I fished Pickering yesterday and french creek today.
I was concerned about the rain. I kept checking the stream gauges to guess when it had dropped enough.
Yesterday I had good luck on Pickering. 45 dergree water lots of volume but fishable if you had enough leader and weight.
I too a really fat 17 inch rainbow on a size 20 midge emerger. I was thrilled.
Today I went to French creek. The first spot,half way up the fly fisning only area, the water was up and fast. I like to enter the stream from this spot, wade across, and fish back.When I got down to the stream and took a close look I realized I would have to be an idiot to try to wade across here. Since it wasn't fishable from the bank where I stood I moved downstream.
The next spot was a little better. I tried many different nymphs but once again there were midges coming off and that is what I fell back on. I took a couple small rainbows on small green emergers. I saw one fish break water chasing something.
Water was 46 degrees and moderatley clear. Still lots of junk floating in it. After aout two hours I thought I was stuck on a rock again. I tugged harder and tthe rock pulled back. I was into the biggest trout I had ever hooked here in the last 35 years of fishing french creek.
It took a couple 30 foot runs, thankfully it went downstream and then turned around and came back up. Then it bull dogged me with the head shakes for several minutes. All I could think was keep a tight line as I was fishing a size 18 barbless brassie and I know how if you let just a little slack in the line they come off.
When the fish finally came to the surface I was shocked at the size. A huge Brown. Another minute and I worked it towards my net. When I scooped it up If would not fit in the net and I held it to my chest and stumled back to the shore.In the net the nymph fell out of its jaw. It was so fat I ould barely get both hands around it. I took a quick picture and then back in the creek. 30 seconds holding its nose up stream and away it went.It was in good shape excepy it had some sores on the pectoral fins you can see in the pictures. First pic Pickering creek rainbow.Second Pic 22 1/2" brown trout,french creek
I was concerned about the rain. I kept checking the stream gauges to guess when it had dropped enough.
Yesterday I had good luck on Pickering. 45 dergree water lots of volume but fishable if you had enough leader and weight.
I too a really fat 17 inch rainbow on a size 20 midge emerger. I was thrilled.
Today I went to French creek. The first spot,half way up the fly fisning only area, the water was up and fast. I like to enter the stream from this spot, wade across, and fish back.When I got down to the stream and took a close look I realized I would have to be an idiot to try to wade across here. Since it wasn't fishable from the bank where I stood I moved downstream.
The next spot was a little better. I tried many different nymphs but once again there were midges coming off and that is what I fell back on. I took a couple small rainbows on small green emergers. I saw one fish break water chasing something.
Water was 46 degrees and moderatley clear. Still lots of junk floating in it. After aout two hours I thought I was stuck on a rock again. I tugged harder and tthe rock pulled back. I was into the biggest trout I had ever hooked here in the last 35 years of fishing french creek.
It took a couple 30 foot runs, thankfully it went downstream and then turned around and came back up. Then it bull dogged me with the head shakes for several minutes. All I could think was keep a tight line as I was fishing a size 18 barbless brassie and I know how if you let just a little slack in the line they come off.
When the fish finally came to the surface I was shocked at the size. A huge Brown. Another minute and I worked it towards my net. When I scooped it up If would not fit in the net and I held it to my chest and stumled back to the shore.In the net the nymph fell out of its jaw. It was so fat I ould barely get both hands around it. I took a quick picture and then back in the creek. 30 seconds holding its nose up stream and away it went.It was in good shape excepy it had some sores on the pectoral fins you can see in the pictures. First pic Pickering creek rainbow.Second Pic 22 1/2" brown trout,french creek
