Shohola Creek, Pike County, 4/29/15

[Woolybuggin]

Howdy guys first post on here and a beginner trout and fly fisher. I fished Shohola creek off of 739 yesterday with pretty good results the water was pretty clear and the temp was about 65* not sure on water temp, still pretty cold though. Few rises, not enough to justify a dry fly just yet but it was nice to see a couple in action. I got the first brookie under the bridge in the first pool off an olive conehead steamer about 3 inches in length, had a couple more hits & one that shook the hook, figured i'd try something els on. Moved down the the next pool and tied a large stonefly. Little more action in this pool rises in both moving and still water but not many. Nailed a nice little brook trout under the recently fallen tree & decided to move to the other side of the pool & let it settle for a few minutes. I tried the stone fly out for a few more casts & tied a white streamer with pink/yellow body to try and get a reaction bite. A 15 inch brookie slammed it on the second strip of the first cast.

Still learning the ropes of fly fishing (and trout fishing in general) & going to try nymphing now that I have a few fish under my belt. Reasons for the big fly's are stocked fish, and to cover the most water before it gets too dark to tie another fly. ;-)

 

[DaveKile]

Woolybuggin,

Thanks for joining and making your first post a Stream Report. Nice report and hope you have good spring. I enjoyed some time up and around Lake Wallenpaupack in the NE. Nice area.

Dave

 

[NedZeppelin]

Let me just say that for a beginner you have it nailed already. Enjoy and welcome.

 

[Woolybuggin]

Thank you guys, I live right on the wallenpauapack so all sorts of good fishing around here indeed is a beautiful area with many trout streams, got out on shohola for a little today but hardly saw a rise & not even the spin reel fisherman were getting many hits backed out pretty quickly. Went up to the masthope creek and nailed em, ill write a report up on that also.

 

[CathyG]

Wooly,

Do you ever fish Wallenpaupack creek, esp the west branch?

I've been thinking about fishing it if I can work up the ambition to do some exploring and fishing (my job has me exhausted).

 

[wildtrout2]

To the best of my knowledge most, if not all of Lake Wallenpaupack Creek is on private land. But, after all these years (40) I will confess to fishing that stream, disregarding posted signs, with a buddy who's parents owned a large old mountain house very close to it back in the 70s. Newfoundland was a nearby town as I recall.

I will never forget the wild browns literally fighting to hit our spinners in some of those pools, and these trout were all healthy, averaging 10"-15". I have no idea of the status of that stream these days.

 

[Woolybuggin]

Yes the west and east branch are very good streams with many wild (and stocked) trout in them apparently. I have fished both legally, there is a spot behind twin rocks off of the Hamlin exit on 84 for the west branch, a little drive on some back roads and you will hit the stream, there is pull offs in a few different spots that is legal to park & fish but you can only go to a certain point up & down before you hit posted signs. The east branch can be accessed in a good spot to fish right behind the newfoundland park but your limited on how far you can go before posted signs I do have a friend who owns property that the east branch flows along but haven't made it that far down, I only fished this once and it was for a very short period (it actually started snowing/ raining and I was freezing) i didn't get anything but I did spooked a descent sized trout while wading. While in the west branch on opening day we saw a few fish but couldnt get anything to hit, a large palomino was hangin out in a deep pool id like to get back there now that I know I can catch a few fish on the fly rod.