Oil Creek, Venango County 04/27/2014

[Sylvaneous]

Water was in good shape after recovering from Friday's rains. However, there was NO bug activity. Still no evidence of Grannom caddis. So maybe next weekend there will be grannoms. They should start this week sometime.

 

[dryflyguy]

If the grannoms are still coming on oil, that is very late for them.
They're already over on all of the central pa limestoner's.

I can't remember the last time I've seen a decent hatch of anything on oil creek. And really has me wondering about the bug life there.
Although, I've pretty much crossed it off of my destination list. There are just so many other better places to go IMO

 

[pcray1231]

It's been 3 years since I really hit Oil hard. But when I was up that way more it was one of my favorites. Contrary to dfg's experience, it always had EXCELLENT hatches and reliable dry fly action, and was one of the few hatch matcher's delights in the region.

Various Caddis, March Browns, Sulphers dominate the scene. Fishes best in May and usually into early June. In some years it can fish well into July, but it depends on the year and how quickly it warms up.

I'm terrible at identifying different caddis flies. But I can't say I ever really thought it had much in the way of grannoms. Maybe I just always missed em, I dunno. But the major caddis period I've hit over and over is early-mid May. They term it the "mothers day caddis". I think it's perhaps a number of different species, as I've observed green and tan bodies during this supposedly "single" hatch. Like most caddis hatches, rising activity during the hatch can be good, but is hit or miss. Many times wet flies are more effective. Hatch is an early day thing, usually, not evening.

The caddis are followed up by a period where March Browns and sulphers dominate the scene into early June, though the random daytime caddis hatch does still happen. When the water is in good shape, evening spinner falls are reliable and very good.

March Browns in particular. They run late, I've fished spinners as late as June.

 

[turkey]

dryflyguy wrote:
If the grannoms are still coming on oil, that is very late for them.
They're already over on all of the central pa limestoner's.

I can't remember the last time I've seen a decent hatch of anything on oil creek. And really has me wondering about the bug life there.
Although, I've pretty much crossed it off of my destination list. There are just so many other better places to go IMO

I've only fished it once and it was snowing stoneflies. It was the first half of April last year. No fish rising.

 

[Sylvaneous]

I haven't seen the intense clouds of sulfur spinners over the past few years. And bug populations vary year to year, sometimes. Being the creek that it is, it will have a lot of variation. No, there have been no grannoms as of last week. This week, rain has wiped-out any chance at fishing to grannoms this year. The water quality on Oil Creek has not diminished. I have no data but the avid well-plugging throughout the region has sealed-off some sources of what the old timers called "mineral water" Underground, I can't know all what has happened with well-plugging. There haven't been any run-off, erosion or pollution issues. So whatever happened, count it as the capriciousness of fly fishing. One thing it DOES have is a conutta/drunella hatch in late May that starts around 5 PM. I remember walking OFF the creek about the time when the sulfur fishermen were showing up. I caught more than my fill of rising trout and was done for the day. By 7:00, I was already at Miller Time, so to speak.

Syl

 

[pcray1231]

Yeah, there are Drunella's too.

In some years, late May/early June evenings on Oil were magical. Well, as magical as a stocked stream can get, anyway. Miles and miles of big stocked water, with fish well spread out, hatches and risers throughout, and a bike trail running along one side and railroad tracks along the other to make going distances easy. Lots of other wildlife, aquatic and otherwise, thrown in to add to the experience. And even a decent smallmouth or two could be counted on for most days.

As you got away from access points, you found MORE fish and less people. But if you stayed close to the access points, things weren't nearly so good. You either contended with crowds (in the special reg areas), or else lack of fish (in the open areas). Whether or not you were in a special reg area, getting away from access points solved both problems and was easy to do.

 

[krott243]

dryflyguy wrote:
If the grannoms are still coming on oil, that is very late for them.
They're already over on all of the central pa limestoner's.

I can't remember the last time I've seen a decent hatch of anything on oil creek. And really has me wondering about the bug life there.
Although, I've pretty much crossed it off of my destination list. There are just so many other better places to go IMO

Plenty of bug life on oil. Hatches can be epic. Get away from the popular spots and you will have a fine day.

 

[dano]

For the record, Grannom first hatch was 4/28/14 at 8:45 AM.
Epic day as the high wind kept the bugs blown back on the water and the fish liking the results.
This date was only 3 days later than this creek average grannom emergence date of 4/25.
This stream has historically seen diminished hatches of a few species of bugs only to have those bugs bounce back in the future. Sulphurs last year were weak on the lower park water but stronger as you went upstream.
Also, when one species diminishes, it seems that another species intensifies. Things happen in cycles here. We once thought the march browns were all but cooked. But, they have come back strong the last few years. Same with the potamanthus on certain pools.
Things happen in cycles here. Just like many of the other streams of PA.