Penns Creek, Centre County 6-9-13

[McSneek]

Did a one day run to Penns yesterday anticipating increasing clouds during the day and decent air temps. Instead it was sunny skies and warm. Not the formula for a good day on Penns Creek. Fished the upper C&R section as far downstream as what I believe many refer to as Rainbow Riffle and the flat below it.

The barricades at the Paddy tunnel were removed when I got there although there is much signage indicating the tunnel remains closed. At the urging of some guys in the camp at the trestle I went through the tunnel and it looked the same as always. Unfortunately the barricade on the far side of the tunnel was tossed down the bank into the woods and will now be someone's job to haul out.

The stream was low. Hopefully today's rain is falling in that area. Most prominent insects were a fairly steady hatch of a large (#14?) olive. Also some sporadic caddis, a left over sulfur or two and a smaller white mayfly (cahill?). I never did figure out what those fish that were rising were eating but I suspect it was the olive as it emerged. Several fish going nuts for emergers in rainbow riffle. Only got one decent fish on top on a slate drake emerger of all things. Caught several smaller fish on a cdc caddis. Most fish were caught on an olive bead head soft hackle caddis in the riffles. Also some action with a pheasant tail soft hackle. The Broadwater had a lot of rising fish but getting to them without spooking them in the low water is a major challenge.

By the time I got back to the tunnel around 6:00pm someone had put yellow caution tape across both entrances. I went "up and over" on the way out which generated a nice sweat on a warm day. Saw no rattle snakes and only three other fishermen. No ticks either. Guess for many once the drakes are over the season ends? Shocked it was so deserted. Water stil felt cool.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

Its real low need this rain badly today. Was alot of guys still fishing friday evening the last of the drake mania. I have not been around the tunnel in poe paddy lately wondered when you would be able to go thru it again. Only entertainment friday was finding a bird dog along the stream and it trying to follow me over to the other side then when it could not started howling and barking lol. Found the owner down stream.

 

[beeber2]

Very dark olive spinners work very well there now, I did very well last year this time.

 

[barbless]

I have to wonder why the water is low on Penn's, and how it got that way so quickly. There's been plenty of rain this spring, and the last time I was there (5/30) the stream was carrying a healthy head of water, with good levels and flow.

I also found the water levels to be low at Big Fishing Creek, which I fished on 6/7 (a total skunk-out, unlike my experience at Penn's over the past few weeks; I saw very few bugs on BFC, and the few fish I saw in the flat pools were ultra-spooky. As for the riffles and runs, they seemed deserted...fishless.)

Just how much rain does it take to recharge the springs and keep the water levels up in these creeks, anyway? It's only June.

 

[Paraleptalata]

Barbless,

Penns has been running pretty low all spring. It got up for brief moments but immediately fell within a few days of the rain event. If I am not mistaken we are still 2 inches below average rain fall for the year. Couple that with a dry fall and uneventful winter and we have a bony river. This week's rain will help but it will fall pretty fast again without more consistent precip. Penns has always got the reputation for muddying and rising quickly which I have found to be totally false. In my experience fishing this river a lot over the last 15 years it takes a ton of precip and snow melt to get Penns up and keep her up.

Para

 

[Hook_Jaw]

Penns is off color right now rained most of the day yesterday stream was fine took a hard pounding rain to color it up close to dark last night and it rose overnight. Penns has to get a good ammount of runoff to dirty up and it clears pretty fast unless you get another good rain with runoff. Penns has been low all spring pretty much and still needs more rain.

 

[pcray1231]

The olives are likely Drunella variety. Yeah, a 14 or so. Tis the season. Very different from the Baetid's that many associate with BWO's, completely different bugs. Spinner falls at dark can be massive and excellent fishing.

Another common "June" bug on Penns is blue quills, jenny's, or whatever you call paraleps. You can sometimes catch decent spinner falls in late morning/early afternoons. But they are considerably smaller.

 

[McSneek]

pcray1231 wrote:

Another common "June" bug on Penns is blue quills, jenny's, or whatever you call paraleps. You can sometimes catch decent spinner falls in late morning/early afternoons. But they are considerably smaller. [/quote

Yeah. I noticed small spinners right away when I got on the trestle. Probably the blue quills.

 

[Wharfrat]

My two buddies and I are heading out tommorow afternoon through Sunday morning. We were there May 30,31 for the Drakes. I caught some nice fish nymphing in the Catch and Release section but nothing on Drakes . Pheasant Tails with Green Caddis Pupa dropper was the ticket.

Anyone been on Penn's the last few days ? Any decent hatches ? How is the water level ?

I will try to post a report next week.

 

[giantsjim]

Brian,
Good to see you up here. Have fun on Penn's this weekend. I am leaning towards the J to make up for last weekend.
Jim

 

[PENZZZ]

Please dip a thermometer before you fish. At 69 degrees last week trout showed signs of stress and required long recovery periods prior to being released.

 

[troutbert]

PENZZZ wrote:
Please dip a thermometer before you fish. At 69 degrees last week trout showed signs of stress and required long recovery periods prior to being released.

The forecast for Coburn is for a high of 88F on Friday. A high of 93 on Sat. And 95 on Sunday.

The water in Penns will get warm under these conditions.

 

[Wharfrat]

We will definetly watch the water temp. I show that Millmont Pa high today is only 81 Saturday 86 and Sunday 89.

We may try Spring Creek if Penn's gets too warm.

 

[pcray1231]

Just how much rain does it take to recharge the springs and keep the water levels up in these creeks, anyway? It's only June.

While Penns does get a fair bit of runoff, and can come up and down like a freestoner, once you get to base "spring" flows it's a limestoner through and through. Those base spring flows are a function of the precip over the previous 6 months or so, rather than the previous few weeks. Even with a wet period in June, total precip values for the year are still down. So as soon as the runoff is gone, you're back to low spring flows.

(which still may be healthy flows compared to say, August/September).

 

[awojo]

Fished Penns C&R last night. Water is low and off color but temps were good. There was a great hatch of dark blue wing olives coming off and the fish were BOILING. Size 14 blue wing olive with a dark body (black) will light them up. Also saw some light cahills coming off but nothing taking them.