Prospector
Well-known member
Our group is back for our annual “Long Weekend “ on Kettle. Although I got a one day headstart since I have to leave early.
May 16. Kettle Creek FFO Section
=========================
Weather Conditions: Overcast, Rain at times, 55 degrees
Time Fished: 1115am - 5pm
Water Conditions: flow was near 1000 (normally 200), water heavily stained but visibility ok, water temp at 2pm was 48 degrees and it rose to 49 when I checked again at 5pm
Insects: Virtually nothing. Saw 1 Black Quill dun
Despite the high water some fisherman stayed in the area and fished. The FFO section had about 8 vehicles along its length. Certainly less than what I typically see this week, but more than I expected. I heard both the First Fork and Driftwood Branch were in worse shape than Kettle.
I fished streamers and had a lot of strikes although the majority of takes were more subtle than normal. I got 14 (9 browns, 1 rainbow, 4 brook)
In addition to the decent fishing I saw a fawn (maybe the earliest I’ve ever seen one) and I heard 3 grouse drumming.
May 17. Kettle Creek FFO Section
=========================
Weather Conditions: 55 degrees early, fog burned off at 930am giving way to sunny skies with highs approaching 78.
Time Fished: 930am - 3pm
Water Conditions: temp at 10am was 49, by 1pm it climbed to 52 degrees. Flow was in the 660 cfs range. Water off color
Insects: Small BWO were the most abundant fly followed by March Browns, a dark and light caddis and small stoneflies that had a rusty look as they flew past. Small BWOs started around 10am and were heaviest about noon. March Browns became the most abundant fly around 1230.
I have a really good March Brown nymph pattern for Kettle but it was not effective. I fished it with weight and an indicator and I also tried swinging it in the current. I had only one strike on it.
An overall slow start to the day. I caught 4 on streamers (all Browns) and one was one of those 16 inchers that are so fat they look 18. No one I actually talked to was doing well. Six was the highest total I heard. Another fellow in our group caught 3 on a small Sawyer’s Killer Bug. There were approx 9 vehicles at the FFO Section.
Word was circulating that a stocking had occurred on the project. I later found out the FFO section was stocked on May 17 under the direction of Dave from Kettle Creek Adventures with the money donated by anglers as part of pin program he started 3-4 years ago. I have no idea about size, type or numbers but I’m sure the people who donated appreciate knowing that a stocking has occurred at the upper end and the lower bridge.
May 17 Kettle Creek Open Water
=========================
Weather Conditions: 74 degrees dropping to 65 after sunset. clear skies
Time Fished: 715pm - 845pm
Water Conditions: 57 degrees flowing at about 630 cfs. Off color.
Insects: about 815pm a lot of caddis were traveling upstream. Also saw cream midges and some mayfly spinners. I caught one spinner and it had a fairly dark body like a black Quill but it appeared to be too small.
No rises so I tried swinging a nymph and a wet but the area I was in had too many trees to avoid so I switched to a streamer. Got a brown and lost another.
No one else from our group caught a fish in the evening.
May 18 Kettle Creek Open Water
========================
Weather Conditions: sunny 70 degrees
Time Fished: 10am - 1130am
Water Conditions: 580 cfs, 52 degrees; water still stained
Insects: None
There was no surface activity. I fished a streamer and had only one strike. I fished a lot of excellent water so it seemed the fish weren’t active. Other fisherman I talked to weren’t doing well either.
May 18 Kettle Creek FFO
====================
Weather Conditions: sunny 78 degrees
Time Fished: Noon - 430pm
Water Conditions: 570 cfs, 58 degrees at 4pm; off color
Insects: some March Browns, not a lot
No surface activity. I tried many different flies and caught 2 on nymphs (March Brown & Green Drake) and 6 on streamers. (3 browns, 3 rainbow. 2 brook)
My father and his buddy saw a bald eagle.
May 18 Kettle Creek Open Water
========================
Weather Conditions: Cloudy 65 degrees
Time Fished: 7pm - 830pm
Water Conditions: 515 cfs, 58 degrees; off color
Insects: Spinners started coming up creek at 750pm and quit about 820pm. Majority were caddis but also March Browns present
No surface activity at all. I had 7-8 strikes on streamers.
The highlight of night was walking to the stream through the woods and coming up on a bear, maybe a 200 pounder. He gave me a quick glance then headed across the creek. My father and his buddy saw the Eagle again several miles from their sighting earlier in the day.
Kettle was very crowded today (May 18). Contributing to that was a recent PFC stocking and the belief that despite Kettle being high, it was actually in better shape than some other streams. Talked to guys that came to Kettle from Pine, Little Pine and the various Sinnemahoning branches.
May 19 Kettle Creek Open Water
========================
Weather Conditions: Light Rain 53 degrees
Time Fished: 730am - 900am
Water Conditions: 500 cfs, 51 degrees; Off color
Insects: None
I had to leave by 10am so after breakfast I made a streamer pass in a hole I enjoy fishing early in the morning and caught 11 (8 brown, 2 brook, 1 Rainbow)
In summary of the entire trip, the good news is we were able to fish. The heavy rain on Sunday May 13 really hurt fishing (that is an understatement). The water was running too fast to effectively fish it and the hatches shut down. Many people left early for home. I caught 2/3 of my fish during the periods of rain and it only rained about 1/3 of my fishing time. It just shows how important it is to fish Kettle on cloudy days or days with light rain.
