Clarks Creek, Dauphin Co.,9/25/2011

[Biggie]

Hit Clarks up today from 11:30 till about 5 PM. Water is up, +6" over the spillway, but very fishable.The water was starting to clear nicely in the regs. area. You just have to pick your spots to wade or cross the stream. Caught a few on black bugger and a couple on the green weenie. Also hooked two large fish on an articulated black leech fishing the fast water. Also had two other large fish chase the leech but couldn't close the deal with any of them. Only ran into one other fisherman. All in all a nice day to get out and froth the water...Also saw a few risers, looked like a cream midge they were taking.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

What's this stream gonna be like by Monday?

 

[McSneek]

Haven't seen it first hand but based on the forecast I would say by Monday it will be high, clear and running fast. Fishable but nothing like it would be normally at this time of year.

 

[Biggie]

If you can get the Harrisburg paper, "The Patriot News", look at the back of the first section in the weather report they list the level at the spillway for the DeHart Dam. If it is less than +8" over the top, you can fish Clarks. However, this does not speak to wether the creek is muddy or not (most likely not muddy). Make sure you can roll cast as most of your fishing will be from the bank if the water is on the high side. And as always look out for bears and rattle snakes🙂.

 

[jkilroy]

Haven't seen any bears on Clarks yet...

 

[PaulG]

jkilroy wrote:
Haven't seen any bears on Clarks yet...

There are usual a couple around. A couple of years back a guy got a very large one just below the white barn.

PaulG

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

One year a cub sat across the stream and watched my brother fish for 30 minutes. He didn't catch anything in those 30 minutes and it left. When he told me about it I asked if he was in the fly area. He was, I then told that the bear has probably seen other fisherman and have seen them catch fish. It is likely had he caught one during that time, it might have robbed him of a trout.

Are you in violation of C&R regs if you throw a trout to a bear and run the other way while it eats it? ;-)

 

[Nymph-O-Maniac]

Fished above the dam, the app. trail and the C&R today. This creek took the floods hard. The water is high, the banks are deceiving due to you just walking and then bam sunk. The pressure is good but didn't get a single fish. Below the dam the water has a copper tint to it.

 

[PaulG]

This time of year clarks always has a copper tint to it, I've heard of a couple of reasons for this, IMO, it's the leaves!

PaulG

 

[Nymph-O-Maniac]

PaulG wrote:

This time of year clarks always has a copper tint to it, I've heard of a couple of reasons for this, IMO, it's the leaves!

PaulG

So why wouldn't above the dam have that same color?

 

[afishinado]

The reservoir has turned over. It happens every fall around this time.

Here is an old post about it:

Clarks Fall Turnover

 

[MattBoyer]

Nymph-O-Maniac wrote:

PaulG wrote:

This time of year clarks always has a copper tint to it, I've heard of a couple of reasons for this, IMO, it's the leaves!

PaulG

So why wouldn't above the dam have that same color?

Possibly the fact that most of the bottom of the reservoir has five or six feet of dead leaves on it. It's like a big tea bag. Also, if they lake has flipped, that will contribute, but I've been waiting for the sustained wind out of the west that usually flips it and didn't think it had happened yet, but I'm a valley over these days and may have missed it.

Boyer

 

[Nymph-O-Maniac]

afishinado wrote:
The reservoir has turned over. It happens every fall around this time.

Here is an old post about it:

Clarks Fall Turnover

Just when I thought I couldn't be more impressed with the knowledge of Paflyfish.com you go and do that. Great info!!!!

 

[afishinado]

Nymph-O-Maniac wrote:

afishinado wrote:
The reservoir has turned over. It happens every fall around this time.

Here is an old post about it:

Clarks Fall Turnover

Just when I thought I couldn't be more impressed with the knowledge of Paflyfish.com you go and do that. Great info!!!!

You can thank Pad. He often took the time to do some research and ask an expert on the subject rather than winging it.