Oil Creek, Venango County, 5/26/13

boychick

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Feb 15, 2010
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I fished Oil Creek this past Sunday. The water was low and clear, the air was cool and it was a beautiful sunny day. I did not take a water temp.

I was in the water by about 8:00am, it was cold, roughly 48 degrees, and no fish were rising. I started by searching with a tan caddis dry/dropper rig. It was slooooow until about 11:00am when the air warmed to the mid 50s, the bugs started popping and fish began rising.

I ended up landing 3 trout that day, 2 browns, 1 rainbow, and a bonus smallmouth bass. I hooked and lost two other trout. The first trout I lost was a memorable rainbow that leaped out of the water on the hook set and gave a few more spirited jumps as the fight went on. It threw the hook on the third jump. It was a spectacular fish, the take and the aerial display were the best of the day. This fish gave me such a rush, I got the best of that fish despite losing it. I didn't get a look at the second trout I lost, it hit the dry fly in a boil and broke off almost immediately. I found the tippet was frayed from the previous fish, upon closer inspection. Oh well, you can't win them all.

By the time I left around 5:30, it was about 60 degrees. I saw a lot of tan caddis, some sulphers, and some cream cahills. The fish seemed to be focused on the tan caddis which was most abundant.

It was a pretty good day on Oil Creek.


 

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Monday was the day.
Morning water temps were 55F. Evening 64F.
Hatches all day long. Sparse patterns ruled.
Sulphur spinners hit at 7:30PM and fish got stupid.
 
And also several hours too early. This is true of many bigger, richer, fish the hatch type streams. In mid May through early June, make a habit of keeping LATE hours. Water temps are fine all day, hatches best in the evening. Sleep in. If you want, hit a smaller stream late morning/early afternoon. Get to the big stream about dinnertime, stay till after dark, come out by flashlight. Evening is the best fishing.

Sometime later in June things will flip on ya. Evening hatches slow a bit. Water temperatures during the day and evening get iffy, but are best in the morning, and the best fishing will be mornings.
 
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