Prospector
Well-known member
=========================
Summary
Rain was a factor over the 4 days we were at camp on Kettle Creek. Water was up and that impacted us the most. Water Temp was on the lower side of comfortable trout temps. We had 3 anglers at camp and we combined for 70 trout caught.
The local bear was on premises for at least 3 of the nights.
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Kettle Creek, Clinton Co, 5-12-2025
Open Water Section
Time Fished: 1pm -445pm
Weather Conditions: Sunny, 70 to 80 degrees during the time fished.
Insects: I wasn’t able to catch any flies but I saw Caddis, midges, stoneflies, some small brown stoneflies.
There were a decent amount of insects hatching or returning to lay eggs. I started with a yellow Maribou streamer and fished it a very long way. I had only 4 strikes. So that was sort of a bust. I just kept working for a winning setup but it was slow trickle of action.
When there were too many people around me, I took a little foray through a long set of riffles hoping I could bring some trout to hand. However I never had a strike in that long riffle. I guess the fish weren’t using that area.
Things picked up substantially around 315pm. I was getting lots of strikes but the water was fast and the fish were little. It was tough to maintain contact with the fly yet still detect the strikes on the longer line.
I ended up with 3 browns and 5 rainbows.
============================
Kettle Creek, Clinton Co, 5-12-2025
Open Water Section
Time Fished: 715pm - 830pm
Weather Conditions: Sunny, 70 to 80 degrees during the time fished.
Insects: Caddis, midges, Yellow stoneflies, Black stoneflies.
I had to help my father adjust his setup so I got to the stream late. There were a lot of different insects in the air. It was not bug soup but it was a good sample size of insects. I walked to the head of the riffle and I still had on my 3 wet flies. I made some casts and noticed a decent diversity of insects and rising fish. I switched over to a dry and my first 2 choices weren’t cutting it. Finally I picked a winner and the trout were taking my tan caddis. As I worked my way downstream I began to notice trout rising close to me. They were not spooky and were making very subtle sips. I caught a few them on the way by.
There were 5 to 8 different insects involved in the spinnerfall. The most numerous were 2 different rusty spinners. One had 3 tails and the other only had 2 tails. They were all over my tonneau cover. Stoneflies were also active with both black and yellow bodied species in the air and on the water. In addition there was a large dark mayfly in pretty good numbers.
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Kettle Creek, Clinton Co, 5-13-2025
Open Water Section
Time Fished: 930am - 130pm
Water Conditions: 52 degrees, off color, running heavy
Weather Conditions: 64 degrees and Raining
Insects: A few mayflies
I was the first person in the hole behind camp. Due to the rain, I started out with a streamer. I worked it for a couple hundred yards and only had 4 strikes with no hookups. I got back to the top (re-rigged) and swung 3 wet flies (March Brown wet, Royal Coachman, March Brown Nymph). I fished that combo through the riffle and through the pool. I caught a rainbow and a brown about 2/3 of the way into the run.
I hate to nymph but it was the only thing left to do since it was still raining and I had exhausted the other options. I tied on a bead-head prince nymph with two 3/0 split shot about a foot above the fly without an indicator. I did my best to get in the moment and I actually caught some fish. A brookie came first, then a pair of rainbows, followed by a brown and another pair of rainbows. I probably should nymph more often particularly in these conditions.
============================
Kettle Creek, Clinton Co, 5-14-2025
Open Water Section
Time Fished: 835am - 1145am
Water Conditions: 52 degrees, Off Color, Green Hue, level was falling
Weather Conditions: 62 degrees, Cloudy, Very Light Rain
Insects: Not a lot of insects but we saw some of these: March Brown, Caddis, BWO, Yellow Sally
I started out nymphing with no luck. I soon switched to streamers and began to get strikes. It was steady action but not great action. I worked the stretch with 3 different streamers (Spruce Fly, Yellow Maribou, black matuka). I caught 3 browns and 2 rainbows.
I then went to the head of the riffle and nymphed for a while. I never had a strike. Other guys from our crew caught a few on top but dry fly action was slow.
==========================
Kettle Creek, Clinton Co, 5-14-2025
Open Water Section
Time Fished: 1230pm - 200pm
Water Conditions: 52 degrees, Off Color, Green Hue, level was falling slowly
Weather Conditions: 62 degrees, Cloudy, Very Light Rain
Insects: This location had more insects but less variety including March Brown, Caddis, Yellow Sally
I started with a streamer and had over a dozen fish swirl at it but only one actually hit the fly. I fished it down about 80 yards then I started over at the top. I put on a large Caddis pattern and had one trout splash at it and another fish took it. I changed to a smaller Caddis and got another taker. There was only one other trout coming up consistently and he ate a BWO. At that point I had caught all fish that were rising. So I decided to pack it in.
