McSneek
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2011
- Messages
- 2,369
Stream gauge said about 250cfs. Looked like it got a tiny bump in flow from rain on 4/28 but bottom line is the stream is low for this time of year. A raw, drizzly, foggy day with a chill in the air. Air temps in the low 40s. End of April and I had a down vest and rain jacket on all day - perfect steelhead weather!
Fished the upper C&R section from approx. 9:30am - 5:30pm. My friend and I just about had the stream to ourselves. Caught a couple on a red quill emerger at the tail end of the Broadwaters then moved down into the riffles to begin the nymphing game. There was an irritating amount of algae on the stream bottom that required you to clean your nymphs off on about every third cast. Nymphing was slow. We got one here and there on a variety of nymphs from stone flies to hares ears.
Early afternoon I suggested to my friend we head back to the Broadwaters in the afternoon to maybe get him into some dry fly action. There were sporadic risers throughout. I finally took the energy to grab a struggling mayfly off the surface to see it was a March Brown. Maybe a little smaller than I'm used to seeing. Thought sarcastically to myself - great, the trout never eat these damn things. Boy was I wrong. As the number of MBs steadily increased every trout in that stretch came up and ate them. I think the cold damp conditions had these flies really struggling to get off the surface and the trout were just going bonkers over them. Caught a ridiculous number of fish on various MB patterns in a #12 - mostly comparadun styles. Just amazing fishing.
Had to tell my friend - it's not always this good and if you come back, don't ever expect to have the stream to yourself like we did today.
We finished the day damp, cold and tired but ecstatic over what we experienced. God - I love Penns Creek.
Fished the upper C&R section from approx. 9:30am - 5:30pm. My friend and I just about had the stream to ourselves. Caught a couple on a red quill emerger at the tail end of the Broadwaters then moved down into the riffles to begin the nymphing game. There was an irritating amount of algae on the stream bottom that required you to clean your nymphs off on about every third cast. Nymphing was slow. We got one here and there on a variety of nymphs from stone flies to hares ears.
Early afternoon I suggested to my friend we head back to the Broadwaters in the afternoon to maybe get him into some dry fly action. There were sporadic risers throughout. I finally took the energy to grab a struggling mayfly off the surface to see it was a March Brown. Maybe a little smaller than I'm used to seeing. Thought sarcastically to myself - great, the trout never eat these damn things. Boy was I wrong. As the number of MBs steadily increased every trout in that stretch came up and ate them. I think the cold damp conditions had these flies really struggling to get off the surface and the trout were just going bonkers over them. Caught a ridiculous number of fish on various MB patterns in a #12 - mostly comparadun styles. Just amazing fishing.
Had to tell my friend - it's not always this good and if you come back, don't ever expect to have the stream to yourself like we did today.
We finished the day damp, cold and tired but ecstatic over what we experienced. God - I love Penns Creek.
