salmo
Well-known member
This past August I went on a fishing odyssey. I started in Potter County and wound up in northwest Maryland. It was a really great trip for a 71 year old guy to do solo. On day one I hit the Hammersley Fork. I drove up the road from 44 until I hit the stream. The water was really high so I decided not to risk losing my SUV to the flooded stream. I found a ford and waded across. I was greeted on the other side by a camper who told me that they had been stranded by the raging water for 4 days and hoped to get out that afternoon.
I fished upstream fishing nymphs, hoping to improve my technique. I was catching fish pretty regularly. I caught a mix of small brookies and browns and was having a really good. About a half mile up steam from where I crossed I came to a very nice pool. The stream came down and hit a bank with several deadfalls stacked along the bank. The creek took an almost 90 degree turn. The water in front of the deadfalls was at least 4 feet deep. I dropped my nymph in at the top op the pool. As it drifted from my right to left, I felt it tick the bottom until it stopped short. I set the hook and knew that I was into my best fish of the day to that point. I landed a beautifully colored up brookie without a mark on it. It was pushing 9 inches. It would have been my best native of 2021. After gently releasing the brookie I continued to fish the hole. With great disappointment I landed another five fish almost identical in size with slight variations in the intensity of coloration. I realized that they had probably been stocked in Kettle Creek and run up the Fork to escape the warm water. Not an official native! Damn.
All in all, still pretty exciting. I fished farther upstream and continued to catch smaller brookies until I called it quits.
However, the most excitement came on my way back. It started to pour. I mean it really came down and the Fork started to rise. I really had to hump to make it to my crossing before I became stranded on the wrong side of the creek. The water was rising quickly and was pushing hard against my old legs, but I finally made it back to my SUV.
I fished upstream fishing nymphs, hoping to improve my technique. I was catching fish pretty regularly. I caught a mix of small brookies and browns and was having a really good. About a half mile up steam from where I crossed I came to a very nice pool. The stream came down and hit a bank with several deadfalls stacked along the bank. The creek took an almost 90 degree turn. The water in front of the deadfalls was at least 4 feet deep. I dropped my nymph in at the top op the pool. As it drifted from my right to left, I felt it tick the bottom until it stopped short. I set the hook and knew that I was into my best fish of the day to that point. I landed a beautifully colored up brookie without a mark on it. It was pushing 9 inches. It would have been my best native of 2021. After gently releasing the brookie I continued to fish the hole. With great disappointment I landed another five fish almost identical in size with slight variations in the intensity of coloration. I realized that they had probably been stocked in Kettle Creek and run up the Fork to escape the warm water. Not an official native! Damn.
All in all, still pretty exciting. I fished farther upstream and continued to catch smaller brookies until I called it quits.
However, the most excitement came on my way back. It started to pour. I mean it really came down and the Fork started to rise. I really had to hump to make it to my crossing before I became stranded on the wrong side of the creek. The water was rising quickly and was pushing hard against my old legs, but I finally made it back to my SUV.
