Troubles on Spirng Creek (euro nymphing)

[colt824]

Been putting in hours on Spring Creek at Fisherman’s Paradise and honestly, I’m stumped. No matter the conditions—clear, stained, high, low—I can’t buy a bite on the Euro rig (euro nymphing fly to a blood knot which connects to 4.5x Pierre sempe then tippet ring with anywhere from 5x to 7x) . I’ve thrown the whole box at them: Perdigons, Frenchies, Walt’s, heavy anchors, light tippet, ticking bottom, riding mid-column, long and short drifts… nothing. I know the fish are there, I see people sticking them around me. Now i have had some okay days but guys seem to always say spring is one of the best in the country for me I feel the exact opposite. It’s driving me nuts feeling like I’m just drifting tungsten through empty water . Starting to really question my presentation and water reading. Anyone else go through this learning curve here? What actually clicked for you on this stretch? Could use some real-world wisdom from folks who’ve cracked the code.

 

[mszoke1802]

You’re fishing extremely pressured fish if in paradise section. Venture around more, you’ll find agreeable fish soon. I rarely catch any in this area myself. Lots to explore on that creek

 

[dryflyguy]

Yep
That’s the worst section of spring creek to fish IMO too
Try upstream into the gorge
Or anywhere downstream, all the way to the junction with bald eagle creek

 

[greywolf]

Yep
That’s the worst section of spring creek to fish IMO too
Try upstream into the gorge
Or anywhere downstream, all the way to the junction with bald eagle creek

I agree. I have caught an awful lot of fish over the years from Spring Creek but very few from that section. I think I saw a post from "Mike" saying fish density is actually lower in that section than others area of Spring Creek.

 

[colt824]

I agree. I have caught an awful lot of fish over the years from Spring Creek but very few from that section. I think I saw a post from "Mike" saying fish density is actually lower in that section than others area of Spring Creek.

then why is this section so over glorified?

 

[greywolf]

then why is this section so over glorified?

It was the first fly fishing only section of water in the USA and was heavily stocked with very large trout for many years. So many people wanted to fish there that they had drawings to select the lucky anglers.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

summer presents tough conditions too.

 

[colt824]

summer presents tough conditions too.

I feel like this happens anytime of year march april may July 🤷

 

[dudemanspecial]

Are you newer to fly fishing?

Spring was tough on me for probably the first 5 years I fished it. Learning without a mentor is hard. I thought I knew what a good drift nymphing was, I thought I knew how to read water. It took me a long time to figure out that I didn't know what I thought I knew.

Without being there to watch you, I can only recommend trying a size 14 cress bug imitation, walts worm is fine, drifted through riffles and runs that are about 2-3 foot deep. In my experience trying to nymph the flatter pools and skinny water on Spring is a waste of time. If you aren't catching anything keep adding weight until you do. If you aren't hanging up every 5-7 drifts or so you probably don't have enough weight on.

And keep moving. Don't fish one spot over and over. If you have a few good drifts and no action move to the next run. Spring fish are typically on the smaller side so you may not have great indication of takes....don't be afraid to blind set the hook.

 

[Letort]

All the ideas offered are on the money.

I will offer - keep a low profile to the stream and consider deceasing size of the fly.

Oh yeah, and fish elsewhere. I fish a highly pressured area of the Yellow Breeches, which sees fisherman probably 340 days of the year, all day long. I have seen trout swat my dry fly imitation with their tail to see if its real.

If about every third bite of food you took resulted in you being lifted from your environment, you’d be picky too🙂

 

[Nocktavius]

2 words…Green weenie

If you’re having trouble it’s probably bc either you’re focusing on the wrong water type (hit the fast stuff) or your rig isn’t totally dialed in. For this time of year I like the total of my beads to add up to around 3.5-4 mm if I’m fishing a tandem rig, that means smaller bugs and potentially using a split shot above your point. Focus on making sure you’ve got good contact especially at the beginning of the drift (so recovering quickly after your tuck cast) by lifting your rod to bring in the slack immediately simultaneously with when the downshift happens. And don’t be afraid to let them get below you and swing, I catch a lot of fish that way too.

Ultimately though, with the nighttime temps forecast this week, I’d give spring a pass and go fish one of the bigger limestoners in the area (Penns, LJ) where you should be able to find more of the appropriate water type for very productive euro. And the fish should be less pressured too since they (hopefully) haven’t been targeted in a few months. Get out early in the morning if you can for best results- the first time I hit dawn patrol on one of those creeks I was shocked at just how many more fish I caught in that first hour or two.