May 16. Kettle Creek FFO Section
=========================
Weather Conditions: Overcast, Rain at times, 55 degrees
Time Fished: 1115am - 5pm
Water Conditions: flow was near 1000 (normally 200), water heavily stained but visibility ok, water temp at 2pm was 48 degrees and it rose to 49 when I checked again at 5pm
Insects: Virtually nothing. Saw 1 Black Quill dun
Despite the high water some fisherman stayed in the area and fished. The FFO section had about 8 vehicles along its length. Certainly less than what I typically see this week, but more than I expected. I heard both the First Fork and Driftwood Branch were in worse shape than Kettle.
I fished streamers and had a lot of strikes although the majority of takes were more subtle than normal. I got 14 (9 browns, 1 rainbow, 4 brook)
In addition to the decent fishing I saw a fawn (maybe the earliest I’ve ever seen one) and I heard 3 grouse drumming.
May 17. Kettle Creek FFO Section
=========================
Weather Conditions: 55 degrees early, fog burned off at 930am giving way to sunny skies with highs approaching 78.
Time Fished: 930am - 3pm
Water Conditions: temp at 10am was 49, by 1pm it climbed to 52 degrees. Flow was in the 660 cfs range. Water off color
Insects: Small BWO were the most abundant fly followed by March Browns, a dark and light caddis and small stoneflies that had a rusty look as they flew past. Small BWOs started around 10am and were heaviest about noon. March Browns became the most abundant fly around 1230.
I have a really good March Brown nymph pattern for Kettle but it was not effective. I fished it with weight and an indicator and I also tried swinging it in the current. I had only one strike on it.
An overall slow start to the day. I caught 4 on streamers (all Browns) and one was one of those 16 inchers that are so fat they look 18. No one I actually talked to was doing well. Six was the highest total I heard. Another fellow in our group caught 3 on a small Sawyer’s Killer Bug. There were approx 9 vehicles at the FFO Section.
Word was circulating that a stocking had occurred on the project. I later found out the FFO section was stocked on May 17 under the direction of Dave from Kettle Creek Adventures with the money donated by anglers as part of pin program he started 3-4 years ago. I have no idea about size, type or numbers but I’m sure the people who donated appreciate knowing that a stocking has occurred at the upper end and the lower bridge.
May 17 Kettle Creek Open Water
=========================
Weather Conditions: 74 degrees dropping to 65 after sunset. clear skies
Time Fished: 715pm - 845pm
Water Conditions: 57 degrees flowing at about 630 cfs. Off color.
Insects: about 815pm a lot of caddis were traveling upstream. Also saw cream midges and some mayfly spinners. I caught one spinner and it had a fairly dark body like a black Quill but it appeared to be too small.
No rises so I tried swinging a nymph and a wet but the area I was in had too many trees to avoid so I switched to a streamer. Got a brown and lost another.
No one else from our group caught a fish in the evening.
May 18 Kettle Creek Open Water
========================
Weather Conditions: sunny 70 degrees
Time Fished: 10am - 1130am
Water Conditions: 580 cfs, 52 degrees; water still stained
Insects: None
There was no surface activity. I fished a streamer and had only one strike. I fished a lot of excellent water so it seemed the fish weren’t active. Other fisherman I talked to weren’t doing well either.
May 18 Kettle Creek FFO
====================
Weather Conditions: sunny 78 degrees
Time Fished: Noon - 430pm
Water Conditions: 570 cfs, 58 degrees at 4pm; off color
Insects: some March Browns, not a lot
No surface activity. I tried many different flies and caught 2 on nymphs (March Brown & Green Drake) and 6 on streamers. (3 browns, 3 rainbow. 2 brook)
My father and his buddy saw a bald eagle.
May 18 Kettle Creek Open Water
========================
Weather Conditions: Cloudy 65 degrees
Time Fished: 7pm - 830pm
Water Conditions: 515 cfs, 58 degrees; off color
Insects: Spinners started coming up creek at 750pm and quit about 820pm. Majority were caddis but also March Browns present
No surface activity at all. I had 7-8 strikes on streamers.
The highlight of night was walking to the stream through the woods and coming up on a bear, maybe a 200 pounder. He gave me a quick glance then headed across the creek. My father and his buddy saw the Eagle again several miles from their sighting earlier in the day.
Kettle was very crowded today (May 18). Contributing to that was a recent PFC stocking and the belief that despite Kettle being high, it was actually in better shape than some other streams. Talked to guys that came to Kettle from Pine, Little Pine and the various Sinnemahoning branches.
May 19 Kettle Creek Open Water
========================
Weather Conditions: Light Rain 53 degrees
Time Fished: 730am - 900am
Water Conditions: 500 cfs, 51 degrees; Off color
Insects: None
I had to leave by 10am so after breakfast I made a streamer pass in a hole I enjoy fishing early in the morning and caught 11 (8 brown, 2 brook, 1 Rainbow)
In summary of the entire trip, the good news is we were able to fish. The heavy rain on Sunday May 13 really hurt fishing (that is an understatement). The water was running too fast to effectively fish it and the hatches shut down. Many people left early for home. I caught 2/3 of my fish during the periods of rain and it only rained about 1/3 of my fishing time. It just shows how important it is to fish Kettle on cloudy days or days with light rain.
