Spring Creek, Center County, 8/24/2003

joebamboo

joebamboo

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
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Carlisle
Arrived at Benner Spring section yesterday around 7:30 AM, water was slightly off color and a cool 60 degrees,. The reported Trico hatch was non existent. I did, however, land two brookies on a size 20 trico. Fooled three more on a #18 ant pattern. Fished until 11:30 or so.

I haven't fished this section for about two years and wasn't aware if the "stream improvements". I am not a fan of removing overhanging vegetation and installing logs along the bank,.
 
In all my years fishing there I never caught a brookie. Pretty weird if you ask me. Especially how many were caught.
 
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troutbert said:
Brookies in Spring Creek?

If you have photos, please post them.
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I have never caught and heard of anyone else catching bookies in Spring Creek. Don't know how multiple brookies would be caught there unless they were somehow stocked or transported there?
 
troutbert said:
Brookies in Spring Creek?

If you have photos, please post them.
Click to expand...
Dear Troutbert,

Many years ago, and by many, I mean back when Dan Shields was still a partner at Flyfisher's Paradise I caught many brook trout in Spring Creek along with a bunch rainbows. It may have been 1993 after the big January flood that inundated Benner Spring hatchery? Some of the rainbows and brookies were still dinks with parr marks or barring.

I actually caught male brook trout hatchery escapees that Fall that produced milt when I handled them. What I don't know is if they were actually in the process of spawning or if they were just happy to see me! 😉

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂
 
I have never seen the need to take photos of the fish I catch. Being well into my 70"s and having fly fished for many of those years, I'm very familiar with the different trout species. The trout we caught were BROOK! The doubting thomases can continue now!
 
joebamboo,
Yes, there was a time many, many, many years ago when we were encouraged to just grab the fly and twist the barbless and off the trout would go. Our local organization posted signs in that ancient era that requested an immediate release of all natives. Seemed to make sense to everyone on the stream.

Now, every trout must be photgraphed and maybe even posed properly in your hand - I am not sure why, but this is the way... pics, pics, pics...

Yes, SC is a gorgeous spot and , for sure, those were brookies... Enjoy
 
I have probably caught well over a thousand (if not two thousand) fish in Spring Creek and fished it over a hundred times and not once have I caught a brookie nor heard of anyone who has caught a brookie there since many many years ago. Are you absolutely positive those were brookies? Not going to lie to you, I don't think you were catching brook trout . . .
 
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joebamboo said:
I have never seen the need to take photos of the fish I catch. Being well into my 70"s and having fly fished for many of those years, I'm very familiar with the different trout species. The trout we caught were BROOK! The doubting thomases can continue now!
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Sounds like you caught a couple nice little Brownies! Congrats!
 
Speaking for myself, I would be interested to see a picture or two to see if they could be identified as stocked vs. wild fish. I would not normally take a picture of a 6" fish. (Stop looking at my profile pic, that's at least 7".)
I don't doubt that what you caught were brook trout. I am (and I think others are) more interested in where they came from. Did they appear to be stocked or wild? Their size would tend to tell you that they must be wild.
On the topic of fish pictures, I have mostly stopped taking pictures of fish unless the photo has some other value, or it is a particularly notable fish. In Spring creek, a brook trout is a very notable fish, as stated by the other posters.
 
I've caught a handful of brook trout in Spring over the years, they are likely stocked and escaped from the hatchery. During my college years after hurricane Ivan in 2004 the hatcheries flooded and tons of hatchery trout made there way into Spring. It was not uncommon to catch a random rainbow or brook trout.
 
I believe you joebamboo....I believe you. I have faith that you can distinguish a brookie from a brown trout.

I have caught browns in Spring, I have caught rainbows in Spring, but I have never caught a brook trout in Spring.

Crazier things have happened.

As an aside I was just on the banks of Spring Creek yesterday for the first time in a couple of years. It looked beautiful and I wish I would have had time to fish. Flows looked great, water looked good.
 
joebamboo said:
Guess I'll have to go back, catch the same fish and take their pictures just to satisfy the nay sayers! I stand by my post and that's the end of this nonsense!

Hang on OSlumpBuster, you're next!
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There is a tributary upstream of there not far. Sounds like you were downstream closer to actual spring though
 
Fish Sticks said:
I did see a huge green cloud of what looked like mountain dew come down the stream come to think of it when I was fishing last week.
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In all seriousness Joe Bamboo, thats pretty neat

You will go down in PAFF history if what happens on penns ever happens on spring
 
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