Penns Creek, Centre County, 5/11/2018

[Sylvaneous]

Fished the top 1 mile of the C&R section. Water was perfect clear green and optimal flow in the low 400's. Sky started out blue but became more filtered sun to cloudy. Should have been great fishing but no bugs showed and so not many fish were interested. I caught 1 large wild brown, very thick and in the 18 inch class on a sz. 14 sulfur nymph. That was all that was worth writing about. Don't know why the sulfurs and march browns wouldn't show.

 

[Dave_W]

I had the same experience last weekend: great conditions but no bugs (except a few craneflies) and no fish activity.

 

[afishinado]

I fished Penns the same day and place as another member a few weeks ago and I really didn't see any rising fish to the bugs present, but Martin0206 had dry fly action towards dark. Maybe this was also the case for you trip. Here is a copy of the report and bugs seen on Penns:

Penns Report

 

[Sylvaneous]

There was SOME rising activity at dusk, but only 2 trout. Several fall fish. The entomologists I was with (and I am not using that title ironically) said there were some black quill spinners. I saw some on rocks and that is not unusual to see on Penns, but never in any great quantity. They were thought to be Hendrickson spinners, but later as black quills.

So, yeah, there was some rising activity, but commensurate to the sparse hatch activity, I'd call it sparse. For Penns, not to be snooty about it, the level did not excite me. I did wade out, under peer pressure, to fish to a riser, which I then lost on hookset due to a poorly tied double surgeon's knot in the tippet. hey, it was getting dark, after all.

 

[Acristickid]

Heard that the water temps are key and that the temps can vary from sunny spots , where tribs come in, deep pools and impact the hatches a great deal.