wgmiller
Well-known member
I snuck out for a few hours this afternoon and hit the FFO stretch of the Donegal. Fished from about 3:00-5:30 from the red horse barn upstream about 1/2 mile. Lots of insect activity: small black caddis flying around the surface and also saw some small sulphurs riding the surface as well. Lots of other "stuff" in the weeds as I accessed the stream (mosquitoes, dragonflies, etc.). The creek is bustling right now with insect activity.
The color and clarity of the stream was a bit off and even with my polarized glasses, couldn't see bottom in many places. The flow of the creek is the best I have seen in quite some time. It's pretty much running the width of the streambed the whole way down. The temperature, well, it's a spring creek so I'd have to guess somewhere in the 50's (didn't pull my thermometer).
I tied on a #14 elk hair caddis w/ 6X tippet and had a few missed strikes where the road leads down. Some very 'splashy' rises in this area got me tipped off and I just wasn't quick enough on the trigger to make the connection. Being a noob, getting that timing down takes some work!
I fished upstream a bit mostly blind casting to places where I though fish held. I had one or two come out of their hold to chase my fly, but again, wasn't able to connect. I walked up to the area where the wire fence crosses the creek (where the cornfield ends). There was a nice pool in this area and I saw a "splashy" rise on several different occasions. You sure can learn a lot just by sitting and watching...
After making several 30' casts downstream to the rising fish, I made a connection. I was stoked because this was the first fish I had landed on a dry fly (I just started ff'ing in 9/08). I stripped him in and as I got him to hand, I was amazed and excited to see that it was in fact a wild brown trout. I know Sal caught one a few months back and it's great news for a stream that has taken a beating over the years. This was also the first wild trout I've caught, so I was really happy.
On the way out I was talking with a gentleman who lives near the red horse barn who fishes the stream on a very regular basis. He told me that he has been doing quite well with wild fish as well and even landed one in the 12" range not long ago. For a limestone creek that gets hammered by sedimentation, this is great news!
I tried a foam beetle for a bit, but from what I saw, I just don't think the stream is quite ready for terrestrials quite yet. It's not far away, but a bit early in my opinion.
My first wild fish and first fish on a dry
Shot of where I landed the fish (between the trees)
The creek is in great shape! The fish were laid up, but they'd come out and play. The banks are full of burn hazel, jagger bushes and other stuff, so be careful accessing the creek. It's a far different place in the warmer months.
The color and clarity of the stream was a bit off and even with my polarized glasses, couldn't see bottom in many places. The flow of the creek is the best I have seen in quite some time. It's pretty much running the width of the streambed the whole way down. The temperature, well, it's a spring creek so I'd have to guess somewhere in the 50's (didn't pull my thermometer).
I tied on a #14 elk hair caddis w/ 6X tippet and had a few missed strikes where the road leads down. Some very 'splashy' rises in this area got me tipped off and I just wasn't quick enough on the trigger to make the connection. Being a noob, getting that timing down takes some work!
I fished upstream a bit mostly blind casting to places where I though fish held. I had one or two come out of their hold to chase my fly, but again, wasn't able to connect. I walked up to the area where the wire fence crosses the creek (where the cornfield ends). There was a nice pool in this area and I saw a "splashy" rise on several different occasions. You sure can learn a lot just by sitting and watching...
After making several 30' casts downstream to the rising fish, I made a connection. I was stoked because this was the first fish I had landed on a dry fly (I just started ff'ing in 9/08). I stripped him in and as I got him to hand, I was amazed and excited to see that it was in fact a wild brown trout. I know Sal caught one a few months back and it's great news for a stream that has taken a beating over the years. This was also the first wild trout I've caught, so I was really happy.
On the way out I was talking with a gentleman who lives near the red horse barn who fishes the stream on a very regular basis. He told me that he has been doing quite well with wild fish as well and even landed one in the 12" range not long ago. For a limestone creek that gets hammered by sedimentation, this is great news!
I tried a foam beetle for a bit, but from what I saw, I just don't think the stream is quite ready for terrestrials quite yet. It's not far away, but a bit early in my opinion.
My first wild fish and first fish on a dry
Shot of where I landed the fish (between the trees)
The creek is in great shape! The fish were laid up, but they'd come out and play. The banks are full of burn hazel, jagger bushes and other stuff, so be careful accessing the creek. It's a far different place in the warmer months.
