Tully Risers

[Andrwhite610]

I’ve recently been fishing the Tulpehocken very frequently in the mornings. I’m very new to fly fishing so have no experience targeting rising fish. I’ve been having success on nymphs and a few eats on my stimulator that I use mostly as an indicator for dry dropper. I often see many fish rising and especially this morning. The flat I was fishing was going off with fish some definitely trout. They were leaping out of the water and sometimes twice at what I guess was their target. I did not notice any obvious insects in the air or on the water. I did see some very, very tiny flies on the surface. Unfortunately did not get a photo. Is this what they are after? I knew I didn’t have anything similar or small enough in my box to try to match what I saw. I didn’t get too frustrated and continued focus on the nymph fishing. Maybe someone familiar with the Tully can clue me in. Thanks for reading!

 

[Bamboozle]

I don't fish the Tully but I do fish limestone creeks...

That sounds like they were chasing the Little Black Caddis which flutter inches above the water. You can barely see them because of their size & color but if you get your head down as low to the water as possible you might.

I use a size 16 or 18 all black Elk Wing Caddis to imitate them or a similar sized Black Gnat. If you don't tie flies or have similar patterns, fish something that size that is all black or any caddis pattern that small.

BTW - A week ago I caught fish on a black beetle pattern when they were chasing Little Black Caddis...

Good luck!

 

[Millsertime]

You mention some trout rising twice. That sounds like trout chasing emerging caddis.

During the rises, did the trout's mouth only break the water surface or did the whole trout come through he water surface like an aerial acrobat?

 

[Andrwhite610]

You mention some trout rising twice. That sounds like trout chasing emerging caddis.

During the rises, did the trout's mouth only break the water surface or did the whole trout come through he water surface like an aerial acrobat?

I would say I saw both. But definitely sometimes a fish would jump out and almost splash around a bit. There was alottttt of activity going on.

If it were emerging caddis at what point do they “emerge” from the water? I do have some emerging caddis patterns I believe recommend to me at TCO. Are they fished just like a dry but sit a bit below the surface?

 

[Silent Ocelot]

You mention some trout rising twice. That sounds like trout chasing emerging caddis.

I suspect it could have been this. I used to fish the Tully more regularly when I had a buddy that wanted to fish it. I could never seem to see what was actually coming off the water but I suspected it was an emerger. Threw my whole dry fly box, which is basically a fly box filled with various caddis imitations, at the fish and couldn't get even a take. Due to my lack of dry fly fishing knowledge I tend to just grind out that creek with some deep-dredging (3.0mm) sparse nymphs, which always seem to work for me there, well, when does a deep-dredging nymph NOT work? The Tully is a nice big stream. I would like to get out and fish it at least once this Spring before the temps really start to climb. Just need someone to go with as I have no motivation to go fishing there on my own. I'd fish it with you @Andrwhite610. There are some insanely large trout and suckers in there. How does the creek itself look right now? I presume pretty darn good.

 

[Roofin' Trouter]

I see this type of thing happen on some cricks and have 2 theories. Theory 1 is the little caddis others have mentioned. Theory 2 is that you're witnessing fresh stockers learning to eat real crick food. I've read that stocked browns may take up to a 50 days to adapt to a crick diet, while rainbows figure it out in a week.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

I've read that stocked browns may take up to a 50 days to adapt to a crick diet, while rainbows figure it out in a week.

Interesting. It does seem that rainbows do adapt quickly. Never quite figured out why. It is cool that these rainbows that spend their lives in a cement swimming pool wise up fast and become smarter than other indigenous species (fallfish and chubs) that have spent the entirety of their lives in a natural water body. Not sure about browns taking 50 days to adapt, that seems lengthy, but I cannot for sure say when exactly a brown trout becomes acclimated to the present environment it lives in.

 

[Nocktavius]

I would say I saw both. But definitely sometimes a fish would jump out and almost splash around a bit. There was alottttt of activity going on.

If it were emerging caddis at what point do they “emerge” from the water? I do have some emerging caddis patterns I believe recommend to me at TCO. Are they fished just like a dry but sit a bit below the surface?

trout eat a ton of caddis. Fish any of the central PA limestoners and you’ll frequently encounter the porpoising and chasing rise forms that most beginners (and a whole lot of more experienced people too) too often confuse with fish taking adults on the surface.

Caddis swim rapidly to the surface with an air bubble surrounding them, break through the film and just basically fly off. It’s a quick trip and the trout need to be similarly fast in their pursuit which leads to the aerial acrobatics you witnessed. The best way to emulate it isn’t with a dry fly at all, but rather swinging an array of soft hackle or wet flies (often with a heavier pattern on point). Dry droppers can work too, but it’s a tough one to totally match that way with educated fish.

