Swattie, Dave_W, Dave Kile, Maurice, afishinado, jifigz
The 2026 Paflyfish Spring Jamboree turned out to be another very successful event. We enjoyed plenty of good weather, time with friends, and opportunities to fish. We also tried a couple of new activities this year: a casting clinic led by Derek Eberly and a fishing gear swap on Saturday morning. Both worked out very well.
Many anglers made their way to Penns Creek over the weekend. Poe Paddy was a popular destination because the weather and water levels were so favorable. However, as is often the case on Penns Creek, the fishing proved challenging for many. There were some good nymphing opportunities, along with March Browns, limited Sulphur hatches, and sporadic spinner falls.
Derek Eberly captivated the crowd Saturday morning with his casting clinic. Anglers of every experience level found something they could learn and techniques they could improve. I came away with two new moves to master that should help improve my casting skills and accuracy. Thanks, Derek!
We also held a gear swap Saturday morning, with several people offering flies, rods, artwork, and other items. Dave Weaver put on a show as he created one of his fantastic brown trout illustrations. The level of detail was impressive.
The Jamboree is one of the few times each year when all the forum moderators can get together and enjoy some time fishing. We had a special treat this year, with Matt behind the grill doing some tailgating and serving Philly cheesesteaks to those of us from the Philadelphia area. Everyone agreed they were fantastic even though they were made by a Yinzer. The Cooper Sharp cheese certainly helped!
Spending time face-to-face with people from the forum makes the Jamboree a special event. This year was no exception, and I am already looking forward to next year.
The 2026 fishing season has been a little difficult for me because of a significant shoulder injury that greatly limited my time on the water. I did manage to get out on a few mountain streams in May, but the Paflyfish Spring Jamboree was undoubtedly the highlight of my spring.
Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the weekend so enjoyable. I look forward to seeing you all again next year.
(sorry for the delay in getting this out the surgery has kind of sent me back and only using my left hand for typing is really even put me back further)
