East Hickory Creek DHALO, Forest Co, 4-20-19

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Butler Co home, Forest Co camp
Time Fished: Noon - 500pm

Weather Conditions: 61 degrees, cycled through Sunny/Cloudy/Rain about 3 times.

Water Conditions: 48 degrees from start to finish. Flow was on the heavy side. Water was green with good visibility

Insects:
- Sz 18 Blue Quills began hatching about 1230pm and shut down about 4pm. They were lifting off in the middle to the tail end of the pool. At their peak I’d see one every 3-4 minutes.
- Sz 14 Quill Gordons started hatching at 2pm and finished about 4pm. They were lifting off at the very head of the pools so they seemed to be hatching in the heavy riffles. At their peak I saw 3 in the air at one time. I don’t see QGs very often but they sure look nice in the air.
- Saw a few Sz 18 black stones hatching and floating down the creek about 230pm.
- Several Sz 14 brown stones were laying eggs between 3pm and 4pm.
- saw a few Sz 16 or 18 caddis from 330-430pm.
- There were also a decent number of midges buzzing around all day.
- Only saw 1 rise
- In the cycle of weather, sun on the water would trigger the insects to start hatching and clouds would slow them down.

I started the day with a streamer to try to figure out which holes were holding fish. This section has some very deep holes and lots of logjams that attract the fish and make it seem like there are no fish around. The brookies and browns that are stocked here definitely orient to wood and undercuts banks making it a difficult task for a fly fisher.

I just worked my way downstream testing the holes and riffles. I had 2 fish on in my first pass and about 3 other strikes (all in the same hole) so I walked back to that hole and tried nymphing with 5-6 different patterns and never had a bump. I walked a ways upstream and fished my streamer the rest of the day. Had 1 more fish on (a brookie) that I never got to hand and had another 15 strikes. They just seemed content to bump it.

So I didn’t land a fish. I did see the Eagle 3 times and saw another Eagle perched in a tree along the Allegheny River as I drove home. It’s getting to be so commonplace to see them anymore. For you turkey hunters I didn’t hear very many birds and I didn’t see any youth hunters where I went to listen. But the good news was I saw a woodcock and heard a drumming grouse every time I got near a clearcut.
 

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  • Blue Quill (measured).jpg
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  • Grouse Drumming.JPG
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Very well done report and excellent bug pics.

I'm happier to see the grouse than any trout photos, to be frank.
Good job.
 
Too bad the grouse photo isn’t clear. It a combination of the low light, having to resize the photo and that little branch that partially obstructs the grouse’s head. The videos I took are really good. I got close to another one but I could never find him with my binoculars to get closer. I just continued out the logging road but when I returned he was still drumming, so I didn’t spook him.
 
Thanks for the report and photos.

I've often heard grouse drumming, but have never seen them drumming.
 
I'm curious. Is it a technical John Bonham kind of thing or a swampy sit in the song Ringo kind of thing? ")
 
flipper wrote:
I'm curious. Is it a technical John Bonham kind of thing or a swampy sit in the song Ringo kind of thing? ")

It's more like an old John Deere tractor that hasn't run for a long time starting up on a cold morning.

There are videos of grouse drumming on YouTube.

Maybe rock drummers could steal a lick from the grouse.
 
troutbert wrote:
flipper wrote:
I'm curious. Is it a technical John Bonham kind of thing or a swampy sit in the song Ringo kind of thing? ")

It's more like an old John Deere tractor that hasn't run for a long time starting up on a cold morning.

There are videos of grouse drumming on YouTube.

Maybe rock drummers could steal a lick from the grouse.


^ Lol. I've always thought it sounded like an old generator starting up.

Turn up your volume to hear the audio ⬇

 
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