Conestoga River (below 23) Lancaster County 4/14/2012

[salvelinusfontinalis]

*Ignore the camera dates ;-)
9:00A.M. - 7 P.M.
I was supposed to meet wgmiller this morning on the Letort but we changed our minds and hit the Conestoga River. The smallies are not in spawn yet on this river and are still in a pre-spawn ritual.

When we got to the stream we had to really try just to locate a smallie. After some time fishing wg started to get big fallfish and a chub, and I mean a chub. The entire time caddis (emerald green) smacked the waters surface. Light Cahills were all over in good numbers to get some fish to rise. Still we worked our streamers and waited.

BAM!

This was the first smallie of the day and it was a really good one. The thing followed a size 4 (tied big) white bugger and destroyed it. The fish did fight but not like it would in the summer. Not even close! Still this bass measured 17". (All sizes scaled of wgmillers flyrod with a 20" mark.)

I caught another smallie in the 13" range and wg lost a monster because he thought he was snagged. These fish are on the shorelines on the edge of current in shallow water.

We went to another section and caught no fish. We did get to watch another monster leap out of the water right near us. I'm positive that fish took on of the Cahills that were hatching.

We explored Mill Creek some and found the fishing not nearly as good so we hit the Conestoga further down in the watershed.

This is what all the average smallies looked like.

Biggest of the day at 19". This fish destroyed my brown bugger. It was also the last fish of the day.

Enjoyed a few beers and reflected on how we can't wait for when its the middle of summer. The Conestoga is a fun river.

*edit: the fishing was SLOW. You had to work for your fish.

 

[slay12345]

Awesome fish! Can't wait for the summer fishing on the river!!

 

[Lonewolve]

Beautiful Smallies an a great post congrats Sal.
Tight Wraps & Tight Lines
Rick Wallace

 

[Fishidiot]

Terrific report - some mighty nice fish there.

 

[vcregular]

Those are some nice fish. Nice work getting after it like that.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

4/15/2012
10AM - dusk

After getting home yesterday, I kept thinking about all of those "minnows" I saw along the shorelines in moderate current and shallow water. They looked very odd and also very distinct. Eyes of a sculpin, long, thin, black bands across the back, very fast and by the hundreds. It interests me because the smallies are still showing pre-spawn holding tendencies and these "minnows" are in the same place, the strike zone. Is that thing a baby perch?

I started searching:
Greenside darter
This is the fish.
More info

When breeding greenside darters use fast deep riffles. The rest of the year they can be found in slower water, even in pools, especially near emergent vegetation such are water willow or lizards tail. Reproduction and Care of the Young Adults spawn in deep fast flowing riffles in April when water temperatures are between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The eggs are attached to strands of filamentous algae and aquatic moss. The male then defends the area where the eggs were laid but does not provide any care for the young after hatching. Young greenside darters spend much of their time in shallow water with a sandy substrate often in or around emergent vegetation.

Bingo! That is the fish, it says they can reach a maximum of 5 inches in length but are typically 2-3.

This fly is my answer.

I fished the Lower Conestoga River and explored it a bit because I've never tried it before. I found the areas with heavy current and worked the seams and edges of where shallow water transitioned to deeper water. This fly was a killer. I caught bass this time in all year classes except for the monsters we caught the day before. I did land a fair amount like this:

I had good luck approaching areas like above also. Sneak up behind the small woody debris on the right and toss into the slack water behind the wood.

Deep pools with current seams also produced well.

The nymphs were all over the rocks of course. Many Light Cahills flying around and small bass were taking them.

I tossed those streamers I tied the night before all day. It was rather epic for numbers and ok for size. Think I got a new SM Bass pattern.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I wanted to add that even tthough the Conestoga River is shallow for a river and warms earlier, it has been cool for stretches. Even with the little rain we have had the water is still cool. I would be willing to bet the smallmouth will spawn in a week or 2. Its almost over for now 🙁