Little Juniata, Huntingdon Co, 8-4-13

Ebrant10

Ebrant10

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Joined
Mar 8, 2012
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I fished the little J sunday 8-4 at the New Enterprise blasting site, from the bridge towards birmingham about a mile from 10-1. Water was 66-67 degrees, saw a few caddis and a couple bwos in the air. Fished a hopper with the green weenie dropper, landed 14 missed about half as many more, all on the weenie. One fish over 12, and had a long distance release on one i guestimated to be 15. Water is low, didnt catch anything for first half hour when i lengthened my leader out to 14', from then on it was golden.

Evan
 
Thanks for the info. Do you ever get any takers on hoppers at the Little J?
 
You'll catch trout on hoppers there, i had one rise to the hopper i was using but didnt commit.
 
I'm sorry this is not a one upsmanship post over ebrant10, just a different opinion.
An enigma to people who fish the J around here (and this was discussed among a number of local J regulars) is that how ineffective hoppers are. Many have tried for years. There are some sections, one by the two bridges area for example, that are loaded with hoppers along the bank. Yet, fish do not feed on them. You can get an occasional fish to hit a hopper pattern, but I liken that to the type of fish that hit strike indicators and abnormal offerings-out of blind aggression. The thought is that too few hoppers actually make it into the J. They just aren't a significant food source. It's sort of like the beginning of the cicada hatch a few years ago in central PA. It took the fish a good week or longer to get on them. Fish have to be introduced to them as a food source. If that item does not regularly present itself, the fish ignore it.
You can try it and I would be interested in reading the experiences of others that contradict my opinion. A description of the pattern would be appreciated.
 
I love fishing terrestrials this time of year. Hoppers on the J have been a bust for me though. Ants have been productive along the banks. Lost a beauty right at my feet on the biggest, ugliest spider pattern I've ever seen. Not even sure where it came from, but it was in my box. I saw a him rising over and over under a bush and he wouldn't take anything I threw at him. Splashed that big spider on his head and he hit it immediately.
 
I can say i do totally agree, its not like a meadow stream, i catch them on the hopper from time to time on the j, like i said i had one rise to it but only one. Maybe its me but i just feel like a hopper in lower water is a good indicator compared to a thingamobobber or a yarn indicator. Thats the only reason i used the hopper to be honest, just for a good indicator to see from a distance that isnt unnatural looking. Ive really fallen head over heals for this river, its about an hour away from me and has become my favorite of the central PA streams i travel to.

Evan
 
My experience has been that ants work better than hoppers nearly everywhere in central PA. I also think there is more of a tendency for people to blind-cast hoppers. During the summer, when the water tends to be low, blind-casting isn't the most effective strategy.

There are a few stretches in central PA where I fish hoppers with good success. However, probably you'll do better on an ant almost everywhere, even in those stretches. I don't know why. Fish like the ant.
 
midnightangler wrote:
My experience has been that ants work better than hoppers nearly everywhere in central PA. I also think there is more of a tendency for people to blind-cast hoppers. During the summer, when the water tends to be low, blind-casting isn't the most effective strategy.

There are a few stretches in central PA where I fish hoppers with good success. However, probably you'll do better on an ant almost everywhere, even in those stretches. I don't know why. Fish like the ant.
Click to expand...

I've found the same thing in most streams around here, while hoppers are king outwest. My theory is hoppers are not generally found in the wooded areas most of us fish in PA, while ants (and beetles) are very common. In a stream with banks of grasses and fields, I would guess hoppers would be more prevalent and more effective to fish.

Second, outwest, fish are kinda easy to fool in general. Many of the rivers and streams are packed with fish and they don't often see the amount of angler pressure we see around here.

Third, hopper patterns look a lot like big stoneflies. I believe the fish may take a hopper because they see quite a few big stones hatch on some rivers outwest.

Ants and beetles are my go-to terrestrial patterns around here.

 
I have had good results up there on big cricket patterns. Anyone else use them on the j?
 
David wrote:
Buzz... sting!
Click to expand...

I actually did get stung there last year with Albatross. Honey bee was hitchhiking on my vest and I rested my forearm on him. Arm swelled up good but the bee got the worst of it.
 
I agree with Kray - crickets on the J and other central PA waters. They are effective, tied in a more natural color and a bit smaller than most hoppers.

I think hoppers are over-rated, even out west. Cool to fish em but you have to be on the right water at the right time...

Sorry that this post got off topic - good report. Thanks for sharing, it is always nice to spend some time up that way....
 
Thanks for the replies. Someone told me fishing hoppers at the J was futile. Looks like he was right. Yellow Creek about 40 miles south has always been my go to place to try out new hopper patterns.
 
turkey wrote:
David wrote:
Buzz... sting!
Click to expand...

I actually did get stung there last year with Albatross. Honey bee was hitchhiking on my vest and I rested my forearm on him. Arm swelled up good but the bee got the worst of it.
Click to expand...

That can be scary... swelling up knowing you'd have a long hike out to get help. Glad you are ok!

Albie actually gave me a bee as part of my winnings for the PAFF fantasy football one year. I was working way upriver and got caught in a short torrential downpour. After the rain stopped there was that typical mudline from shore to about 3 feet out. I pounded that line with the bee and got a good number fish.
It wasn't the first time a bee imitation worked just in that manner...
 
Thanks for the replies. Someone told me fishing hoppers at the J was futile. Looks like he was right. Yellow Creek about 40 miles south has always been my go to place to try out new hopper patterns.
 
I bet in grassy meadow stretches of LJ, as rarer as they are, will produce strikes on hoppers.
 
Hoppers have never really produced for me on the J. I used to do really well on crickett patterns like Krayfish said
 
I have to agree with the general concensus of opinion on fishing hoppers in PA. I'm sure there are streams where they are effective, but most of the streams that I fished in PA had more woods than meadow. I did find that a Letort Cricket was often a good terrestrial pattern. The main problem with a cricket or an ant pattern for that matter is that it is hard to see. I can recall catching a couple of fish on a Letort Hopper, but it was never a big pattern for me.

When I moved to Wisconsin everything changed. Hoppers are a pretty big thing out here. I've found a lot more meadow type water and not so much forest. The stream banks are often overgrown with tall grasses and the stream bed often drops off right at the bank. The Letort Hopper and some Foam Hoppers are pretty much go-to flies for me during the Summer now.

Tom
 
Anyone out to the J or Spring lately? I'm considering going tomorrow and would love any info. Thanks!

TC
 
was out on lower spring yesterday. It's in the best shape for august since i can remember.
fish were very active in the morning, but things slowed by 9:30. Fish were taking midges while I was there. While attractors took a good number of fish, the quality fish came on WD40s, zebras and small PTs. The morning was cool and damp so I had to leave before I expected the tricos to fall. Don't know if they did or not.
For the first time in 8 years fishing the CA-PA area a WCO came to check licenses. Very pleasant and nice guy. Kind of surprised me considering it was sunday AM, but I was glad to see him checking.
 
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