Clarks Creek, Dauphin County; 6/10/2011

[wbranch]

Arrived FF only water upper lot 8:00 a.m. and fished to about 12:30 p.m. Thought the creek was very low for early June and the water was quite warm. I'm thinking the heat of last week warmed the creek significantly. Saw good numbers of rises but they were tough and I only managed five browns, a couple on a #20 cdc caddis and the others on various ants and beetles. There was a bunch of trout in that circular pool about fifty yards downstream from the path. some appeared to be 12" - 13" but I was getting bored with not catching them more readily.

 

[PaulG]

wbranch

You said the water temp quite warm...did you take the w/t?

I've been fishing clarks for many years and I don't remember it ever being higher then the mid 60's, and that being in the late summer.

PaulG

 

[Nymph-O-Maniac]

I was on Clarks yesterday, and the water was a nice temp. I agree PaulG i've never seen it that high, don't know how it could be with all the shade. Landed a bunch on a elk hair caddis.

 

[bam]

everything is warm compared to the west branch. lol.

 

[wbranch]

Ain't that the truth!! No I didn't take the w/t. I felt it with my hand and it didn't feel very cold at all. I could easily of wade waded and not been cold. Conversely two weeks ago on the WB I was wearing 200 weight polar fleece pants and insulated socks. Glad to see some guys were hammering them.

 

[scottrum]

I fished the FF section last night. The water was running pretty good for June and I lost more fished than I landed on brown foam ant. I had strikes up until I left at 9:00

 

[Chooch]

I have fished Clarks for a while and have felt it warm. Used it fish just about everyday years back. Have not been there this year but suspected it might be warm. The reason Clarks is cold is not because of the shade, though that helps. It stays cold because it is a bottom release from dam. Unfortunately, what helps most freestoners hurts Clarks, and that is a lot of rain. When the dam gets full water comes off the top via the spillway. In the spring and summer the the water at the top of a pond, lake, or resevoir is the warmest; the opposite in the winter. So the warm water comes off the top and mixes with the cold water from the bottom release causing an increase in temperature.

 

[Gorosaurus]

Thank you for the information, Chooch. That makes sense!

 

[IdratherbePhishing]

Yup fifty yards below the lot is like the Adult Kid Section LOL.