Tully Smallmouth

[johnnyd]

Amidst the boredom of being couped up inside, I found myself rattling through some of my fishing pics on my computer. I came across two that I remembered having to use as proof to some of my friends that I wasn't jerking them around. Every time I am fishing the Tully and get to talking with someone there, they always look at me like I'm nuts when I tell them I've caught some very nice smallies in one of the very coveted dry fly spots. I don't get it...seems to me it would be a great spot for smallies. Maybe they are confused because of the "dam" at Gring's Mill preventing access??? Anyway, I don't really care...and I've since stopped bringing it up in conversation because I really enjoy catching them in that spot 🙂 So, here are two pics to hopefully help get everyone through the waves of snowstorms (another one tomorrow and maybe thursday by the way).
The first pic is of my buddy holding a sweet specimen...he got skunked that day and I made him hold the fish...have since taught him to fly fish (poorly)...and yes, that is an ugly stick he's swinging.
The second one was a little farther down on the stream. Both fish caught on buggers down deep. Mid March...very high water.

 

[jayL]

I have caught some nice smallmouth in the tully as well.

I don't see why anyone would doubt it. The stream is full of carp, and produced the state record flathead.

I never caught one that nice. Heck of a fish for the tully. Most of my tully smallies and redeyes have been hand sized.

 

[pcray1231]

I've caught a handful of smallies on the Tully. Not many, and none of them big, but enough to prove to me that they're there, not that I'd have any reason to doubt it.

The rock bass get to me though. You're telling me I moved all this way, to get in position for this riser, changed to a dry fly leader, got all excited that they're starting to rise, and it was a 4" rock bass? lol...

 

[jdaddy]

jayL wrote:
Most of my tully smallies and redeyes have been hand sized.

Ditto. Then again, wasn't using spinning gear and the right stuff for smallies. 5" senko would probably clean up.

What were you using Johnny?

 

[johnnyd]

Ha...I know the feeling. I have had that same "Oh yeah!...Oh #OOPS#!" moment plenty of times. Although, sometimes that moment yields a monster sunny. Sometimes, if it's just a small sunny, it ends up on the bank behind me...this usually only happens in very early spring when my pent up enthusiasm is usually at an all time high.

 

[johnnyd]

jdaddy, brown and black wooly buggers. Not sure about the size, but they were in the 2 inch or so range.

 

[tobewan77]

AWESOME! Love that fish. I've caught a lot of red eyes in there, nothing approaching that.

 

[jdaddy]

johnnyd wrote:
jdaddy, brown and black wooly buggers. Not sure about the size, but they were in the 2 inch or so range.

On spinning gear?

 

[johnnyd]

No, that's my buddy holding my fish. He was on spinning and I was on the fly. We have this thing where the person getting skunked holds the other person's fish...not sure when that started but I think it's pretty funny.

 

[nimrod]

I ot this guy a couple of years ago in late May. I was using aWoolly Bugger after the trout catching on dries slowed down. Went about 16" or so.

 

[jdaddy]

nimrod,

That photo makes that fish look about 1.6" long instead of 16". LOL. We laugh at a photo on the wall at the place we stay up on the Salmon River. The guy can pose a fish and add a good 4-5" to the fish.

johnny, that is pretty funny and a good idea.

 

[sholgate]

I've caught smallies in all sections of the Tulpehocken. The most concentration seems to be in the section in the Leisure Area below the iron pedestrian bridge. There are also a good population of red eyes and red breasted sun fish in there too.

There are 3 dams and all three sections hold many species. Here is a picture when I was nymphing and landed two different species at the same time.

 

[nimrod]

nimrod wrote:
I ot this guy a couple of years ago in late May. I was using aWoolly Bugger after the trout catching on dries slowed down. Went about 16" or so.

Yeah, not my best photography but he was a nice fish. Almost looks like a fish-eye lens shot.

 

[jayL]

jdaddy wrote:
The guy can pose a fish and add a good 4-5" to the fish.
.

More than that! The guy is the KING of holding fish.

 

[afishinado]

I caught a dozen +/- nice crappies out of one spot at the Tully. Never before or since.

 

[sholgate]

afishinado wrote:
I caught a dozen +/- nice crappies out of one spot at the Tully. Never before or since.

Was it the spillway? That is the only place that I caught one. But the species there are always a "crap shoot" pending what gets through the dam.

 

[jdaddy]

sholgate wrote:

afishinado wrote:
I caught a dozen +/- nice crappies out of one spot at the Tully. Never before or since.

Was it the spillway? That is the only place that I caught one. But the species there are always a "crap shoot" pending what gets through the dam.

I have caught a crap load of crappies there at the "gunk" mats at the water works. They really turn on there after dusk. Bet you could clean up there with a small white bugger.

 

[afishinado]

sholgate wrote:

afishinado wrote:
I caught a dozen +/- nice crappies out of one spot at the Tully. Never before or since.

Was it the spillway? That is the only place that I caught one. But the species there are always a "crap shoot" pending what gets through the dam.

Between Rebers Bridge and the Paper Mill. I caught them all in one small hole.