move down stream.

Where do people fish when they go here? What techniques work well? This place isn't as difficult as Valley Creek so I can't see why I am not catching fish.
 
I've never been to Ridley but planned on heading there either tomorrow (Monday) or Wednesday.

A friend of mine, however, was out to Ridley this past Monday (the unseasonably warm day of last week) and netted 10 in about 4-5 hours.

I'll be happy to fall somewhere in between the two of you. :)

As for his technique, I can't say much. From what I remember of our conversation he took almost everything on size 14-16 nymphs, primarily hare's ears and pheasant tails.
 
Wmass, next time you go to Ridley use all junk flies like weenies wooly buggers eggs etc. There has been a really good winter stonefly hatch going on right now so try to use the nymph and the dry size 14 thats what worked the best for me . Check out this stream report from Mikecc.

http://www.paflyfish.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=947&forum=8

I have fished Valley only once and got skunked but it was 34 degrees outside and I only seen 2 fish . Also stop by the Sporting Gentleman its 2 minutes from the stream there is a link on this site tell them the BEAST sent you.They will will almost go to the point of bending over backwards to help you get into some fish. Also next time you go let me know how you did. :pint:
 
i was there last sat. (the 10th). did well, they just stocked that thursday before. woolly buggers and salmon eggs. cought a nice 19 inch bow.
 
Had a very successful day there today. All bead head nymphs and buggers. I posted a stream report with a bit more detail in the stream reports forum if you want more info about where and what.
 
They stocked the sh*t out of the Ridley. Decent stream if you live nearby, but I'm from Princeton, and wouldn't make the drive again. I nailed an 18 inch holdover bow though which was nice. The green weenies were killing them. Like I said, if I lived in the area I'd fish there all the time, but for me its just as fast to get to the Lehigh Valley area. If you live in Philly, once the season starts, you might as well go to Valley Green and fish the Wissahickon. Similar size as Ridley with some good runs. Not quite as slow as the Ridley, and also a put and take fishery. Plus there's a lot less fly fishermen.

As for Valley Creek, if you can see the fish, you're screwed. Those are all wild and wary brown trout. you need to make an up stream approach and keep a low profile. those fish sppok and they're gone. Getting skunked there is a fairly regular occurence. I know someone who wears camo when he's there so he doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. From what I gather, "back in the day," Valley had a bigger population of wild browns, but siltation from rapid development in the area has hurt the population. Good thing they're damn hard to catch. Haha!
 
"Where do people fish when they go here? What techniques work well? This place isn't as difficult as Valley Creek so I can't see why I am not catching fish."

I tend to fish the area between the parking lots. Mainly because a lot of people walk by it. I'm basically a dry fly person, so I relax and wait till I see or hear some rising which they do even in the winter. I have most my luck with midges, size 22 to 26. Once the caddis start coming off a caddis pattern works well. About the only nymph I've had any luck with there are PT Nymphs size 16 to 22. Right now the Little Black Stones should be coming off, and the Little Black Caddis should be starting to hatch.
The Wissahickon's a bit bigger than Ridley. The trick there is to park at Valley Green or Bells Mill Road and walk either up or down stream a 1/2 mile to a mile. The further you are from the parking areas the less likely you'll see people fishing. From opening day through the last spring stocking, usually mid-May it will be crowded, though that varies depending how long it takes the grapevine to spread the rumor that the state didn't stock enough fish and the trout are all fished out. If you can get there during the day on a week day or early in the morning on weekends you'll find space to fish. For me the best time to trout fish is from mid-May through the end of June. You can see some good dry fly action on midges and caddis.
 
im goting to head out valley creak this weekend, any kind of advice?
 
Advice for Valley Creek

The best advice is to fish the section from the covered bridge upstream to the metal bridge, and then from the metal bridge to the turnpike. Those are the most productive areas, downstream from the covered bridge is usually junk. The fish at VC spook easily and the slightest shaddow or splash in the water will ruin an entire pool. Don't trounce around on the banks and make sure to wade carefully. Start by fishing nymphs under strike indicators, good patterns are Copper Johns, Caddis larvae, and pheasant tails. Wooley buggers can work. Its a little early for dries but you could try some small BWOs or caddis if you see any rises. Good luck and make sure to post a report when you get back.
 
