I got the skunk (in fact didn't even see/spook any) this morning on one of my favorite wild brownie streams. My stream thermo said 45F, could this be too cold? Water level was OK. I never fished this stream this early in the season.

I was going to head out today myself but thought better because of the chill and periods of bright sun. Headed out tomorrow when it should be warmer and overcast, maybe a little rain to get the bigger fish active and mid-current although nothing seems to be working the way it should right now.

Quote: I hit two different wild streams this morning. It was COLD. The first brought only two rises. I caught one of the two. The second stream was better. I caught eight and missed or lost several more. I caught only brook trout though and there are browns in both streams. I love that Royal Wulff!

size 28 ???

Quote: Size 14

Hit the Dyberry this morning for about 90 minutes - Wind was brutal and water temperature was on 45 degrees there. Did not see any thing moving or turn any. (But, Hey! I wasn't at work!)

On the good side, the water level was up significantly.

Browns don't like this type of weather early in the spring, they like the water up over 50 degrees and warm days before they'll rise. I fact many species of fish are put down the day after a cold front goes through.

Things should get better soon -- nighttime lows over 50F for five consecutive nights starting next tues, and thats all the way up in scranton.

I was catching wild browns all winter with water temps 40 to 42F. But not on top.

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This time of year, when it's still cold overnight and in the morning, fish in the afternoon instead of the morning. You'll do much better. Particularly if you are trying to catch them on dry flies.

I know the original post was about a familiar stream, but on water temps generally, rosenbauers excellent small stream fly fishing book suggests that you cant really tell how a small stream will fish until the water hits 50F. if you see little action at 55, it may not fish well at all.

late in the afternoon this time of year there may be both warmer water and more bugs.... I have caught some nice browns on dries in the late PM lately.

there is a projected nighttime low of 62 next thurs in poconos, w/ daytime fri high of 82... that should get buggy.

I have fished all winter and spring with great success on several wild trout streams, but not on the top.

My patterns were small, midge pupas and small nymphs in size 20 to 28. I've found that a glass bead zebra midge (size 22-24) as the anchor fly with a smaller fly either as a dropper or point fly has been the ticket. I've also found that fishing "skinny" water (water that anglers stand to fish deeper runs and holes) on days when there was sun has been successful as this water warms quicker.

Recently, when fishing a famous central PA spring creek. I was having success fishing skinny water with small flies even though there were caddis, BWOs and some sulfurs active. I even caught fish behind several anglers fishing some deeper runs.

Do large fish inhabit only deeper pools and runs this time of year? I netted two browns on this famous spring creek caught in water less than two feet. I've fish with minimal weight, mostly with no indicator and if I used one, it was small (pulsa pad or small football type).

Dale

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Are you saying that you fished at someones feet? Please set me straight. I personally prefer to not even see other anglers. I can keep my cool as long as we are two casting distances away. When somone is in my hip pocket I have been known to have some erratic cast.

Big,

No I didn't catch fish at someone's feet. There were two instances on this large stream where this hapened. These anglers were standing in knee deep water fishing deeper runs. I was near shore in ankle deep water casting 10 feet in front of me in less than two feet of water and at least 20 to 30 yards away from these anglers. These anglers had to walk in this skinny water to get into position. I did not disturb them and in fact these anglers laughed when I landed several fish "behind" them. Two anglers in particular walked over to me and asked questions.

Dale

45F is a tad cold, but absolute temperature is only part of it. If the water has been warmer and suddenly dropped it will put the fish off. Fish were rising most of the late winter/early spring at temps below 45F when the water warmed in the afternoon. April 1 in the Catskills had dry fly action at temps of 38 - 40F. The warming turned them on. Stream temps were in the 50s and dropped to the 40's, which is a bad thing.

That said, dry fly action does normally start when the water hits 50F, whcih normally happens right about now. April commonly also has high, colored water which is not always the friend of the dry fly man. This has been a strange year where the early warmth, warm winter, and low water allowed very early dry fly action. The Hendricksons were over in mid April and a few errant sulphurs have been seen so far. Ths is not a normal year.