Prospector
Well-known member
I initially intended this to be a report on the Fly Only area on Caldwell Creek but when I arrived it was very muddy. So plans changed and I ended up on East Hickory. When I pulled up to East Hickory it was in beautiful shape, but before I even left the truck, the skies opened up into the hardest downpour imaginable. Between the peltng rain and high winds at least 2 streamside trees came crashing down within 75 yards.
When this type of hard downpour occurs, Queens Creek dumps in loads of muddy water just above the DHALO. Suffice to say, stream conditions went from perfect to marginal in about 15 minutes.
Air temp had peaked about 74 which helped push water temp to 60. There were at least 4 different insects present. I didn’t get them all to hand and even when I did the poor lighting and continued rain made identification difficult. Here are my thoughts. The blue quill had the highest volume by far. From 530-600pm one would fly past about every 30-35 secs. Hendrickson’s were next in volume. I saw one March Brown and I also saw a number of spinners size 16 dancing above the riffle. Caddis were also present but not in any volume. I saw no rises, which would be normal for these muddy water conditions.
I caught 1 brook trout on a black streamer and had only one other strike.
When this type of hard downpour occurs, Queens Creek dumps in loads of muddy water just above the DHALO. Suffice to say, stream conditions went from perfect to marginal in about 15 minutes.
Air temp had peaked about 74 which helped push water temp to 60. There were at least 4 different insects present. I didn’t get them all to hand and even when I did the poor lighting and continued rain made identification difficult. Here are my thoughts. The blue quill had the highest volume by far. From 530-600pm one would fly past about every 30-35 secs. Hendrickson’s were next in volume. I saw one March Brown and I also saw a number of spinners size 16 dancing above the riffle. Caddis were also present but not in any volume. I saw no rises, which would be normal for these muddy water conditions.
I caught 1 brook trout on a black streamer and had only one other strike.