 

[colt824]

All the ideas offered are on the money.

I will offer - keep a low profile to the stream and consider deceasing size of the fly.

Oh yeah, and fish elsewhere. I fish a highly pressured area of the Yellow Breeches, which sees fisherman probably 340 days of the year, all day long. I have seen trout swat my dry fly imitation with their tail to see if its real.

If about every third bite of food you took resulted in you being lifted from your environment, you’d be picky too🙂

I tend to run anywhere from a 2.4 2.8 is this too big still?

 

[colt824]

Are you newer to fly fishing?

Spring was tough on me for probably the first 5 years I fished it. Learning without a mentor is hard. I thought I knew what a good drift nymphing was, I thought I knew how to read water. It took me a long time to figure out that I didn't know what I thought I knew.

Without being there to watch you, I can only recommend trying a size 14 cress bug imitation, walts worm is fine, drifted through riffles and runs that are about 2-3 foot deep. In my experience trying to nymph the flatter pools and skinny water on Spring is a waste of time. If you aren't catching anything keep adding weight until you do. If you aren't hanging up every 5-7 drifts or so you probably don't have enough weight on.

And keep moving. Don't fish one spot over and over. If you have a few good drifts and no action move to the next run. Spring fish are typically on the smaller side so you may not have great indication of takes....don't be afraid to blind set the hook.

Not exactly I'm a bit newer to euro for sure I started in March but have been fly fishing for several years now

 

[colt824]

2 words…Green weenie

If you’re having trouble it’s probably bc either you’re focusing on the wrong water type (hit the fast stuff) or your rig isn’t totally dialed in. For this time of year I like the total of my beads to add up to around 3.5-4 mm if I’m fishing a tandem rig, that means smaller bugs and potentially using a split shot above your point. Focus on making sure you’ve got good contact especially at the beginning of the drift (so recovering quickly after your tuck cast) by lifting your rod to bring in the slack immediately simultaneously with when the downshift happens. And don’t be afraid to let them get below you and swing, I catch a lot of fish that way too.

Ultimately though, with the nighttime temps forecast this week, I’d give spring a pass and go fish one of the bigger limestoners in the area (Penns, LJ) where you should be able to find more of the appropriate water type for very productive euro. And the fish should be less pressured too since they (hopefully) haven’t been targeted in a few months. Get out early in the morning if you can for best results- the first time I hit dawn patrol on one of those creeks I wa

2 words…Green weenie

If you’re having trouble it’s probably bc either you’re focusing on the wrong water type (hit the fast stuff) or your rig isn’t totally dialed in. For this time of year I like the total of my beads to add up to around 3.5-4 mm if I’m fishing a tandem rig, that means smaller bugs and potentially using a split shot above your point. Focus on making sure you’ve got good contact especially at the beginning of the drift (so recovering quickly after your tuck cast) by lifting your rod to bring in the slack immediately simultaneously with when the downshift happens. And don’t be afraid to let them get below you and swing, I catch a lot of fish that way too.

Ultimately though, with the nighttime temps forecast this week, I’d give spring a pass and go fish one of the bigger limestoners in the area (Penns, LJ) where you should be able to find more of the appropriate water type for very productive euro. And the fish should be less pressured too since they (hopefully) haven’t been targeted in a few months. Get out early in the morning if you can for best results- the first time I hit dawn patrol on one of those creeks I was shocked at just how many more fish I caught in that first hour or two.

So to clarify I will normally Frisbee cast into a vector but I am definitely not connected right off the bat and is there a way around that second or two downtime? faster vector better stripping method?

 

[Nocktavius]

I’d get out of the habit of frisbee casting and do a more direct tuck cast. As part of your delivery just get in the habit of lifting the rod tip to take in the slack immediately as it sinks. If you’re in good direct alignment, however much of a “tuck” you put into it is basically how much you need to raise the rod tip to regain contact with your bugs. It also helps you control your stripped line better bc it isn’t zinging around in circles next to your head.

I used to frisbee a lot and found that with the right rod and casting stroke you don’t need to do it. It’s a lot of wasted effort and it actually F’s up your ability to cast a fly line when you need to switch away from euro.

