Penns Creek, Centre County, 5/1 & 5/2/2010

[JackM]

No water temps either day. Water was in great condition. Lots of anglers out Saturday afternoon to evening. After running into a fellow angler and downing a couple, I hit the water looking for a spinnerfall. Lots of caddis of several variety were buzzing the water. Also saw blue quill/dark olives. Fishing from about 600 PM until dark, I had to wait until about 800 PM as the temps turned sharply down from the high in the high 70s for the show to begin. It was short-lived but productive when the MVM (Most Valuable Mayfly) showed up. At the tailout of a long, slow pool, just above a beautiful riffle that was "taken," I got into risers and landed a few on a hendrickson dun and rusty spinner. The next morning a few stragglers remained and I was able to get a few more on the spinner. I did see a few March Browns. I hope my ID of this spinner is correct as a Hendrickson.










I think this is why the rattlesnakes are so fat at Penns:




CLICK FOR FULL SIZE.

 

[afishinado]

JackM wrote:
I hope my ID of this spinner is correct as a Hendrickson.

Looks like a Hendrickson spinner to me. Nice report, Jack.

 

[Maurice]

Yes Henny, no mottling in the wing as there would be for a MB.

 

[JKnPA]

Maurice wrote:
Yes Henny, no mottling in the wing as there would be for a MB.

I'm looking for 3 tails, but I only see two(2)!
I guess it's my eyesight.
Hendrickson......... 3 tails
March brown........ 2 tails

 

[pcray1231]

The other angler was me (I think). My wife and I camped at Hemlock Acres this weekend, and we encountered Jack and Paul, had a chat with both and a beer or two with Jack.

It was not so much a fishing trip for me, though I did intend to get out on Penns on Saturday late morning/early afternoon. We drove down to Poe Paddy, and it was packed, it was worse than I've seen it even at Green Drake time! At 11:00 a.m., there musta been 40 cars there, to the point where both parking areas were full and cars were parked halfway up the road towards the campground. So, I went to a nearby brookie stream instead, where I was the only one around. I caught 20 some, most on dries, but they were all pretty dinky. Small even on the "brookie scale." There was 1 or 2 that might have cracked 6". But fun to get out and get some rust off, and a nice weekend to camp.

On that mayfly pic, I can't see the 3rd tail, but it looks like there should be 3. There's one splayed to the left, and one up the middle, so there should be one to the right too. It's either missing it, or else its hiding along the wing edge.

 

[afishinado]

It's hard to tell from photos. The tail may be broken off. Also as Mo said, no mottling , wings are almost clear. The photo does not show the size of the fly. A MB is usually a good 2 hook sizes bigger (10vs14).

Most importantly, if the Bug Professor says "Hendy", I'm in with that.

 

[albatross]

Jack,

Sounds like you had a nice time with the fishing. How did the new camping equipment work out?

 

[JackM]

It worked well. I learned a couple things:

Your car can be your cupboard, closet and pantry. Don't forget your lantern. (Though the fishing headlamp makes a good substitute, particularly when you are flying solo). Notice the lone bumper sticker. Thanks, Dave!




CLICK FOR FULL SIZE.

 

[skybay]

Penns Creek, Centre County, May 8th, 2010


Beautiful day, 2-5 pm afternoon, [color=000099]sky blue [/color] with few clouds, water temp. 56F. hooked a couple of browns. This river holds lots, lots more.

Not many anglers around (and this is Saturday…), I found many sweet pools and riffles fishing and no fishermen around.
Nice cold water from Elk’s Creek down the Penns and I’m on it.
This is a time for March Browns, small Caddis and Sulphurs, they fly from 2pm and more towards the evening. I wish to spend more time on this water.


“Killers” flies from the Jonas’s The Feathered Hook, Ltd store in Coburn
(Photographed right in front of the store, 4th picture of Sulphur, caught and live, taken 1hour later and photographed on the creek):

Again 'the killers':
March Brown, #10
Sulphur Dun (Catskill style), #16
Grey Fox, # 16