I had started fishing alone and now below me were 8 anglers. When I got to the truck, 3 more guys were walking in. I warned them that there were 8 people already there but they trudged on by to see from themselves.
I caught 2 rainbows and 1 brown.
=======================
Kettle Creek, Clinton Co, 5-14-2025
Open Water Section
Time Fished: 630pm - 915pm
Water Conditions: 52 degrees, Off Color, Water level was slowly falling
Weather Conditions: 62 degrees, Cloudy
Insects: Caddis, Spinners
I fished a location that is more known as a bait fishing area, but I thought I might be alone. The heavy flow limited the areas where fish could hold. I had to pass up many of the areas that would normally hold fish. In the first two-tenth of a mile I had just 2 strikes and didn’t connect on either.
I was hoping the big hole was going to be intact and would hold a decent number of trout. It was worth the wait. Despite running heavy, it became better as dusk approached. At one point I was ready to head out, so I made a long cast and reeled as fast as I could. To my surprise a rainbow took the fly. After releasing it I repeated the cast and fast retrieve and I caught another rainbow. It did not work on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th attempt. I did continue to work likely spots and added a few bonus fish.
I caught 1 brown on a dry fly and 8 on streamers (4 brown, 3 rainbow, 1 brook).
=========================
Kettle Creek, Clinton Co, 5-15-2025
Open Water Section
Time Fished: 830am - 1000am
Water Conditions: 52. degrees, pretty clear, Water level was almost perfect
Weather Conditions: 64 degrees, Cloudy
Insects: March Browns,
I started out behind camp with a streamer and it was pretty dead. I worked the streamer for about 300 yds with only a few strikes. I caught 1 brown.
Next pass, I switched to a rig with a wet fly and a nymph. It too had limited strikes and I landed just one nice rainbow.
Saw 4 ducklings that were separated from their mother. It didn’t look good for them but they were on the move.
Summary
Rain was a factor over the 4 days we were at camp on Kettle Creek. Water was up and that impacted us the most. Water Temp was on the lower side of comfortable trout temps. We had 3 anglers at camp and we combined for 70 trout caught.
The local bear was on premises for at least 3 of the nights.
============================
Kettle Creek, Clinton Co, 5-12-2025
Open Water Section
Time Fished: 1pm -445pm
Weather Conditions: Sunny, 70 to 80 degrees during the time fished.
Insects: I wasn’t able to catch any flies but I saw Caddis, midges, stoneflies, some small brown stoneflies.
There were a decent amount of insects hatching or returning to lay eggs. I started with a yellow Maribou streamer and fished it a very long way. I had only 4 strikes. So that was sort of a bust. I just kept working for a winning setup but it was slow trickle of action.
When there were too many people around me, I took a little foray through a long set of riffles hoping I could bring some trout to hand. However I never had a strike in that long riffle. I guess the fish weren’t using that area.
Things picked up substantially around 315pm. I was getting lots of strikes but the water was fast and the fish were little. It was tough to maintain contact with the fly yet still detect the strikes on the longer line.
I ended up with 3 browns and 5 rainbows.
============================
Kettle Creek, Clinton Co, 5-12-2025
Open Water Section
Time Fished: 715pm - 830pm
Weather Conditions: Sunny, 70 to 80 degrees during the time fished.
Insects: Caddis, midges, Yellow stoneflies, Black stoneflies.
I had to help my father adjust his setup so I got to the stream late. There were a lot of different insects in the air. It was not bug soup but it was a good sample size of insects. I walked to the head of the riffle and I still had on my 3 wet flies. I made some casts and noticed a decent diversity of insects and rising fish. I switched over to a dry and my first 2 choices weren’t cutting it. Finally I picked a winner and the trout were taking my tan caddis. As I worked my way downstream I began to notice trout rising close to me. They were not spooky and were making very subtle sips. I caught a few them on the way by.
There were 5 to 8 different insects involved in the spinnerfall. The most numerous were 2 different rusty spinners. One had 3 tails and the other only had 2 tails. They were all over my tonneau cover. Stoneflies were also active with both black and yellow bodied species in the air and on the water. In addition there was a large dark mayfly in pretty good numbers.