Wmass, have you ever tried/had luck with scuds on Valley?
 
WULFMAN No, I haven't tried scuds yet at VC. I have never used scuds before and only recently bought some. Can't wait to use them though.

Have they worked for you at VC?

One thing that worked well for me last year was minnow immitations, probably because of all the suckers there. I used Motto's minnow a few times with some success and Olive crystal buggers have worked very well for me there.

I also find fish at VC love flashy nymphs with alot of color.
 
Regarding the lots of color comment...

I've heard that VC has one hell of a green weenie hatch. :)

I plan on finding out this summer.
 
Wmass, I don't believe I've ever tried scuds at Valley. Scuds normally are pretty good in limestoners, but I also think they are usually associated with a lot of vegetation, and since Valley doesn't seem to have much vegetation in it, I'm not sure about scuds there. That's why I was asking if you ever used them there, was wondering if I should try them. I guess the only way to find out is to try them!
 
WULFMAN Yah, I will let you know how the scuds work for me at VC. VC is fairly bare as far as vegitation goes. I always think of scuds in creeks that have alot of watercress and other plants growing in beds along the banks.

I will likely be fishing VC from Friday through Sunday.
 
got skunked at valley sunday. i dont feal so bad because nymphster did too.
 
Wulff-Man wrote:
Wmass, I don't believe I've ever tried scuds at Valley. Scuds normally are pretty good in limestoners, but I also think they are usually associated with a lot of vegetation, and since Valley doesn't seem to have much vegetation in it, I'm not sure about scuds there. That's why I was asking if you ever used them there, was wondering if I should try them. I guess the only way to find out is to try them!


Wulff,

I may be wrong but my understanding is that the cress is home to the sow bug or cress bug. (a flat potatobug looking crustacian) where the scud is a small shrimp looking crustacian.

Although one finds both in water with cress because of the consistant temperatures, scuds do not need cress to exist.

My experience is the scuds appearance on Codorus Creek below the dam. There are cress beds here and there (pretty far apart) but the scuds are in the riffles and stone areas.

If anyone else knows more about these little buggers, let us know..

Maurice
 
I try try to fish Valley 3-4 times a month and can usually get away with 3-5 fish a day. I don't wear cammo, but I just use common sence and stalkers mentality when aproching fish. I have lots of luck with grey scuds, SW worms and zebra midges.

I see a lot of anglers there which complain about not catching anything, and when I say that I got 4 in one hole in an hour, they look at me totally baffled. From observing the people that get skunked, it appears that they don't change up their rigs and presentation approch when something isn't working. I watched a guy once throw a BH hares ear through a nice hole which I catch fish 75% of the time about 50 times and not catch a thing. Had he tried to change up his nymphs and weight every couple casts he probably would have gotten one of the 12" browns that hang out down there.
 
Good advice on Valley on here. Listen to the dude. he speaks wisdom. Ever have any luck beneath the little dam there? Or along that concrete wall?
 
Scuds....

I'm not gonna lie. I know absolutely nothing about them. I don't know if they are in the waters I fish... I don't know what size to fish them in. I don't know how to fish them. I know nothing other than a few simple patterns.

Are they common in most waterways? what size is good for valley?

All a quick and dirty google search returns is a bunch of ballistics info for missiles.

Thanks.
 
rckrego wrote:
Good advice on Valley on here. Listen to the dude. he speaks wisdom. Ever have any luck beneath the little dam there? Or along that concrete wall?

I have had luck along the rock/concrete wall that borders the road. A good technique in that area is to either throw your fly at the wall and let it bounce off to get it close OR to throw your fly into the small rifle that is there and then let it drift into the pool. I find dry flies work well in that area at times, but most of my luck has been with Copper Johns under a strike indicator. I have caught a few nice browns there and one brook trout (I swear it was a brookie).
 
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