Pine Creek, Allegheny County DHALO, 4/12/2012

[kierkan]

Decided to hit up Pine to work off some stress and after a recent thread I wanted to play around with some more dry flies on the creek. I got there around 3:30 an fished to around 6:30, the water was still almost sompletely clear even after a couple of nights of storms (we need rain). After a week of dealing with Insurance companies and body shops to get my car fixed at least the fish were kind to me and were eating elk hair cddis and BWO's like crazy. All and all a nice stress relieving evening.

 

[fishingkidPA]

Nice fish. I have fished the DHALO about 6 times since its been stocked. Man does it get hit hard. Almost been hit by golf balls there numerous times, i hear them hitting off the trees all around me. I've caught a dozen or so this past month there on BH Prince Nymphs, Buggers, and sucker spawn patterns. We do need rain, badly. I was fishing there today saw some rising and was throwin elk hair caddis too, but got nothing. Some guy i talked to caught a 6lb bow out of there last week. I've been trying for those big *** carp at the very top of the DHALO under the tressle, but nothing. Some of those are pushing 3ft! can't wait to hook into one of em'

 

[dryflyguy]

Kierkan -

So, the fish were rising to BWO's and caddis that were hatching on pine creek? Or were they just taking your patterns

 

[ryguyfi]

Not much in the means of hatches on Pine IMO. I've seen some decent midge hatches, but it's your typical warm water fishery. There will be some hatches here and there, but nothing fantastic.

That being said, I never seem to catch fish in Pine.

 

[mcwillja]

I've heard pine gets great early season hatches but I haven't fished it much in the past 10 years.

Ryguy, is that from experience or what you have heard?

 

[dryflyguy]

I've rarely fished it.
But have heard from guys who have, that all you can really expect to see there, are a few caddis.
And with the dredging of north park lake the last few years - and all of the sediment that got washed downstream - I'd be surprised to hear of anything hatching there now

 

[ryguyfi]

Yeah I just drove through the park 2 days ago. Lake looks good now. I'd assume too that the bugs will be hurt a bit from the sediment, but the DHALO section is a good ways downstream and may not see too much of an impact.

I've seen some caddis and a few sulphur/cahills there in the past, but nothing to get the fish looking up aggressively. Sometimes a few risers here and there, but nothing fantastic.

I probably only fish it 1-2 times a year though, so take that into consideration.

 

[kierkan]

As far as the Caddiss are concerned there were a good bit, but to be honest there more a couple weeks a go in the evenings then I saw last night. As far as BWOs go that was more just the Pattern, there were a few mayflies of some sort but I don't know my bugs real well and quite frankly I generally match size and shape and wing it from there. If I had to guess they would weren't BWO's looked more tannish in color than anything, sorry if this confused anyone.

I wouldn't consider any of it a major hatch, but it was enough that the stretch I was on had a constant rythym of rising fish for almost the entire time I fished it. The only time they seemed to stop was after I caught one then I would sit on the bank for 5 minutes and boom risers everywhere again.

I'm no expert on this creek so this might be unusual, maybe it is the dry and warm spring, but it was a fun night!

 

[beerbyrnes]

you see some bwo's, midges, and caddis coming off but never any real numbers.

grew up a few miles away and had friends that lived in the plan of homes near. a lot of wild nights by those tracks.