On the other hand the trout in the Tully are stockies and probably pretty dumb so maybe you just need to swing a powerbait fly 🤣

 

[Andrwhite610]

I suspect it could have been this. I used to fish the Tully more regularly when I had a buddy that wanted to fish it. I could never seem to see what was actually coming off the water but I suspected it was an emerger. Threw my whole dry fly box, which is basically a fly box filled with various caddis imitations, at the fish and couldn't get even a take. Due to my lack of dry fly fishing knowledge I tend to just grind out that creek with some deep-dredging (3.0mm) sparse nymphs, which always seem to work for me there, well, when does a deep-dredging nymph NOT work? The Tully is a nice big stream. I would like to get out and fish it at least once this Spring before the temps really start to climb. Just need someone to go with as I have no motivation to go fishing there on my own. I'd fish it with you @Andrwhite610. There are some insanely large trout and suckers in there. How does the creek itself look right now? I presume pretty darn good.

I have basically zero knowledge on rising fish so I suppose I’ll use the Tully to teach me. I live 5 minutes away so my trips are usually quick and sporadic but I’d fish with ya if your ever heading out send me a message. I’ve been aggressively fly fishing for only over 4 months but I’d say I’ve been having great success on the Tully. I’ve been drifting a stimulator with usually a perdigon or zebra midge underneath. Stimulator dosnt get much love but when it has it’s usually a big brown including my pb on a fly rod. Also had a couple wilds mixed in.

 

[Roofin' Trouter]

I have thoughts and observations on this but I don't want to get off topic. I do see more trial and error feeding in rainbow trout that were stocked within the prior 72 hours with the jump 3 feet out of the water. It happened to me maybe ten days ago. I tied on a loco foam beetle with small 18 or 20 black caddis behind it and landed a few on both.

 

[Roofin' Trouter]

Interesting. It does seem that rainbows do adapt quickly. Never quite figured out why. It is cool that these rainbows that spend their lives in a cement swimming pool wise up fast and become smarter than other indigenous species (fallfish and chubs) that have spent the entirety of their lives in a natural water body. Not sure about browns taking 50 days to adapt, that seems lengthy, but I cannot for sure say when exactly a brown trout becomes acclimated to the present environment it lives in.

 

[GlenmooreJohn]

I’ve recently been fishing the Tulpehocken very frequently in the mornings. I’m very new to fly fishing so have no experience targeting rising fish. I’ve been having success on nymphs and a few eats on my stimulator that I use mostly as an indicator for dry dropper. I often see many fish rising and especially this morning. The flat I was fishing was going off with fish some definitely trout. They were leaping out of the water and sometimes twice at what I guess was their target. I did not notice any obvious insects in the air or on the water. I did see some very, very tiny flies on the surface. Unfortunately did not get a photo. Is this what they are after? I knew I didn’t have anything similar or small enough in my box to try to match what I saw. I didn’t get too frustrated and continued focus on the nymph fishing. Maybe someone familiar with the Tully can clue me in. Thanks for reading!

I have witnessed the same feeding activity that you describe the past 3 weeks on the Tully. I was thinking they were very small midges or BWOs (size 26-28). I've had some luck on a zebra midge and a few take a size 20 Griffiths Gnat and BWOs but it hasn't been easy. I believe they are keyed in on the emergers, but like you have also seen them jump a foot out of the water to grab them as they take flight. Tried all types of nymphs, emergers, wet flies on the swing and dries size 18-22 and have yet to figure out what they want. My feeling is that these trout are so heavily pressured they have seen it all and they seem to key in on these emergers that they know are alive by their movement. Love to hear some thoughts from other Tully regulars.

 

[Andrwhite610]

I have witnessed the same feeding activity that you describe the past 3 weeks on the Tully. I was thinking they were very small midges or BWOs (size 26-28). I've had some luck on a zebra midge and a few take a size 20 Griffiths Gnat and BWOs but it hasn't been easy. I believe they are keyed in on the emergers, but like you have also seen them jump a foot out of the water to grab them as they take flight. Tried all types of nymphs, emergers, wet flies on the swing and dries size 18-22 and have yet to figure out what they want. My feeling is that these trout are so heavily pressured they have seen it all and they seem to key in on these emergers that they know are alive by their movement. Love to hear some thoughts from other Tully regulars.

I’ve fished the Tully many mornings since this post. I’ve avoided the flats and been fishing riffles and have had so much fun with nymphs I’ve kinda forgotten about these mystery risers. I fish it almost every morning for 45 minutes before work. My average seems to be 2 fish a session on nymphs but the other morning I did land 9 fish in 45 minutes. Must have caught a feed window idk. I still have no experience matching a hatch or targeting fish with specific drys but I’ve been learning a ton fishing the Tully latley. Lots of big stocked browns, occasional wilds and got a stocked tiger trout the other morning. Never know what ya gonna get haha. Some stretches are really ugly low right now so the section you fish definitely matters.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

try a PT soft hackle