Driftwood Branch of Sinnemahoning, Cameron, 9/5/2009

[albatross]

I only had the hour before dark to get out last night, but I'm glad I went. There were light colored size 14 mayflies hatching from a riffle and trout actively feeding on them. I tied on a white wulff and hooked up pretty quickly once I finally cast into the riffle where the active feeding was ocurring. A nice 16 inch brown came to hand. I had about 20 more minutes of casting to risers before things settled down, but I wasn't able to hook another fish. I found out why when I finally clipped my fly off at dark -- I had apparently broken the hook at the bend releasing the first trout! No way to know for sure, but I may have caught 3 or 4 trout in the half hour hatch if I'd actually had a hook on my fly...

I thought for a while these might be "white flies", but the hatch died before dark so I don't really know what species of mayfly was hatching.

I didn't take a temp, but the water felt cool and the overnight temps here are dipping into the forties. I'd guess the water was mid-sixties.

No photo because I dunked my phone in the crick as I was tying on the first fly.

 

[tomgamber]

Nice...you were gonna let em go anyway...I've done that before.

 

[pete41]

"No photo because I dunked my phone in the crick as I was tying on the first fly"
Quote
I wonder what Ray Bergman,Art Flick,Vince,Joe Brooks and the other old timers would think of that statement.lol

 

[dryflyguy]

Alby - were you above or below the railroad spill area?

 

[albatross]

Alby - were you above or below the railroad spill area?

Below, actually between the golf course and Driftwood. I was impressed to see a mayfly hatch this time of year and fish that have held over the summer. I think this stream is comming back just fine.

They are filming a train wreck disaster movie in the area of the actual crash that supposedly stars Danzel Washington. Good for the local economy!

 

[troutbert]

Do you think they were white flies? If they were really white and color, and size 14, it sounds to me like they probably were. At this tiem of year I don't know what else they might have been.

Good to hear the stream is coming back. Not that it surprises me. Streams tend to recover quickly after a spill. That's been seen on other streams as well.

It's the long term persistent water quality problems that cause long term persistent biological effects. Such as acid mine drainage.

 

[dryflyguy]

I hit a bit of a caddis hatch right in driftwood this past spring.
Glad to hear you saw mayflies - I wouldn't have figured on it recovering this fast. Great news

 

[albatross]

Do you think they were white flies? If they were really white and color, and size 14, it sounds to me like they probably were. At this tiem of year I don't know what else they might have been.

I thought they were white flies when I tied on a white wulff to imitate them (size 14). The white wulff was close enough to fool the trout. I began having my doubts when the hatch ended right around dark. My experience with whiteflies is limited to Slippery Rock Creek, but the hatch is just getting rolling at dark there.

 

[DaveKile]

Glad to hear that came across the mayflies on the Driftwood branch this time of year. The June 2006 railroad derailment was not a very good thing. I think nearby and not the same cause First Fork has been struggling with hatches too. Not as badly but still a variety of issues in the area. Sounds like a great time.