Lehigh River, Carbon County, 4/1/ 2012

[SBecker]

Fished in between Bowmanstown and Szokes Iron. Weather was overcast with periods of rain for most of the afternoon till the last hour and a half when it turned steady. My cousin and I picked up fish using Bwo's, Hendrickson's, and Caddis patterns on top. I had no interest in nymphing, it was all about the dry fly action. Fish were everywhere in the long pools below riffles. We fished it mountain side, but it seemed most of the fish were rising on the highway side. we moved to the highway side, and most of the fish were rising mountain side. lol That's how it is sometimes. Fish were just out of reach most of the times, especially when the wind blew through the gap. My cousin picked up a beautiful 12 in brookie, that I should have took a picture of. I also landed a very healthy bulldog of a brown. He peeled line of a couple times. A couple smaller browns were mixed in, but all were healthy without fin wear. Blue eye spots and red adipose were on most, but most likely were fingerlings or really nice holdovers.

 

[Lonewolve]

Becker, nice report congrats on a great day.

 

[blueheron]

Looks good, fished out of Rockport on Saturday, saw one riser and exactly one Henderson but had a great day subsurface. It will be a good spring on the Lehigh.

 

[DaveKile]

Nice report. Glad to hear the insects were BWO, Caddis and Hendrickson's were out.

 

[studiomule]

I'll be on the Lehigh Thursday, can't wait!! I don't get excited for nymphing, so I'm glad to hear that there is action on top.

 

[vcregular]

Good stuff! The solid reports continue to trickle in with the fish being spread out top to bottom on the Lehigh.

Based on your pic I was a bit upstream from you on Saturday. Though there were not too many rising fish, we did find a few. Quill Gordons (which have been hatching for over a week) and BWOs. But man, was it cold and raw out. I think I am still thawing out!

 

[SBecker]

Vc you did not float did you? There was a 2 man toon above us for awhile. When we switched from mountain side to highway it came through. So I dis not get to see who was on the boat.

 

[vcregular]

I was on the river Saturday. At this level the river is really better to be fished on foot. You can get just about anywhere.

 

[SBecker]

All I have to say is....WOW and get on the Lehigh if you can this week. I will post a few photo's later.

 

[SBecker]

Nope, no wild fish on the Lehigh. Nothing to see here boys, keep it moving.

 

[littlelehigh]

Nice pics Becker thanks for sharing.

 

[LehighRegular]

Those are some SOLID fish.... awesome!!!!!

 

[DaveS]

Shane,
Nice going, those are some really nice fish. Ad you didn't even have to drive halfway across the state! lol! So are you staying home to fish, while the the fishing is good near home?

 

[SBecker]

Dave, you let me know where and when for Friday and I will be there.

 

[ryguyfi]

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, bot those are stocked chubs. The state just adjusted their food supply to make them have those spots.

 

[blueheron]

I see two distinct types of browns on the Lehigh. The least common has that olive color and irregular sparse spotting. The most common and I think introduced type are less olive , more silvery and almost scaly? type that I see probably 10 to 1 compared to the olive type. Now the stocked ones have gone wild in every way and actually fight a bit harder than those I think are streambred. The first I would say is wild and the second introduced but being an electrician and not a fisheries biologist I could very well be full of poo. and happy about it.

 

[Fishidiot]

Wow!
The Lehigh has got some mighty fine lookin browns these days.

 

[SBecker]

Thickest caddis hatch I have ever seen today. Fish did not turn on till dusk. Try to post video later.

 

[Greenweenie1]

All brown trout originated from either the loch leven or vob behr strain. The true loch strain is silvery with black spots while the Von behr is More brightly colored - similar to the differenes in each photo. While it is highly unlikely either of those browns are pure strains, the difference in coloration is possibly due to one strain of gene being the dominant gene in that particular fish.

 

[SBecker]

This went for 3 hours with only a couple sporadic rises, until dusk. It then became a mad house with fish.

O and I had a cigar in my mouth, so sorry for any slurred speech. I swear I was not drunk! BTW, someone tell my friend how to dress.