French Creek DHFFO March 13

[sunra]

Fished today from about 11:30 till 2:30. I read the creek was stocked late February, so I thought it might be a good place to get some action. I was hoping to see a lot of fish as I had at Ridley, but I was surprised by the lack of visible activity and fish sighted.

The water was cold and clear, and I saw about 6 others fly fishing the stretch during that time. One guy caught a couple of small trout near the upper end of the section when I first arrived, and another had a nice fish on, but lost it at about the same spot as I was leaving.

I saw only two trout myself. One was swatting at my small yellow drift indicator. It was a small fish, and I was unable to hook up with that fish, though I didn't really go to a small enough dry, imho.

The only other trout I saw was one I landed from some fast water on the bank by the road, just below those steps set into the bank. I caught him on a #14 soft hackle of partridge with a green floss body and a small thorax of natural hare's mask just behind the hackling. This fish put up a good fight, with a lot of splashing, a few good leaps and I quickly snapped a picture with my phone. He was released quickly and carefully.

I guess the stocked fish may have moved elsewhere on the stream as they are known to do after stocking.

Here's that photo:

 

[jayL]

Did you see all of the rain that fell over the weekend? I don't think they voluntarily moved. It's a shame that they are washed out already. I wanted to go take a shot at em.

As a matter of fact, I heard they were spotted here: http://www.nbi.noaa.gov/graphics/maps/delbay.jpg :lol:

 

[sunra]

Jay,

Have you fished French Creek a lot? This was just my second time there, both to the DHFFO section. Is it productive above and/or below there?

 

[2bonthewater]

use the Sheeder Mill Rd. bridge as the middle point of the fly stretch........I like to fish below the bridge, lots of nice little runs and pockets.......that area has been pounded since it was stocked......I wouldn't say all the fish moved, more that they might be suffering from HOOKITIS...........I fished there the other day and did not bump a fish until the afternoon......then it was one after the other......and on my last trip there I was the first on the stream and had it all to myself for the first 2 hours..........fish after fish after fish......then a few other folks showed up and they shutdown.....I caught mostly rainbows and 2 small brownies.....most of the fish were caught on egg patterns, small stonefly patterns, and wooly buggers.........I even caught quite a few fallfish--some rather large

 

[RRR]

To the best of my knoeledge, the fly stretch on French Cr. was float stocked by members of the Dame Juliana League. They do it every year, water conditions permitting. That's probably why you're not seeing or catching alot of fish in any one pool. They spread em out pretty good. I hate fishing streams where they dump ten buckets in one pool then nothing for a mile, then another ten buckets in another pool. Even with high water it takes stocked trout a long time to spread out. Guess they're too used to hanging with their 10,000 buddies in the hatchery run and don't like getting seperated. The way the DJL does it gives everone on the stream a chance to catch a few instead of one or two people who are fortunate enough to be in one of those ten bucket holes.

 

[sunra]

i had read that the PAFBC had stocked several streams early. On their website it listed the revised stocking schedule with FC receiving it's scheduled Mid March buckets on February 26.

I think i just suck at fly fishing! But I will keep banging my head on the wall. It feels good, lol.