Pohopoco Creek, 9/3/14, Carbon Co.

[DrNymph]

Fished 6p-8p, flows in 40's, temps mid 50's, air temp high 70's with intermittent cloud cover, but all of the sections I fished were in the shade.

Prospected with dry droppers and hooked up with 5 and landed 3. No real bug activity.

Experienced something different today on this creek that I haven't before in the past.

It was just about dark and I thought I'd run a sulphur emerger with a pheasant tail dropper before I call it a night. Not much going on as far as bug activity but as I was standing in the middle of a riffle tying up my rig, I looked up and was in the middle of clouds and clouds of emerging sulphurs and some spinners...I'm talkin' clouds, in my eyes, inhaling them, all over my clothes...and as far as I could see, it was only happening in this particular riffle at the time.

The fish were going nuts and I managed to hook and land 5 12-14" browns in 5 consecutive casts. For those who have fished the po, that's an above average size...it was crazy.

And just as quickly as it came, it was all over and the creek was back to what it was in a matter of about 10 min--scant bugs and no risers.

Whatever that was...was very cool. I've fished this creek quite a few times and never have been caught in a hatch like that on that creek.

Maybe the veterans can enlighten me...

 

[DrNymph]

oh a fat tree is now laying across the middle of first riffle down from Beltzville...

 

[SBecker]

Where the heck did a tree come from? Not exactly a wooded area below the dam.

 

[Fishidiot]

That is interesting - almost sounds like it was a white fly hatch based on the volume. I suppose it certainly could have been sulphers - we see 'em at some weird times here in the Cumberland Valley.

I too would be curious to hear what any Po regulars or hatch experts may care to suggest. Whatever the case, sounds like you hit one of those rare, once in awhile lucky FFing events that make for great memories..

 

[DrNymph]

haha yeah, it's a big tree. And For the most part they were definitely mayflies, probably about a size 16-18. There were occasional isos too.

 

[Dcap240]

I think what you were seeing was yellow sallies. Right around this time last year I had the same thing happen right as it was getting dark. Tons of them but it was over within 15 minutes. They were laying eggs dipping themselves into the water.

 

[lestrout]

Cold water fisheries like the Delaware do have sulfurs right through the summer. The Po is smaller, but the water temps are similar.

 

[PennKev]

Dcap240 wrote:
I think what you were seeing was yellow sallies.

Sallies are stone flies. OP seemed sure they were mayflies.

The OP's size estimate puts them too small for whiteflies too.

 

[mikesl]

FWIW, flow had been really low (38) for about a week, and just got bumped up a bit (50 - still low, but noticeably better)

Maybe that triggered a more concentrated hatch?

 

[Dcap240]

Yes I know sallies are stoneflies. Very well may have been sulphurs. I fish the Po quite a bit as well and sulphurs do hatch sporadically all summer. But the way the OP described it it sounds pretty much exactly like the sallies I saw on Labor Day weekend last year. Clouds of them for 10-15 mins and fish rising everywhere and then it just stopped. I've never seen a stonefly hatch like that ever. I really can't be certain without seeing it for myself. In the dark without examing one closely they could be mistaken for sulphurs. They are pretty much the same size and color. But like I said I can't be certain.

 

[DrNymph]

there was a mix of bugs, definitely saw mayflies but come to think of it, I did get an opportunity to see one on my rod handle and they did look caddis/stonefly-ish...but the may flies coming off were the same size and color.

It was really weird. I definitely buy the sallie theory.

 

[DrNymph]

i just googled yellow sallie and they were there 100% and most likely the predominant bug then. But...there were definitely sulphurs.