Shermans Creek, Perry Co., 7/20/25

[dc410]

I got a chance to fish one of my favorite stretches on Shermans Creek at midday today. I really only had time to fish for about 90 minutes. I started out stripping a bunny strip tail olive wooly bugger type fly and got into fish right away. The first four fish I caught were 2 Smallies, a Fallfish and a Redbreast Sunnie. (A wild and 2 part native warmwater trifecta!) as a I slowly worked my way upstream to the tailout of a big slow pool over 100 yards long I noticed numerous fish hitting the surface in the frog water. I switched over to a chartruese gurglur style fly with rubber legs and for the next hour pounded Smallies and Fallies one after the other on the surface. None of the fish were very big but it didn’t matter at all. I did have a pretty good, heavy fish on that bulldogged deep down into a rocky run and came unbuttoned on me. I think he took me around a rock as my tippet showed the resulting damage. After a pretty disappointing year so far flyfishing it felt great to get out if even for a very short outing and do some wet wading and stick some of my warmwater buddies!

 

[Swattie87]

Nice goin!

I drove down to The Swattie in Hummelstown today. Gauge said it was borderline, and it was. I passed. Could’ve probably done it but the most appetizing stretch requires a crossing of the main current tongue in a spot I like there. Lots of clogged debris in a bridge shortly downstream, didn’t wanna chance it.

 

[dc410]

Yeah, probably a good call on your part, Swattie. Shermans was definitely fishable but it was surely higher and more off color than I’m used to for this time of the summer. I had to work my way back across the stream to get back to the side to walk back to my truck - it was definitely a very calculated crossing. I don’t often use my wading staff a lot in the summer months on Shermans Creek but I did today.

 

[tomgamber]

Buggers and gurglers. Can't go wrong. Love tge variety. How our camp fishes.

 

[jifigz]

What weight fly rod were you tossing today, John? I have only fished smallmouth bass one time this year on a fly rod. I'm praying the river sets up in good shape for the WW Jam.

 

[wildtrout2]

What weight fly rod were you tossing today, John? I have only fished smallmouth bass one time this year on a fly rod. I'm praying the river sets up in good shape for the WW Jam.

jifgz, what are the Susky/Juniata conditions around Duncannon right now?

 

[dc410]

What weight fly rod were you tossing today, John? I have only fished smallmouth bass one time this year on a fly rod. I'm praying the river sets up in good shape for the WW Jam.

I was using my Cabelas Three Forks 9’ 8 weight. Yeah, I’m hoping for a break in the weather and really looking forward to the WW Jam.

 

[jifigz]

jifgz, what are the Susky/Juniata conditions around Duncannon right now?

I was on the river today, and the flows aren't terribly high or anything, but it's pretty cloudy. I'm going to be on the river tomorrow near Thompsontown. I'll let you know how it looks there tomorrow.