Tulpehocken Creek, Berks County, 05/24/2010

[Nickyboy]

I fished the Tulpehocken on the way home from the jam. It was overcast and the water was cool with a good flow which is pretty typical for the Tulp. Started fishing around 2:30 in the afternoon and left by 4:30. There were a fair number of caddis coming off of the water and a lot of trout rising. Matter of fact trout were rising as close to me as three feet away.

I landed four fish on Caddis emergers and Caddis dries. I had a ton of refusals which was surprising because I thought my presentation was perfect, my flies matched the hatch and I was using a 6x tippet. The fish literally would bump my fly with their noses. Each time they did this I would set the hook thinking that it was a take. They were toying with me. This was also on a very popular stretch of water.

 

[sight_nymph_17109]

Tully is infamous for the fish all but pushing your fly with their nose but refusing to take it. Sounds like it's fishing fairly well. Heading there this weekend.

 

[PALongbow]

The best way to trick the 'more educated' trout in the Tully is to skip your caddis along the top of the water. Give it some action and they will take it. I learned this trick along time ago. Those trout can't resist a caddis that is skipping across the top of the water.

Ron

 

[jdaddy]

Absolutely agree Ron, skitter that caddis a little bit, get the attention, stop for second (you will have undivided attention) then twitch it a couple times. Winner.
What time did you say you were going to be there Saturday sight? I'd love to fish with you in your favorite arm pit! LOL! Make you forget all about that silly ole Delaware nonsense . . . ha! If it makes you feel better, we can float the Tully! 🙂

 

[JackM]

nickyboy, a well done stream report. It would be nice if others followed your lead. Taking a moment to correctly title* and then making the report useful for present creek circumstances and historical record, while making the report an interesting read, all contribute to a valuable and fun report. Thanks.

* the full date goes last.

 

[gfen]

PALongbow wrote:
The best way to trick the 'more educated' trout in the Tully is to skip your caddis along the top of the water. Give it some action and they will take it. I learned this trick along time ago. Those trout can't resist a caddis that is skipping across the top of the water.

I posted a book review in the subforum by Leonard Wright. He was a big proponent of this technique (and while he will openly say he didn't invent it, I think he might be the one who helped bring it about as a major tactic).

IIRC, he has an entire book about fshing caddis flies that may have set a benchmark for using them as an effective lure when they were forgotten about in the mayfly's shadow.

 

[sight_nymph_17109]

Meeting LL at that sucker infested sewer on Sat morning, 6am. 2 years ago, I caught suckers on every 3rd cast on tiny zebra midges! How does that even happen? Bring your corn flies.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I love skittering caddis 🙂

 

[sight_nymph_17109]

Why skidder a caddis when you can nymph suckers ALL DAY LONG then switch to glo bugs for carp around noon? Ice down the reel so it doesn't melt. Action on the Tully is on fire! The sipping crappies by the water plant are very selective!!

 

[PALongbow]

I'm almost embarassed to tell the story but many years ago I learned the caddis skittering by error. I was fishing a CDC dry caddis and on the end of the drift I went to pull the fly off the water and a trout came flying out of the water with my fly attached to its mouth. So the rest of the day I tried adding some movement to that caddis had a great day fishing and learned something new.

You want even more fun try a dry dropper combination with a caddis emerger/larvae tied off the bend of the dry fly. Add some movement to the dry fly and that caddis larvae/emerger under the water will catch you more fish. I think those more educated fish like a little movement.

Ron

 

[outsider]

Never posted before, but I've fished the Tully for decades and I've been fly fishing and fly tying for 48 years. I fished this past Thursday evening and caught/released between 15 and 20 trout. Missed so many other fish it was embarrassing. All on caddis except one. A few sulphurs appeared so I tied on an emerger. Took one fish and switched back to the caddis.

Some nice acrobatic hold-over browns. Fished a 7' Leonard cane rod.