Penns Creek, Mifflin, Snyder, Union County 6/14 to 15/2026

J

JeffP

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Nov 21, 2007
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Lititz, Pa
A friend, my brother Riverwhy, and myself headed up for a few days at Penns Creek. We camped at Poe Paddy. It was a great time of BSing, eating bad for you food, hiking, fishing, and reminiscing. It was special for me especially because I just retired from over 35 years of teaching. I never thought I would say that. We were lucky to get a cool week and Penns was in pretty good shape. Most of rain missed us but did get a couple light showers. We got temps of 64 on Sunday and Tuesday. A couple nights were only in the 40s. I noticed Penns Creek Angler noted 71 degree temps last night that I find hard to believe. Even though we didn't take temps yesterday, I have a hard time believing the temps got close to that on Thursday.

The fishing was really good. We did catch a lot more smaller fish with a 1/2 dozen or so of native brookies on Penns. The biggest was about 18 on a Clauser with a couple in the 15 inch range. The only hatch was a great spinner fall every night on 1 hole. Honestly, we didn't see much evidence of the spinners on the water even though probably up to 50 trout rose for a couple hours each evening. One gentleman (I really can't say older anymore!) said he thought it was the bigger BWO spinners. We did have the most fish hit a rusty brown spinner. Fish were caught on buggers, Clausers, Crane flies, Sulfurs, and slate drake dries and nymphs. My buddy caught the most but he has given in to Euro-nymphing so I don't count all his fish! 🙂 I went up Poe for a couple hours and caught 4 brookies and no browns. A great time!
 
JeffP said:
A friend, my brother Riverwhy, and myself headed up for a few days at Penns Creek. We camped at Poe Paddy. It was a great time of BSing, eating bad for you food, hiking, fishing, and reminiscing. It was special for me especially because I just retired from over 35 years of teaching. I never thought I would say that. We were lucky to get a cool week and Penns was in pretty good shape. Most of rain missed us but did get a couple light showers. We got temps of 64 on Sunday and Tuesday. A couple nights were only in the 40s. I noticed Penns Creek Angler noted 71 degree temps last night that I find hard to believe. Even though we didn't take temps yesterday, I have a hard time believing the temps got close to that on Thursday.

The fishing was really good. We did catch a lot more smaller fish with a 1/2 dozen or so of native brookies on Penns. The biggest was about 18 on a Clauser with a couple in the 15 inch range. The only hatch was a great spinner fall every night on 1 hole. Honestly, we didn't see much evidence of the spinners on the water even though probably up to 50 trout rose for a couple hours each evening. One gentleman (I really can't say older anymore!) said he thought it was the bigger BWO spinners. We did have the most fish hit a rusty brown spinner. Fish were caught on buggers, Clausers, Crane flies, Sulfurs, and slate drake dries and nymphs. My buddy caught the most but he has given in to Euro-nymphing so I don't count all his fish! 🙂 I went up Poe for a couple hours and caught 4 brookies and no browns. A great time!
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Yeah I used to dominate the nymphing but not anymore. Euronymphed fish should count for 1/2 a fish! I will add a little to the info Jeff provided. I caught two rainbows on Big Poe. Both fish were extremely dark. I guess that’s all they stock there anymore. Surprising that Jeff caught 2 Brookies in Big Poe above the cold water influx of Pine Swamp and Little Poe. And even more surprising was how cool the water felt there. Usually it’s over 80 by that time of the year. The recent cooldown should not have impacted the lake surface temperature that much. And the design of the dam heats it up even more. Could there be some deep water being drained from the lake?
Wildlife seen: Bald Eagle just below Poe Paddy, huge raccoon going after the numerous crayfish observed, Deer including a fawn, Otter, a couple water snakes, wild turkey, many birds and butterflies. We also saw
Penn’s beat the hell out of us from a wading perspective. We all turn 60 this year but I could swear the wading was a lot tougher. Amazing that you could take a step and the greased bowling balls make you do a 180, make your toes straight inward, untie your triple knotted laces, make you throw your fly rod halfway across the creek, hook your tippet around your license holder and make you pscream like a girl! I saw Jeff fall in some tall grass and the last thing to go disappear was his right foot. It was so tempting to drink whisky and tend the fire instead of going out for the evening hatch. So glad I didn’t as I picked up 11 the last night. I would have had many, many more had I known my parachute Cahill became twisted so that the hook was pointed up.
This was our 43rd year going to Penn’s and we are all feeling old and wondering what year it became “difficult”? But we were inspired by the older gentleman hunched over who walked the stream from Poe Paddy to Swift Run the one night. He was also standing in the middle of the fast water by the campground for at least two hours. Hats off to you and I hope I can do the same in 10. Lastly, apologies to the younger guy from Maryland who we gave directions to the Feathered Hook. Should have just asked what he needed. We could have given him whole fly boxes and whatever else he needed.
Penn’s never disappoints even if the fishing is slow.
 
Sounds like a fun trip.

You guys protest too much about the euro game. Sounds like you're fly curious and might get caught one of these days tapping your Korkers under the stall at the Dry or Die convention 😉
 
I dabble in euro. I'd say I'm a proficient angler with dries, wets, and bobbers. I'm a beginner in euro. As a beginner, I can outfish my experienced self high sticking mono. I recently tried a microleader for the first time. It sure felt a lot like fishing mealworms back in my teens.

I'm not saying it isn't fly fishing but it is easier to catch fish euro style than any other form of fly fishing I've done. We all have to decide what we want out of the sport. If catching fish the most effective way possible while still using a fly, euro is probably your game ninety percent of the time. For me, nymphing in general is more of a ten percent activity I use when I can't make it happen casting fly line. I want to catch fish my way... until I'm not catching fish at all.
 
troutbert said:
So much angst about euronymphing.

Yinz should try old school nymphing, i.e. the way nymphing was done since nymphing was originated up to when euronymphing came along.
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I should have written that as "the way nymphing was done since nymphing originated up to when indicators and euronymphing came along."
 
dudemanspecial said:
Euronymphing, the hot cousin of fly fishing.
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…. ahem …
IMG_2634_Original.jpeg
 
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