Big Fishing Creek, Clinton County, 6/1/11

[barbless]

Since Penn's was pretty much blown out, and I had never been to Fishing Creek, I decided to give it a try.

Zilch. Nada. Also running fast, high, and soupy. A beautiful stream, but nearly as blown out as Penn's.

I tried various tactics, but there was no help for it. And the creek was running too deep and fast to wade, except for a couple of shallow places at the stream edge.

The occasional sulphur hatched out, a couple of crane flies hovering and skittering, some midges and gnats (some of which ended up in my mouth). And as the afternoon turned to evening, every once in a while a green drake would pop up.

A little while before dark, I saw a few rises in the long pool in the photo. Maybe five, total, in the space of a half-hour.

(some of you may know where this is)

Another angler showed up about 45 minutes before dark. He told me that he considered the water "practically unfishable" given it's condition, but he was going to see if there was a chance of an evening rise.

I had to make an early exit about halfway into the witching hour. Still not much happening when I left.

Pretty stream, though. Obviously has potential.

 

[hookboy33]

Its got more than potential, stick with it - and you'll understand.

 

[Fishidiot]

Barbless,
Yep - know that spot. 🙂

Fishing Creek is a mysterious wonder that - more often than not - has treated me rough.....even under good conditions. If you hit a good hatch, it's glorious but if you return the next day you'd swear there are no fish in the stream. It's almost as if they disappear. If there's a secret to Fishing Creek, I sure haven't figured it out. Sometimes, when I decide to visit this stream, I'll hit it for an hour or so and if things are slow I usually go elswhere.

It's a wonderful stream.

 

[eroc144]

BFC is a lot like Penns - There's a lot of fish and a lot of food and a lot of selection and that makes for tough fishing, er catching. Like any new stream, ya have to put in your time.

My first half-dozen times on BFC were frustratingly fishless and strikeless. Then something clicked. No idea what, but I do relatively well on BFC anymore (just jinxed myself of course). My experience is that nymphing is the ticket, and I'm usually flinging a Pheasant Tail nymph or a Tan & Grouse caddis pupae. Of course when the flow is up something bigger is better.

I fished BFC in early May in similar water conditions using a #10 March Brown nymph tied big and fuzzy and had one of those days. There wasn't a fly on the water or a rise to be seen, but they were slamming that MB.

EG

 

[NedZeppelin]

I love Fishing Creek at the Narrows. I agree you can be skunked easily, but in that respect it's no different from Penns (or anywhere else where the fish are wild). I hope to hit it Monday night the 6th, and maybe the drakes will be on. This time of year, and on specific pools there, I have had luck in the past targeting risers with sulphur emergers (right in the film), and if you go underwater an RS2 size 18 always seems to work (well, most times.) Possibly my favorite water in the state.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear barbless,

Twenty years ago all you needed was a size 12 casual dress and you could catch all the brookies you wanted up to 14 - 15 inches, along with the occasional larger brown trout.

The creek has changed a great deal over the years. Not so much physically, but it's gone from being predominantly brook trout from Tylersville downstream for 3 or 4 miles to being mostly brown trout. Floods, droughts, and the hatchery have all played a part, as has the increase in fishing pressure.

Still there are those days when it's just right. I've had some great fishing to Grannoms, Hendricksons, and the big Rotunda sulphurs in late April and early May.

As the season progresses most times you can usually find fish under the tree limbs that will come up for a cricket or ant too. In the late Spring and early Summer mornings there are usually enough little blue quills out and about to make some fish rise too.

It has always been my favorite stream though I don't fish it nearly as much as I did in the past.

When it's bank full and ripping ditch the fly rod and do the smart thing and toss size 11 and 13 Rapala's on 6 pound test medium action spinning gear.

You'll be amazed by what you catch.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[BelAirSteve]

I know that spot well...I caught a nice brookie at the tail of that long pool last year, on a blue wing olive. I was up for the grannoms, but they never really got going. I usually make two trips a year to fish FC with my brother, who lives just outside of State College. It is a beautiful stream indeed.

 

[RyanR]

Potential? Oh man, you have no idea brother. Frustrating at times, especially for anglers new to it, but it's one of the very finest wild trout streams in Pennsylvania in my opinion. Just a gorgeous trout stream too.

 

[PaulG]

Don't forget your terrestrial box!

PaulG

 

[bigjohn58]

You can forget the terrestrial box until the stream comes down. I've hardly fished it this year due to being high almost the entire spring. Been fishing streams that drop quicker like Kettle and Loyalsock.