I frequently fish pretty large rivers and have more recently started using a goofy double hauling tuck cast that even works in wind and for distances out to 35-40 feet or so. That also seems to help with knowing how much to lift since you can feel it right in the rod blank and your hand is already placed optimally to bring in slack. With small flies and fast water you need to do whatever you can to not end up disoriented and unable to regain contact before the most prime bite window of the drift is past. Most of the fish I catch in the fast water are right in the U shaped drops behind the rock and riffle features. Do whatever you have to do (shorten your delivery, try the above, position yourself more favorably, check set more frequently) to hasten that recovery and your catch rate will skyrocket

 

[JackNiem]

If your fishing a tandem rig with two nymphs I would recommend dropping down to a single. I find it easier to cast to the exact spot I want to fish and get a natural drift. I tend to go to the single fly in low/clear water especially for more pressured fish. If I were to fish Spring right now I would tie on a single size 16 olive frenchie or grey/olive walts worm with a bead around 2.8-3.3 mm. If that doesn't work I would go to a rainbow warrior. Adjust weight as necessary to tick bottom every now and again.

As said above I would avoid flat water and focus on the rifles. Tuck casts right into the fastest broken water and try to stay in contact right out of the gate by never allowing your sighter to touch the water. Fish will often hit almost as soon as your nymph hits the water so staying tight to the fly is important.

Find shade on sunny days and cover water. Don't cast a shadow upstream in areas you are trying to fish. That will put you out of the game before your flies hit the water.

Rig should be fine and I usually just stick to 5x tippet (2-3 ft for shallower water like Spring). Sometimes I try 6x, but can't recall a time that actually made any difference.

 

[UaFlyFisherMan]

2 words…Green weenie

If you’re having trouble it’s probably bc either you’re focusing on the wrong water type (hit the fast stuff) or your rig isn’t totally dialed in. For this time of year I like the total of my beads to add up to around 3.5-4 mm if I’m fishing a tandem rig, that means smaller bugs and potentially using a split shot above your point. Focus on making sure you’ve got good contact especially at the beginning of the drift (so recovering quickly after your tuck cast) by lifting your rod to bring in the slack immediately simultaneously with when the downshift happens. And don’t be afraid to let them get below you and swing, I catch a lot of fish that way too.

Ultimately though, with the nighttime temps forecast this week, I’d give spring a pass and go fish one of the bigger limestoners in the area (Penns, LJ) where you should be able to find more of the appropriate water type for very productive euro. And the fish should be less pressured too since they (hopefully) haven’t been targeted in a few months. Get out early in the morning if you can for best results- the first time I hit dawn patrol on one of those creeks I was shocked at just how many more fish I caught in that first hour or two.

I fished Spring Creek on August 22d first time. Visited three different spots, Fisherman's Paradise, Spring Creek Rd below Walking Bridge at The Distillery, and rapids below Sunnyside Paddle Park at Bellefonte. Had a good day with plenty of brown trout, and a tandem Green weenie+Cress Bug made my day. 90% of the fish were caught on one of them.

 

[SBecker]

chartreuse mops upstream presentation.

 

[colt824]

I’d get out of the habit of frisbee casting and do a more direct tuck cast. As part of your delivery just get in the habit of lifting the rod tip to take in the slack immediately as it sinks. If you’re in good direct alignment, however much of a “tuck” you put into it is basically how much you need to raise the rod tip to regain contact with your bugs. It also helps you control your stripped line better bc it isn’t zinging around in circles next to your head.

I used to frisbee a lot and found that with the right rod and casting stroke you don’t need to do it. It’s a lot of wasted effort and it actually F’s up your ability to cast a fly line when you need to switch away from euro.

I frequently fish pretty large rivers and have more recently started using a goofy double hauling tuck cast that even works in wind and for distances out to 35-40 feet or so. That also seems to help with knowing how much to lift since you can feel it right in the rod blank and your hand is already placed optimally to bring in slack. With small flies and fast water you need to do whatever you can to not end up disoriented and unable to regain contact before the most prime bite window of the drift is past. Most of the fish I catch in the fast water are right in the U shaped drops behind the rock and riffle features. Do whatever you have to do (shorten your delivery, try the above, position yourself more favorably, check set more frequently) to hasten that recovery and your catch rate will skyrocket

Yes i love the tuck cast but I have been told by several great nymphers that using the frisbee cast will allow for that fly to fall through the water column. Thank you will have to try this on the stream

 

[colt824]

chartreuse mops upstream presentation.

where at upstream?