Spring Creek, Centre Co., 1/22/2012

[3wt7X]

I was able to fish Spring Creek yesterday with a new fishing buddy. We arrived in the stretch below Fisherman's Paradise around 10am and we finished in Benner at 3:45pm. Water conditions were perfect, I did not check the gauge, but I'd say around 150cfs sounds about right. As far as bugs, plenty of tiny black midges and some sporatic BWOs. I had a nice pool with numerous rising fish, but my hookset on top was terrible. I did connect with a larger fish just off the bank, but two headshakes ended the fight and my fly came back at me in short order. We nymphed with sow bugs and shrimp for the better part of the day. I landed four fish, three in the lower stretch and one up in Benner, all on a little generic beadhead scud pattern. The big fish for the day was the first fish, a 14 inch brown, but I know that one I hit on top was better. The air temperature was chilly to say the least, I'd say lower 30s, during the warmest part of the day, but that is not a complaint, it was a nice day to be on the water. No pictures, and it looks like I will be saving up for some new waders, I'm done repairing the ones I have now. Tight lines, and I hope everyone makes it out soon.

 

[dryflyguy]

Rising fish in january - I'd say that you had a pretty nice day!

 

[Foxgap239]

Planning on an early February visit. Definitely hoping for top water midge action. Nice report.

 

[pcray1231]

Foxgap.

Be ready for BWO's. Usually they don't get really swinging until March. Last year was late March if not April. But I've fished over excellent hatches of them in February before. And this mild winter just could be the ticket. Especially since the OP said he already saw a few, perhaps this is an indication things will start early this year and the pioneers are already flyin.

Don't get me wrong, you shouldn't "expect" them that early, your chances are slim. But be ready for them, cause if you do run into a hatch, those early BWO hatches are when all of my 30+ days on Spring Creek have occurred.

 

[Foxgap239]

pcray1231 wrote:
Foxgap.

Be ready for BWO's. Usually they don't get really swinging until March. Last year was late March if not April. But I've fished over excellent hatches of them in February before. And this mild winter just could be the ticket. Especially since the OP said he already saw a few, perhaps this is an indication things will start early this year and the pioneers are already flyin.

Don't get me wrong, you shouldn't "expect" them that early, your chances are slim. But be ready for them, cause if you do run into a hatch, those early BWO hatches are when all of my 30+ days on Spring Creek have occurred.

Pcray, many thanks for the heads up. I always carry BWO's from 20 to 14 but if I'm fortunate enough to have a 30+ day on Spring, I may never shut up about it! So hope for no more than 29! :-D

 

[BMarx]

30 fish days on Spring during a BWO hatch are pretty easy actually, if you can find some space to move. If its crowded it is tough because 1. the fish get super picky, and 2. you need to find 30 fish to fish to so you do need to move about a bit.

 

[Foxgap239]

Sorry 3wt, didn't mean to hijack your thread. Great post and I only hope I'm as fortunate as you. I'll take a few head tugs from a brusier!

 

[boychick]

Good report... I too hope to get out to Spring Creek early next month. I was hoping to go to Spring in the first week of January, I never made it due to rain. I had heard that there were a few BWO's fluttering around then, so I imagine you will see some next month unless temps drop sharply.

 

[pcray1231]

BMarx, exactly. Once you get to March everyone and their mother is out looking for BWO's. You get forced to pod sit, and that can be fun in a frustrating sort of way, but you don't rack up numbers that way.

But get an unexpected early hatch when you have the stream to yourself, and pick off the low hanging fruit of each pod and move on to the next pod. That's how you rack up numbers.

The downfall is, that if you go looking for them in February, the odds are better than even that you won't find them, and you end up working hard with nymphs for only a handful of fish.

 

[BMarx]

and in the cold! (typically)

 

[midgeman]

3x7wt,
Good to hear you had action up there! If only you could set the hook on dry flies as you do nymphing for limestone suckers!!! 🙂-

I went back to that spring creek yesterday and those browns were rising still....especially that good one!!! And I too need to work on my hook set LOL!!!

 

[BMarx]

midges or mayflies?

Im gonna take a guess here based on your name, but I'm curious nonetheless.

 

[3wt7X]

BMarx...Different Spring Creek, that midgeman was refering to, but they were BWO mayflies. I will say it was a Limestone Spring Creek in the Cumberland Valley, but that is all the further detail that I'll go into.

Thanks for the comments, it was a nice day on Spring Creek. I too love the BWO hatchs, typically in mid march during the week, when a lot of people are working, but it still gets hammered during that period. If you are fishing one of those "blanket" hatches, I typically scout the pods for the biggest fish, rather than catch a bunch of 8-12 inchers. Either way, it is an experience to be a part of!!!

 

[BMarx]

I hear ya! I assumed you and midgeman were talkng about different spring creeks. One being "Spring creek" and one being a spring creek.

Big fish on SPRING creek are hard to come by on BWOs, I have seen a few, but that is in alot of hours of fishing, feeding on dries.

Keep those places where you're finding good browns rising now to yourself, or pm them if you have to share! I'd be there if you told me lol!

 

[JackM]

post-chaser!

 

[BMarx]

haha i dont even know what that means?!! (No one knows, but its provocative!!!)

 

[JackM]

BMarx wrote:
...No one knows,..!)

Don't bet on that. We've been around, ya' know.

 

[BMarx]

It was a quote from that movie with will farrell where he is an ice skater...i really odnt know what it means though im sure some people obviously do.

 

[1hook]

I was on spring in centre county a few days ago. Walts worm were putting fish in the net. Sporadic midges coming off, nothing worth getting excited about

 

[midgeman]

I fished below Benner Springs on 2/8/12. I arrived at 1 and the snow was coming down which made for a gorgeous outing. I started by pounding riffles around the parking lot with an orange caddis larva trailed by a zebra midge. Within 30 minutes I landed a fat male bow of 14 inches and an 8 inch brown. I decided to walk down stream into the canyon. While walking I always try to look at the stream and I notice a pod of fish dimpling the surface. Sweet! Size 20 bwo time. I proceeded to fish that pod and two others. I landed atleast another 10-12 fish; the smallest being 10 inches and two that easily pushed the 18 inch mark. I packed up at 4 when the rising discontinued. Spring Creek received a smily sticker 😀-

The bwo was a size 20 dry hook, reverse grizzly hackle, with a double strand moose body hair body. Very simple to tie and very effective on any bwo hatch sizes 18-22.