Honey and Kish Creeks, Mifflin Co., 12/15/14

[SteveG]

Today was finally the day for me to check out Honey and Kish. I started around 1100hrs at Honey. Air temp was around 45 degrees according to my phone. I didn't bringing a thermometer since Honey was a spring creek.

The "book" states that Honey is a spring creek, but not as placid as my local CV limestoners, so I thought it'd be a good stream to hit due to stable temp and lots of food. I've also heard that Honey can be very difficult. I thought there might be midges coming off since the past few days were in the 40s, but didn't see any while rigging up.

To make a long story short, I am utterly stumped by Honey Creek. When I saw all the pockets and riffles, I was expecting to pull fish out left and right, but was empty handed after an hour and a half. I didn't even spook any fish. I cycled through various nymphs and weights without a strike. I lifted some rocks, and was not seeing what I was expecting to see with limestone water. I did find a green caseless caddis larvae on a branch I pulled in. It was around a sz14. I decided to move to Kish after about 2 hours.

I drove along the Mann Narrows on Kish and into town. I parked near a Verizon building in a large empty lot and started at the bridge. Again, I expected to do good very good with how fishy the water looked, but was befuddled. After about a 1/2 hour, I did finally manage a 10" brown on a walt's worm. I gave Kish another hour and decided to head home to beat traffic.

Both pieces of water really have me scratching my head, especially Honey. Maybe I'll hit Big Spring tomorrow to redeem myself haha.

 

[wgmiller]

What stretch of Honey did you fish?

 

[LeTortAngler2]

Just to note, the upper and lower Honey are two different streams. I believe Upper honey is a stocked freestone stream, eventually flowing underground later emerging from a cavern turning into lower Honey which is a limestome spring creek with the good wild brown population. Maybe you fished upper? At big spring you should get a good chance to spook a few fish 🙂

 

[SteveG]

I was on lower honey, maybe about 3/4 mile below the large farm. Found a small area to pull off.

I threw about every kind of nymph and color midge I had at them haha.

 

[troutbert]

It's winter!

Come back at sulphur time. mid to late May or so. 🙂

 

[SteveG]

They shouldn't be too geared down now though, right? I'll definitely try again, but I'm always swamped with work in spring. I don't get much free time until until late summer through the winter.

 

[wgmiller]

Tort2 hit what I was getting at. There are two "Honeys" and the lower stretch can be a bit challenging at times given lack of hatches, etc. Make no mistake about it though, they are in there...

 

[SteveG]

Any reason as to the lack of insects when flipping over rocks?

 

[Daniel45]

I fish Kish Creek a lot. That stretch you fished was in Yeagertown at Verizon. I have good and bad days there. That stretch through Mann's narrows is very good. A lot of snakes in summer but they don't seem to bother. If you head on it towards lewistown you will see Rec Park. If you park there and walk that stretch it's awesome. Anytime you want to fish Kish get a hold of me on here. I will go. I work construction work all summer and off all winter. I can't say much about honey cause I haven't fished it much.

 

[SteveG]

Sounds good. I'll give you a heads up next time I plan on being up that way.

 

[odizz17]

Green weenies

 

[jifigz]

As someone who takes angling very seriously and fishes a lot (250 out of 365 days a year, or so) I am under the firm opinion that at times it is nearly impossible to catch fish. You can fish where you know fish are and fish the way that had produced in the past in similar conditions and come up skunked. No doubt you fished over many fish and they were simply not feeding. At times I don't think there is really anything that you can throw to tempt them, especially in winter.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Unless there is a hatch, Kish/Honey is strictly a subsurface affair. I like big streamers in the fall for spawning browns, and beadhead anything fished slow and deep all other times. There are plenty of fish in both streams, but they are finicky at times as they do get pressured. It is definitely worth your while to put the time in and learn them. There are also other streams close-by that you should explore.

 

[MKern]

There are definitely a lot of fish in those two areas you fished. Both are my go-to spots when I want a quick trip with lots of fish, especially that section of the Kish.

There are times that honey is difficult. Try it again the in the spring and I bet you have a different result.

 

[LeTortAngler2]

"That stretch through Mann's narrows is very good. A lot of snakes in summer but they don't seem to bother you"

Every year I have about 4-5 mini heart attacks when fishing the Limertoners running into these things. Even ran into one last week on the banks of falling springs! Apparently it didn't get the memo to hibernate...