============================
Kettle Creek, Clinton Co, 5-13-2025
Open Water Section
Time Fished: 930am - 130pm
Water Conditions: 52 degrees, off color, running heavy
Weather Conditions: 64 degrees and Raining
Insects: A few mayflies
I was the first person in the hole behind camp. Due to the rain, I started out with a streamer. I worked it for a couple hundred yards and only had 4 strikes with no hookups. I got back to the top (re-rigged) and swung 3 wet flies (March Brown wet, Royal Coachman, March Brown Nymph). I fished that combo through the riffle and through the pool. I caught a rainbow and a brown about 2/3 of the way into the run.
I hate to nymph but it was the only thing left to do since it was still raining and I had exhausted the other options. I tied on a bead-head prince nymph with two 3/0 split shot about a foot above the fly without an indicator. I did my best to get in the moment and I actually caught some fish. A brookie came first, then a pair of rainbows, followed by a brown and another pair of rainbows. I probably should nymph more often particularly in these conditions.
============================
Kettle Creek, Clinton Co, 5-14-2025
Open Water Section
Time Fished: 835am - 1145am
Water Conditions: 52 degrees, Off Color, Green Hue, level was falling
Weather Conditions: 62 degrees, Cloudy, Very Light Rain
Insects: Not a lot of insects but we saw some of these: March Brown, Caddis, BWO, Yellow Sally
I started out nymphing with no luck. I soon switched to streamers and began to get strikes. It was steady action but not great action. I worked the stretch with 3 different streamers (Spruce Fly, Yellow Maribou, black matuka). I caught 3 browns and 2 rainbows.
I then went to the head of the riffle and nymphed for a while. I never had a strike. Other guys from our crew caught a few on top but dry fly action was slow.
==========================
Kettle Creek, Clinton Co, 5-14-2025
Open Water Section
Time Fished: 1230pm - 200pm
Water Conditions: 52 degrees, Off Color, Green Hue, level was falling slowly
Weather Conditions: 62 degrees, Cloudy, Very Light Rain
Insects: This location had more insects but less variety including March Brown, Caddis, Yellow Sally
I started with a streamer and had over a dozen fish swirl at it but only one actually hit the fly. I fished it down about 80 yards then I started over at the top. I put on a large Caddis pattern and had one trout splash at it and another fish took it. I changed to a smaller Caddis and got another taker. There was only one other trout coming up consistently and he ate a BWO. At that point I had caught all fish that were rising. So I decided to pack it in.
I had started fishing alone and now below me were 8 anglers. When I got to the truck, 3 more guys were walking in. I warned them that there were 8 people already there but they trudged on by to see from themselves.
I caught 2 rainbows and 1 brown.
=======================
Kettle Creek, Clinton Co, 5-14-2025
Open Water Section
Time Fished: 630pm - 915pm
Water Conditions: 52 degrees, Off Color, Water level was slowly falling
Weather Conditions: 62 degrees, Cloudy
Insects: Caddis, Spinners
I fished a location that is more known as a bait fishing area, but I thought I might be alone. The heavy flow limited the areas where fish could hold. I had to pass up many of the areas that would normally hold fish. In the first two-tenth of a mile I had just 2 strikes and didn’t connect on either.
I was hoping the big hole was going to be intact and would hold a decent number of trout. It was worth the wait. Despite running heavy, it became better as dusk approached. At one point I was ready to head out, so I made a long cast and reeled as fast as I could. To my surprise a rainbow took the fly. After releasing it I repeated the cast and fast retrieve and I caught another rainbow. It did not work on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th attempt. I did continue to work likely spots and added a few bonus fish.
I caught 1 brown on a dry fly and 8 on streamers (4 brown, 3 rainbow, 1 brook).
=========================
Kettle Creek, Clinton Co, 5-15-2025
Open Water Section
Time Fished: 830am - 1000am
Water Conditions: 52. degrees, pretty clear, Water level was almost perfect
Weather Conditions: 64 degrees, Cloudy
Insects: March Browns,
I started out behind camp with a streamer and it was pretty dead. I worked the streamer for about 300 yds with only a few strikes. I caught 1 brown.
Next pass, I switched to a rig with a wet fly and a nymph. It too had limited strikes and I landed just one nice rainbow.
Saw 4 ducklings that were separated from their mother. It didn’t look good for them but they were on the move.
