Spring Creek Centre County 12/5/2016

[melvinthefisherman]

Being that I go to Penn State and am surrounded by some beautiful water I am finding myself taking out the fly rod more and more. I am still a relative novice to fly fishing for trout but im getting better with each trip. There are some great fly shops out here they have been really helpful.

Anyway I had about 60 min til dark after classes Monday and left the spinning rod in the car and fished lower spring creek canyon for the first time. I caught two fish both about 10 inches with one on a zebra midge and one on a slumpbuster. The creek is very low and clear and I saw lots of trout but usually when you see them they see you and they will not eat.

I did hook 4 other fish that I lost. Hooksets have been a struggle for me. Being that I fish with a spinning rod over 100 days every year I have spinning rod muscle memory. I lost a nice one, maybe 15-16 inches, with 3 sec of feeling him. This has been like the 5th nice trout I have lost this week due to poor hooksetting. Ill get it down eventually. Im hoping to nymph thru the whole winter.

 

[Maurice]

Melvin, to improve hook sets with smaller flies try just lifting the rod tip to 10 or 11 o'clock. Small flies tend to tear through the flesh of the trout inner mouth and results on lost fish if you set too hard.

Try to avoid yelling SUHN! Or twisting at the waist like you are yanking a bucket mouth. LOL!

With larger hooks on streamers like a slump buster they usually penetrate the jaw and I find that your set can include a bit of a strip while lifting the rod as awell as a couple of repeated sets following the initial hook set to make sure you get it buried nicely.

Good luck

 

[DanL]

melvin, did you see a lot of redds/spawning activity?

I booked a room in State College this Saturday and planned on fishing from shore in/around Fisherman's paradise to avoid them...going to be a bit colder but I'll be ready for that...

 

[melvinthefisherman]

Saw a few but it seems like spawning is winding down.