Conewago Creek, Adams County, 10/06/11

[1wt]

I fished the Conewago today in the Fly Fishing Only C&R section. The state stocked yesterday. Someone at the creek told me 300 'bows for the mile long stretch! But they seem to be on the big side?
I haven't fished that creek in 20 years. I noticed a lot of boulder work all along the creek...... probably TU?
They did a wonderful job with the banks. Even after all the hurricanes and flood water, the bottom is still gravel and the boulders hold the sides from washing out.
A beautiful clean creek with good side depth and a lot of structure. A lot of Smallmouth and Sunfish. It looks very healthy to me. Lots of overhanging trees with good rock work throughout the creek.
A wonderful day fly fishing! I brought one rainbow to hand, about 13", and I lost one and caught ten small smallmouth bass and four green sunfish, one bluegill, and two rockbass. All fish were healthy.
My nymphs didn't work that great today. I caught the bass and trout on a big black woolybugger. Some sunfish caught on a black floating foam ant.

[color=0000FF]Moderators:[/color] Could I please change my name from 1wt to 3wt? I've sold my 1wt rod and all I use now is a 3wt, 5wt, or a 8wt.

Tight Lines,
3wt

​

 

[albatross]

Love the last pic showing your waders reflecting back from the TU sign. Glad you had a nice outing!

 

[Swattie87]

Very nice little medley of fish there...many of my favorites represented...very cool thread and report. Jealous in a way...I missed out on a lot of my Smallmouth and Sunfish fishing this year since the Swatara was more or less blown out during my favorite time to fish it (August/Sept).

I'm a bit of a nerd with my sunfish ID's...that one in the fourth picture is a Redbreast, just as a heads up. Very common in WW streams in SC PA, and a very fun fish with a fly rod in hand.

 

[PaulG]

1wt

I usual get to fish the stream a few time a year, I agree they have do some nice work on the stream. Sorry to say only got there once this year.

Although I have never fished it this late in the season, I have had a lot of luck with the orange ant, good stonefly hatch early in the year.

PaulG

 

[1wt]

REDBREAST SUNFISH
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lepomis auritus

Swattie,
I stand corrected! I thought it was a green sunfish....... but I now see that I was wrong.


[color=0000FF]Jealous in a way...I missed out on a lot of my Smallmouth and Sunfish fishing this year since the Swatara was more or less blown out during my favorite time to fish it (August/Sept).[/color]

I know exactly what you mean! I was also left out of my favorite fishing, the Susquehanna, with all the fish now gone and all the major flooding with this crazy weather. I have found a solution!! When things are blown out, I fish the clean lakes that don't get wrecked by all the water. A couple local ones, less than a hour drive, kept me busy with my 3wt catching lots of sunfish this summer. I have just as much fun with the abundant bluegills and top water sponge spiders or beadhead micro buggers as I do when I go trout fishing.

3 wt

 

[1wt]

[color=0000FF]I have had a lot of luck with the orange ant, good stonefly hatch early in the year.

PaulG[/color]

Thanks, Paul.
I went back today with some ants and size 20 zebra midges under a indicator. Some midges with a tail and dubbing where herl is usually used. top water sulfur midges, tiny hears ears, tiny pheasant tails....... but not a stinkin' hit, not even a sunfish!!
I have become addicted to woolybuggers!! I caught a few smallmouth and a few redbreasts today, only on buggers, but no trout.
I talked to a guy there today and he said that the trout are in full time spawn now and they won't bite. Makes sense to me...... the bow I caught yesterday was squirting sperm out when I took his pic!!

3 wt

 

[Swattie87]

1wt - Sunfish are tough to tell apart...even more so since they all can hybridize with one another and if you have a couple different species in a watershed you can get some real mutts. Redbreasts are my favorite of the sunfish family though...they're very photogenic fish and are great fighters for their size.

I fished the Wissahickon today with a college buddy of mine...no trout unfortunately, but plenty of Redbreasts...

 

[wgmiller]

Personally speaking, I'd much rather catch the warmwater fish over that ugly stockie! :-D

 

[1wt]

wgmiller wrote:
Personally speaking, I'd much rather catch the warmwater fish over that ugly stockie! :-D

Me too! That's why I fly fish for sunfish most of my fishing time.
Every now and then I tie on a tandem of size 22 nymphs and fish a 6X flouro under a "turn-on" strike indicator........ but I don't catch anything, so I enjoy the beautiful clean tiny creek and put a woolybugger on for some sunfish or chub action!
Today I caught 50 bluegills and 25 redbreasts....... maybe just a little more fun than a stockie or two?