Oil Creek, Venango Co, 5-26-18

Prospector

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Jul 7, 2015
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Butler Co home, Forest Co camp
Weather Conditions: Cloudy, Humid, 80 degrees
Time Fished: 630pm - 830pm
Water Conditions: temp was 66, clear, 325 cfs
Insects: Saw 50-100 Tan Caddis, 2 Light Cahill, 1 tan body Mayfly Sz 14 (could have been a March Brown but at first glance I didn’t think so)

I came to Oil tonight after seeing waves of Tan Caddis on Tionesta Creek last night. I knew even half the volume on Oil would lead to some very good dry fly fishing. Unfortunately the bugs just were not here. I only saw 6-7 total rises.

Making do when nothings happening seems to be the theme of this year. Got 4 Rainbows and 1 brown on a wooly bugger and another rainbow on a psycho Prince nymph (I tied one several years ago on the advice of a friend who is an Oil City native). It’s never left the box but tonight I tried it and it worked. I also had several strikes on a Sawyers Killer Bug but didn’t get any hookups before a hefty strike broke it off. I tried 3 different streamers and had only 1 strike which is really odd. I also fished a caddis pupa and a regular prince nymph without getting a strike on either.

No one at the parking area did well. I fished open water, not in either of the special regs areas. A very very light rain started about 45 minutes after sunset. Unless it got worse it will have no impact on stream conditions
 
with the warmer temps, things are happening at dark and into the night.
 
I mirror your review. I stood on the bank at Blood Farm and watched essentially nothing happening. Spinners over the riffles, but none fell soon enough to interest me, like before dark.

This year's level of trout fly fishing 'success' is why I anticipate good smallmouth fishing so much.

Syl
 
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