Oil creek, Venango County, 04/25/2015

[Sylvaneous]

Desolate Sunday AM. Still flowing high for ideal condie bit getting there, at 600 CFS. No grannoms spotted. Checking the ice dam, I didn't see any fish migrating up to spawn. Hopefully the grannoms dont start too early and do most of their business before the weekend! If not, it should be really good considering the weather forecast.

 

[drisin80]

thanks for report. i agree... should be in 300s by wednesday eve. after last year nice to see these water levels....

 

[vanorvis]

Fished there all day on Sunday. Fished above Petroleum Center, below Miller Farm and at Drake Well. Did well all three places. Saw a few Hendricksons (i think) at Drake well in the warm part of the afternoon. Still a few Stoneflies around. No rising fish.
It should be a good year on Oil if we get lucky with the water levels.

 

[Sylvaneous]

I saw Blue Quills on a little, fast trout stream I fished on Saturday, So I wouldn't doubt you saw a few Hendricksons on Oil Creek. I've never had any fishing to them, but it is neat to see. Be nice if they ever got thick.

I didn't even fish it while watching for Grannoms Sunday. Seemed too windy and high. I saw maybe 5 people in the whole Petroleum Centre region fishing. The fish are all still there. Good number of hold-overs from last year, if they didn't move out.

Syl

 

[vanorvis]

I got into a fishable hatch of Hendricksons one time at Drake Well in the tail out of the run just behind the museum, it was great. I didn't know what was happening. Mike says you won't see them down at Petroleum Center for what ever the reason.

I seen more people fishing at Miller Farm than anywhere else. I had the stretch above the rail road bridge at Petroleum Center all to myself all morning.

 

[dano]

vanorvis,
Many years the hendricksons hatch in good numbers at Drakes but we always seem to have either high water during the emergence period or the hatch isn't noticed because of the grannoms.
The good news is that during the past few years, Hendricksons have taken hold farther and farther down stream past Millers. There was a nice mid afternoon hatch yesterday above the bike bridge. Spinners, too. A few Blue Quills and a sputtering of grannoms and brown stones.

 

[drisin80]

fished oil from drakes well downstream about a mile wednesday from 8 to noon. sparse grannoms all over, except moderate to heavy in one 50 yd stretch. They were popping to the surface, on the water and some ovipositing. Never saw one fish rise or even a swirl from chasing an emerging insect. Personally tried some emerger patterns from 2ft deep to shallower with no luck. I don't nymph, but saw several guys behind the museum giving it a go. Saw one fish hooked by a guy using a sink tip fishing something on the swing. Didn't take a temp but suspect things need to warm up a little to get the fish more active. Water level at 420, ideal for me is in the low to mid 200s. Nice weather predicted for weekend should help.

 

[dano]

On Wednesday, the morning hatch at Petroleum Center was very good. It went from 9AM till about 11AM. Early morning water temp was 46F. The best of the hatch was the lower park. Millers had a brief hatch with just enough bugs to bring fish to the top.
Thursday morning till noon was cool with brief showers. It still fished well as the grannoms came off in smaller waves throughout the day. The best fishing was late afternoon (2 till 6) when the skies brightened. Again, the biggest hatches were in the lower half of the park.