Penns Creek, Centre & Mifflin Counties, 04-10-2023

[pcray1231]

As far as fish mortality due to thermal stress goes, April isn't the time to worry. It's low for April, not August. There's plenty of water and its in the 40's as far as temp. And the critical July, August, September flows depend on rainfall from late May on.

 

[Nocktavius]

As far as fish mortality due to thermal stress goes, April isn't the time to worry. It's low for April, not August. There's plenty of water and its in the 40's as far as temp. And the critical July, August, September flows depend on rainfall from late May on.

Oh I’m not worried about it now, but these things don’t exist in a vacuum. That creek warms up a lot faster than people realize especially without a good dose of coldwater flows from the aquifers and feeder streams. Last year I watched some guys throwing dries down in the cherry run tailout while the drake hatch was winding down. I measured the water temp at 74 F 😳. And the flows were above 500 for most of last April and may.

Hopefully the pattern shifts to wet soon and doesn’t affect the fishing at all. But May could be a crappy month if it doesn’t

 

[jifigz]

Oh I’m not worried about it now, but these things don’t exist in a vacuum. That creek warms up a lot faster than people realize especially without a good dose of coldwater flows from the aquifers and feeder streams. Last year I watched some guys throwing dries down in the cherry run tailout while the drake hatch was winding down. I measured the water temp at 74 F 😳. And the flows were above 500 for most of last April and may.

Hopefully the pattern shifts to wet soon and doesn’t affect the fishing at all. But May could be a crappy month if it doesn’t

Well we are supposed to get a half inch here in a few days, thank goodness.

I just wish we had more flows for the smaller streams. They are more fun to fish under better flows.

 

[Acristickid]

Grannoms last two mornings lingering till afternoon. Hendricksons later afternoon but outnumbered by Grannoms.

Didn’t need to tie on a nymph. I had no trouble finding risers and many were cooperative despite the blue bird conditions.

Weird to me was all the browns I caught were about 15 inches.

Water is great but if no rain soon gonna be a problem. People around but not crowded.

 

[jifigz]

Grannoms last two mornings lingering till afternoon. Hendricksons later afternoon but outnumbered by Grannoms.

Didn’t need to tie on a nymph. I had no trouble finding risers and many were cooperative despite the blue bird conditions.

Weird to me was all the browns I caught were about 15 inches.

Water is great but if no rain soon gonna be a problem. People around but not crowded.

What was your grannom dry fly of choice?

 

[Acristickid]

What was your grannom dry fly of choice?

Pictured in photo. Size 14 , black body , elk hair wing. I never noticed much of a difference with adding an egg sack.

 

[jifigz]

Pictured in photo. Size 14 , black body , elk hair wing. I never noticed much of a difference with adding an egg sack.

You are saying with a hackle, right? Like a black Elk Hair Caddis? Or the lower floating X-Caddis? I have been tying up black EHC for this weekend. I am glad that you found success in them.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

I find on my waters the black Elk hair caddis performs very well. It can also be skated to entice hesitant fish. I add a light (density) CDC underwing and keep the deer hair on the sparser side.

I also use/tie a CDC only version with sparse hackle for legs between the head and wing. I have been moving away from the CDC only version because when the emergence is on treating with fumed silica and drying slows down the fishing.

Also use this: http://www.littlejuniata.net/suspended-grannom-dry/

Not claiming that sz14 don't work, but don't fear the 16. Sz16 EHC seem to produce for me more. There are some streams where 16s (almost 17s) dominate

 

[jifigz]

I find on my waters the black Elk hair caddis performs very well. It can also be skated to entice hesitant fish. I add a light (density) CDC underwing and keep the deer hair on the sparser side.

I also use/tie a CDC only version with sparse hackle for legs between the head and wing. I have been moving away from the CDC only version because when the emergence is on treating with fumed silica and drying slows down the fishing.

Also use this: http://www.littlejuniata.net/suspended-grannom-dry/

Not claiming that sz14 don't work, but don't fear the 16. Sz16 EHC seem to produce for me more. There are some streams where 16s (almost 17s) dominate

I tied a bunch of size 16 and size 14 EHC with black dubbed body, black hackle, and either a coastal deer hair or elk hair wing. It should get the job done. Drop a dropper nymph off the dry that is tied with peacock herl, something resembling an emerging caddis, and it should be dynamite.

 

[Acristickid]

Size 16 probably be a good bet as well. But when a bigger fly that is easier to see works I’ll stick with it. I never over complicate things.

 

[wildtrout2]

This time of year we should be getting pounded every 3-5 days by valley washers that bump these things up to above 2000 cfs, instead its just low clear and dropping.

Agree! Traditionally, we should have the best stream levels of the season at this point, instead we have pretty much the opposite. This has been an on-going situation for the last number of years. There are streams I didn't even go to last season because of low flows. I don't see this pattern changing any time soon. It's a shame how our weather has changed. We need rain badly.

 

[pcray1231]

Weird to me was all the browns I caught were about 15 inches

Penns is funny that way, all 13-15. And the next step up is 18-20, more of those than smaller. I always wondered where are the little guys? I have caught em before but they seem more rare than they should be.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

Fished there yesterday, from around 8 till noon, and had consistently rising fish the entire time. Took a short break for lunch and then mostly sat on a rock much of the afternoon looking for rising fish, which never happened. No love at Love’s Riffle.

Sometime before noon there was a brief period when the small section of water I was fishing really came alive with perhaps 30 rising trout in 100’ length of the stream. In many years of fishing there, this was one of the few times that I can count on my fingers when every cast or 3 hooked a fish.

Yesterday, I also used a fly that I’d been missing all those years that the trout really seemed to like. A Missing Link.

 

[discomidge]

Fished there yesterday, from around 8 till noon, and had consistently rising fish the entire time. Took a short break for lunch and then mostly sat on a rock much of the afternoon looking for rising fish, which never happened. No love at Love’s Riffle.

Sometime before noon there was a brief period when the small section of water I was fishing really came alive with perhaps 30 rising trout in 100’ length of the stream. In many years of fishing there, this was one of the few times that I can count on my fingers when every cast or 3 hooked a fish.

Yesterday, I also used a fly that I’d been missing all those years that the trout really seemed to like. A Missing Link.

Glad you got them! Sounds like an awesome morning.

 

[troutbert]

Penns is funny that way, all 13-15. And the next step up is 18-20, more of those than smaller. I always wondered where are the little guys?

The big trout eat them.

 

[riverwhy]

I just got a report that the ticks are terrible up there.

 

[jifigz]

I just got a report that the ticks are terrible up there.

Permethrin clothing treatment is a game changer.

 

[Nocktavius]

Permethrin clothing treatment is a game changer.

Waders tend to be a pretty good way to avoid them too

 

[jifigz]

Waders tend to be a pretty good way to avoid them too

True. I don't worry about them much while fishing. It's while I'm doing other things such as scurrying around the woods and twigs at camp.