Hay Creek, Berks, 11/26/09

[jayL]

I stopped by the stocked stretch of hay today. I parked right at the closure of 82 south in birdsboro and fished up stream. I started around 3pm.

I try to fish this stream once or twice a year, just because I grew up fishing it 200+ days a year. I didn't see much sign of the fall stockers in the park, but did catch a wild brown. I always catch a few wild ones in there, and I am amazed that they survive the heavy pressure early in the season. I worked my way upstream, more trying to spot fish than cover water. I spooked a bunch, but I was mainly just there to take the rod for a walk and didn't feel like crawling around.

I saw a few olives and plenty of midges. No risers. The only one I landed took a micro red san juan trailed behind my favorite fly, a weighted ball of muskrat dubbing on a nymph hook.

 

[littlelehigh]

jayL wrote:


The only one I landed took a micro red san juan trailed behind my favorite fly, a weighted ball of muskrat dubbing on a nymph hook.

That's cool you even shared your patterns. Mr. Heck is a big fan of the San Juan and I think I need to fish it more often.


BTW what is the smallest size hook you fish a SJW?

 

[jayL]

I have them down to size 18 hooks (1/2 inch long or so).

I don't fish them enough for wild trout. I mainly had it on for stockie candy, but have done well on valley and spring creeks with them before.

The bighorn river made me a believer in the worm pattern. I saw the actual worms we were imitating, and a red san juan was right on. It was deadly.

I don't have it handy, but I have been to a site that lists all of the invertebrate life in a stream, and worms are ALWAYS present.

 

[sholgate]

My wife and I were there for a little more than an hour Sunday. I landed a creek chub, wild brown, and a stocked rainbow. Surprised about the brown. Never fished that section before. Pretty park. My guess is that there is heavy fishing pressure there. I saw 4 other spin fishermen on there in the short time that we were there.