Couldn't get anyone to go with me so I left York at 1:15 a.m. Wednesday morning. Pulled into the Sunset Motel parking lot at 7:05. The owner hid a key for me to get into my room. Off loaded all my stuff, had a bowl of cereal and was off to the river by 8:15.
Went to the dead end road below Legion Pool. The water was very high and I couldn't cross anywhere. Water was very stained with zero visibility. Fished hard with big orange sucker spawn and managed two super bright fish of about 23" each.
Wanted to fish the water below the Route 20 bridge but just couldn't cross to the river left side of the river due to heavy volume of water. Ate lunch on the way up to Folly's. Less water with some clearing up there. Walked up stream about 1/2 mile to the head of a pool with a high clay cliff on the river right side (looking downstream) Had six fish on and landed four - all super bright, but on the small side. None bigger than 24". Quit at 4:15.
Thursday went right to Legion, less water and I crossed easily. It was the right place to go as fish were being fought as I was crossing. Dozens, if not over 100, new fresh steelies had come into the pool. Good water color - that emerald green where you can just about distinguish shapes of fish moving around.
Fish were very aggressive. Hooked over fifteen and put ten onto the gravel by 11:00. I was the last of four guys on river left so whenever I hooked up I was able to let my fish run down stream and take my time with the fight. Many fish were running way down to close to the tail-out. Had a ball. Again mostly smaller fish with few going over 23". Lost one legit 25" after a long fight when the hook pulled out.
Action slowed by 11:00 but I stayed until noon. Drove up to Folly's and stream was clearer and lower but very few fish. Walked and walked up stream but no fish. The pool where I did well the day before was void of fish. Finally decided to walk way up stream, close to a mile from my car. Got there at 2:00 and had a take, and miss, on the fish cast. It was extremely windy and the leaves were a very big problem. There was not a soul above, or below me, for the two hours I fished that pool. Hooked six and landed four including one 25" and had a bigger fish on for a long time only to have the hook pull out. Took me 45 minutes to walk back to the car and it was almost dark when I pulled off my boots.
Had planned to fish until noon on Friday but when I went to Legion I could see the water was up and it appeared to have color (it was still quite dark so I couldn't see well) I'm very glad I didn't try to cross because when I went up to Folly's I could see the stream was very high and dirty. If I had crossed at Legion all that water was still on it's way down stream and I would most likely of gotten stranded on the other side of the stream.
I took my waders off and put my stuff away and at 8:10 was pulling back out onto Route 98. I had a full tank of gas and drove home non stop and pulled into my driveway at 1:22. I have a few pictures on my cell phone that I haven't up loaded yet. I posted them on Facebook and they are viewable if you want to "friend" me. Typically though they aren't any different than any other chromer you have already seen. It was well worth the cost of going solo though and I had a great time.
The Sunset Motel is about 12 miles west of Girard on Route 20. It is really a great deal if you can't get a room at the Green Roof Inn. It has two double beds, microwave, mini refrigerator, TV, my room #20 had individual heat controls. All the other rooms have no separate thermostat. Rooms are very clean and cost significantly less per night than the GRI.
Went to the dead end road below Legion Pool. The water was very high and I couldn't cross anywhere. Water was very stained with zero visibility. Fished hard with big orange sucker spawn and managed two super bright fish of about 23" each.
Wanted to fish the water below the Route 20 bridge but just couldn't cross to the river left side of the river due to heavy volume of water. Ate lunch on the way up to Folly's. Less water with some clearing up there. Walked up stream about 1/2 mile to the head of a pool with a high clay cliff on the river right side (looking downstream) Had six fish on and landed four - all super bright, but on the small side. None bigger than 24". Quit at 4:15.
Thursday went right to Legion, less water and I crossed easily. It was the right place to go as fish were being fought as I was crossing. Dozens, if not over 100, new fresh steelies had come into the pool. Good water color - that emerald green where you can just about distinguish shapes of fish moving around.
Fish were very aggressive. Hooked over fifteen and put ten onto the gravel by 11:00. I was the last of four guys on river left so whenever I hooked up I was able to let my fish run down stream and take my time with the fight. Many fish were running way down to close to the tail-out. Had a ball. Again mostly smaller fish with few going over 23". Lost one legit 25" after a long fight when the hook pulled out.
Action slowed by 11:00 but I stayed until noon. Drove up to Folly's and stream was clearer and lower but very few fish. Walked and walked up stream but no fish. The pool where I did well the day before was void of fish. Finally decided to walk way up stream, close to a mile from my car. Got there at 2:00 and had a take, and miss, on the fish cast. It was extremely windy and the leaves were a very big problem. There was not a soul above, or below me, for the two hours I fished that pool. Hooked six and landed four including one 25" and had a bigger fish on for a long time only to have the hook pull out. Took me 45 minutes to walk back to the car and it was almost dark when I pulled off my boots.
Had planned to fish until noon on Friday but when I went to Legion I could see the water was up and it appeared to have color (it was still quite dark so I couldn't see well) I'm very glad I didn't try to cross because when I went up to Folly's I could see the stream was very high and dirty. If I had crossed at Legion all that water was still on it's way down stream and I would most likely of gotten stranded on the other side of the stream.
I took my waders off and put my stuff away and at 8:10 was pulling back out onto Route 98. I had a full tank of gas and drove home non stop and pulled into my driveway at 1:22. I have a few pictures on my cell phone that I haven't up loaded yet. I posted them on Facebook and they are viewable if you want to "friend" me. Typically though they aren't any different than any other chromer you have already seen. It was well worth the cost of going solo though and I had a great time.
The Sunset Motel is about 12 miles west of Girard on Route 20. It is really a great deal if you can't get a room at the Green Roof Inn. It has two double beds, microwave, mini refrigerator, TV, my room #20 had individual heat controls. All the other rooms have no separate thermostat. Rooms are very clean and cost significantly less per night than the GRI.
