Spring Creek, Axemann, PA, Centre County, 5-12-10

eroc144

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Jul 3, 2007
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I did the same road trip as ezpickins (I came up from SE PA) although I fished a different section of the stream.

Date: 2010-05-12
Time: 10:00am - 6:30pm
Weather: Fog > Overcast > Partly cloudy > Overcast
Air Temp: 45F - 60F
Water Temp: 50F - 56F
Flow: Dropping from 150CFS - 125CFS
Clarity: Murky
Hatches: Sulphur (Invaria)
Results: Thumb up

I started about halfway between the Paradise and Rt550 (near the Spring Creek Access area by the Farm) and given the murk I was pounding lead and swinging larger flies. I "nymphed up" 4 nice ones by noon on Ephemerella nymphs and an oversized brown & grouse, the largest around 16". I moved down to the section above Rt 550 and around 3pm the Invarias started coming off. The only problem was that there were no rises, except for a lone 12" brown who vaulted clear out of the water to take a Sulphur flying a few inches over the surface. Since I haven't perfected my "hover float" I continued to pound the bottom.

For an hour the only critters feeding were the ducks and the birds. At 4pm I saw a first rise at the edge of the stream, and spent the next 45 mins trying to coax an absolutely enormous brown trout out of a ridiculous feeding area. The lie was, of course, under a bush, in a small, slow-water pocket with a fast riffle above, on the side and below. The hog was picking duns off the water lazily, and I could see it's white hog mouth open wide as it inhaled the Invarias. Even doing a relaxed "head and tail" rise it was moving some serious water! I tossed comparaduns, hackle-wings, thorax ties, emergers and more, and the hog would give each a trial rise but then wouldn't give them another look. I cast from above, the side and below, but just couldn't coax it out. Oh well, sometimes the trout you don't catch stick with you longer than the ones you do!

I spent the next 90 mins catching easier prey until my comparadun was frayed beyond recognition. By 6:30 there were no more flies on the water and I decided to pack it in. Good day on the stream definitely worth the 350 driving miles!

EG
 
Thanks for a great report. We couldn't mandate it, but it would be nice if all reports contained this:

Date: 2010-05-12
Time: 10:00am - 6:30pm
Weather: Fog > Overcast > Partly cloudy > Overcast
Air Temp: 45F - 60F
Water Temp: 50F - 56F
Flow: Dropping from 150CFS - 125CFS
Clarity: Murky
Hatches: Sulphur (Invaria)
Results: Thumb up
 
Glad to hear you also had a good day on Spring Creek. Sounds like the hatch happened in the area that you fished at almost exactly the same time as in the Paradise section.

It always amazes and startles me how easily one could miss the action. If you missed that 45 min. to 1 hr period of intense action you'd never realize what a great opportunity that you missed that day.

Like many, I look forward to the start of the Sulphur hatch all year and it is usually the highlight of my fly fishing year. That first week or so of the hatch always seems to be the best.

The sulphur hatch on Spring Creek is the first great hatch that I ever fished over. I'll never forget that first time; floating a comparadun-emerger tandem. A novice at the time, I felt like the king of the world, landing fish after fish. So, my trips trips to fish the sulphur on Spring are filled with nostalgia.

I'm definitely going to try and hit it again this year - maybe we'll bump into each other.
 
Since we are being picky, the village of Axemann is not on Spring Creek at all. It is on Logan Branch.

The USGS website apparently put that place name on that gauge because there is no closer official place name. But that is confusing. They really should pick a different name.

The local name for that bridge where the USGS gauge is located is "Hartle's bridge" because of the Hartle dairy farm next to it.

Just above that is "The Cottage Stretch" which is the string of cottages and houses below "The Paradise."
 
EZ - I have great memories of the Invaria hatch on Spring starting back when I was in College. The trout seem less picky with Invarias than they do with Dorotheas - probably just accumulated fishing pressure. Anyway, I fish Penns and BFC almost exclusively when I'm in CPA and don't normally fish Spring very often. But I make exceptions for the Invarias! Not sure I'll get back next week but if I do I'll let you know.

EG
 
troutbert wrote:
The USGS website apparently put that place name on that gauge because there is no closer official place name.

Exactly!

I was a local for 15 years and that bridge area was my favorite spot. But now I'm relegated to taking long drives to get my infrequent CPA fixes. (although my Wife believes I'm up there constantly)

One day we'll have to compile an o-fish-al stream section naming guide so we can add that info to our stream reports. Something sexy with GPS coordinates would be ideal.

EG
 
eroc144 wrote:
troutbert wrote:
The USGS website apparently put that place name on that gauge because there is no closer official place name.

Exactly!

I was a local for 15 years and that bridge area was my favorite spot. But now I'm relegated to taking long drives to get my infrequent CPA fixes. (although my Wife believes I'm up there constantly)

One day we'll have to compile an o-fish-al stream section naming guide so we can add that info to our stream reports. Something sexy with GPS coordinates would be ideal.

EG

I think that the local names flyfishers attach to stream locations is interesting. For example, the big parking lot with the handicapped platform is still referred to many people as "Pink Trailer" even though that trailer has been gone for 15 years or more. It's probably time for a new name for that area. "The Big Parking Lot With the Handicapped Platform" doesn't have the right ring to it. The name is too long.

On Penns Creek, the regulars have a name for EVERYTHING on that creek. Not just the big pools, but the riffles, pockets, old bridge abutments etc. They don't always agree on the names, though. I've heard some pretty heated arguments about the "correct" names. The old-timers get mad at the newbies who change the names. 🙂

I guess it's like that on many of the famous heavily fished streams. The Delaware and Beaverkill have lots of named pools.
 
I remember when the Pink Trailer was parked there. I also remember when someone purchased and posted the entire stretch around Rt 550. Some of the trees he planted are now fully grown, and a lot of the posts he used to string razor wire are still there.

Stream / Pool names are funny, and most books list names on my favorite streams that I've never heard! I still call the flats @ the 7 mile mark on Slate Run the CCC camp (and I camped there a few decades ago when it was still open).

Personally I think changing names is a right of passage for each new generation, and it's interesting to see them change and understand why the new name popped up.

EG
 
About every report from Spring should be good is like a stocked trout stream.
 
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