Penns Creek, Centre Co., 2/21/21

[discomidge]

This is gonna sound a lot like the stream report I posted for Penns Creek last week - parked down the road from the same spot (PFBC Penns Creek Lot, still not plowed) and hiked upstream in the snow. What's different is that the action was EVEN hotter today. Water was 35 degress at 2pm, air was 26-32, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. When I left this morning the stream gauge said the discharge was over 300cfps but that was way off - the water was pretty low, more like 150-200. A couple midges were hatching and I saw one (very) little black stonefly on the snow.

Anyway, like I said it was just totally insane. I got 18 fish in the net over the course of 2 hours or so and lost a bunch more, all with a very heavy #18 hare's ear dirty bird. Lots of good sized fish (15"+) and a few were really feisty, going on long runs. And I was the only one out there. Freaking magical. Oh also - this was the inaugural trip for my brand new very fancy 4wt rod. Gonna be tough to top today.

Here's a real pretty one. Not the biggest, but cool colors I think, kinda teal:

 

[Dave_W]

Another nice report - thanks!

While many of us have less tolerance for the cold than we did when we were younger... folks who think winter is only for fly tying are missing out on what can (sometimes) be good fishing.

 

[drakeking412]

wanna swing by yinzburgh and pick me up before next trip? ill bring the beer thanks

 

[discomidge]

Tempting, I bet Pittsburg has some killer beer. Tho to Dave W's point about the cold, I switched to a thermos and hot toddys sometime in Nov or Dec and it has made all the difference.

 

[JackNiem]

Wow, that’s some great fishing man! Been put on Penns a handful of days over the past two weeks and can’t say I’ve had that kind of success. Picked up a few on some stonefly patterns and some better fish jigging sculpins, but no where newr the kind of action your seeing. For the most part just thought the fish weren’t active because of the cold. You proved that theory wrong. Guess I just gotta get better at fishing lol.

 

[drakeking412]

my GF is a craft beer snob so we always have a rotating selection handy haha. i still stick to the beer in the winter now it just stays cold all day!

 

[discomidge]

Haha, hadn't thought of that. I drank warm beer all summer, now's the chance to actually drink a cold beer on the stream.

JackNiem - January on Penns for me was a lot like what you described, stones, sculpins, and zonkers. I'm no expert but the past few times out swinging those heavy #18 hares ear dirty birds has been a total game changer for me. Hit me up if you want the recipe (tho there aren't really any surprises in it), or say hi if you see a dude with a beard swinging tiny flies out there.

 

[jifigz]

Ya got a death grip on that thar trout.

Nice report. Penns is a cool place.

 

[Prospector]

“Death grip vs affectionate hug” is in the eye of the beholder.

Kidding aside, I wonder if a 35 degree trout actually feels significantly warmer when being held by a 98.6 degree hand. Maybe that explains why the catch rate is so high.

 

[discomidge]

My left claw definitely didn't feel like it was 98.6

 

[Floggingtrout]

With these kind of reports it is going to look like the green drake hatch up there soon. Congratulations for getting after them and the catch.

 

[JeffP]

Good to hear! Based on these reports, it sounds like Penns survived a brutal summer. I guess its just possible you have hit some great spots. While I didn't fish it this summer I did fish it on a weekend this fall when the water was up a bit. Looking at summer photos it's hard to believe it didn't take a major hit. I sometimes wonder where they all go. I don't think most of the tribs around Poe really give a ton of cool water or bring many trout into them. One fall we went up and it was so low that you could see everything and barely a trout. 3 inches of rain hit overnight and fish were everywhere the next day. Nature is pretty amazing.