Big Spring Creek, Cumberland Co. - 10/31/2015

[geebee]

Hi Guys,

this is just a short report from Saturday's visit - spend 4 hours up near the 'upper' car park.

I fished under an indicator with a #14 BH scud and a #20 red serendipity. few large fish were around, and some that were were digging redds and the others were v spooky in the very low water.

I managed to lose one fish on a black BH red thread midge, then I realized I was following someone two pools ahead. so I broke back to the parking lot and had lunch.

I met a nice guy called Dan there who showed me his rig and advised me to put a small egg on for the bows. he too thought that most of the fish were holed up under vegetation or have moved into deeper spots due to the very low water. he had caught 6-8 small bows on the egg.

I switched out to a #22 egg and a red serendipity under some small shot and missed a couple of small bows before landing one on that egg - yay. my first PA wild bow and first BSC fish.

its a great creek, but damn do they need the aquifiers filling up this winter.

cheers

Mark.

 

[troutbert]

What species of trout were spawning?

 

[geebee]

Rainbows were making redds. I saw several pairs - very dark backs on all, size 3-4lbs ?

I would guess the low water is making them think its mid winter ?

most of the other bows were still silver ghosts and feeding in the drift.

 

[Fishidiot]

Both rainbows and brook trout in BS are unconventional with respect to spawning times and these seem to be in flux this year. Usually BS bows spawn in the Aug/Sept time frame and brookies in Dec/Jan however this year they seem to be shifting.

It's definitely an unusual stream in this respect.
If you're planning on hitting BS any time over the next three months, please be careful about wading (fortunately BS redds are usually pretty obvious) and take the precautions you deem appropriate for spawning trout.

 

[troutbert]

Very interesting on the spawning times.

Either the trout are confused or I am. Maybe both!

 

[Fishidiot]

troutbert wrote:
Very interesting on the spawning times.

Either the trout are confused or I am. Maybe both!

I doubt it. :lol:

The brookies in BS have been known to be winter spawners for many years, this isn't new. The bows however are a stranger group - the current theory is they're just descended from hatchery fish that spawned in the fall. It wouldn't surprise me if, in time, the bows start to spawn later in the year and there seems to be some evidence for this lately.

 

[DaveKile]

Dave, I think we were there 12/31 last year and saw those brookies on some redds still?

 

[afishinado]

dkile wrote:
Dave, I think we were there 12/31 last year and saw those brookies on some redds still?

Dave K,

Dave Weaver and I were there well into February a year or two ago and still saw some brookies on their redds in the ditch. DW may remember the exact date.

 

[geebee]

FWIW the redds are bright white gravel. fish may not be on them but will be nearby.

as usual, I took some time out to watch them just being fish. pretty cool always.

interestingly one did break off the lovey dovey stuff to make a pretty splashy rise on an October caddis, so despite the coloration and mating rituals they were still feeding, though it was the only rise I saw all afternoon.

I had heard of Atlantic Salmon taking advantage of low water in December to spawn early, but I wasn't sure about 'bows.

cheers

mark.

 

[LetortAngler]

Last week on falling springs I also saw a few redds with a pair of bows over them in the upper section. Looking back at my notes, I also spotted rainbows spawning on BS around this time last year.

 

[bigslackwater]

I was at Big Spring yesterday (11/18/15). Lots of spawn activity. It was cool to watch. I fished the fast riffles and just below all the log structures. Picked up a few dink rainbows and hooked one hog of a fish that made a splashy jump and spit the hook. In the glassy water between structures there were Redds with fish paired or single fish, all over the place. I left them alone and just observed. It was reassuring to see so many big fish that call Big Spring home.

Question: are there also browns at Big Spring? Do all 3 species spawn at once?

 

[Fishidiot]

bigslackwater wrote:
Question: are there also browns at Big Spring? Do all 3 species spawn at once?

There is a diminishing population of mostly large browns in BS and there is thought to be very little natural repro.
Why browns don't thrive in upper BS is unknown.

Did you see brooks, or bows (or both) spawning?

 

[bigslackwater]

Both were spawning.

 

[geebee]

Fishidiot wrote:


There is a diminishing population of mostly large browns in BS and there is thought to be very little natural repro.
Why browns don't thrive in upper BS is unknown.

I suggest a) not enough cover for large browns liking and b) bows taking both the prime feeding spots and clean out their redds in the spring.

this is what has happened on many of the premium brownie streams in the UK and France where non-triploid bows have been stocked.

further east, bows have also pushed out marbled trout in the caucuses.

A test is going on the River Itchen at the moment to 'rewild' two miles of it, bows are being removed and stocked brownies too to see if the wild browns will come back.

bows are just too much competition it would seem.

cheers

mark.