Valley Creek, 3/30/07

W

Wmass

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Fished above the Metal Bridge from 2pm-6pm. Caught a small brown about 8" in the pool just above the bridge on a #12 olive crystal wooly bugger. Went around the bend and hooked a nice sized brown on my second cast in the pool, fish snapped my line before I could get him to hand, lost my only #12 olive bugger. Got several more hits in that pool on a white minnor pattern but then it went dead. Came across a group of about 8 fish feeding on midges that were in the surface film. I threw everything I had at them but they wouldn't bite. I got caught in a tree and then spooked the entire pool so that was it for those fish.

Forgot to mention the bug activity. There were a TON of BWOs and Midges coming off and I also some a few black stoneflies. Fish were rising sporadically.
 
I fished Valley today as well for an hour and a half after I got off work. Didn't get there till 6 pm, but managed to hit about 5 areas in the short (and dark) time I was there. My "Valley Creek" nymph rig wasn't doing it for me, so I switched to a black stone and hooked up with a nice 10-12" brown on the first cast.

Wmass, were you the guy wearing the red sox hat? If so I ran into you on your way out.
 
Yup, Dude that was me with the Red Sox hat on. I sent you a PM. I will be out at VC again on both days this weekend so if you see me say hi.
 
What are your guys favorite flies on the Valley? Gray/tan scuds have worked well for me the times I've been there.
 
I don't think the fish are all that picky on nymphs, I typically throw in what I see. If you turn up some of the rocks you'll find mainly shrimp and these little green worms (about size 20-24). Best bet is to pick something that matches those. Aside from that, I've gotten them to eat black stones, san juans, zebra midges and egg patterns among other things.

As for dries, I have only caught fish using midges no bigger than #22, so keep it small. I've seen sparse BWO around, but since I've had success using midges, I havn't tried to tie any on just yet.
 
Hope to bump into some of y'all on the stream someday. In the early season I like a size 14 beadhead olive caddis larva, or a #16 scud, sometimes with a beadhead. If those don't do anything for me I try #14 and #16 pts. A #18 bwo nymph is a good choice, too, of course. I don't think I've fished a dry on Valley since 2005.

I was last out 4/1 and got a half dozen in a couple of hours. The rain never came and I had a lot of stream to myself. Haven't caught any bigger than 12 or 13" yet this year. Anyone catching anything big-ish? You always hear those stories...
 
Caught two 9" brownies today using a #22 BH olive midge.

And yes I have caught a couple 14+ brownies but the memory of that is fading fast.

D
 
dsleader,

By that comment do you mean that big browns in Valley is a thing of the past? I had been told that the fish population there had been steadily getting larger and more dense.

However, I did hear of a large fish kill there last fall. Something to do with electricuting the water. Anyone know if this was true?
 
I caught one last spring that was similar in size to that fish, it was between 14-16" and it looked amazing. I had never seen a brown that pretty until that moment.


What has been working for everyone there recently size wize? I have been using my "old standards" of mayfly nymph patterns in sizes 16 and was getting anything last go out. I have recently caught fish there on small olive buggers and dries.
 
I fished just about every day in May of 2005, and the vast majority of the fish I caught came on a size 14 pheasant tail. As the water dropped a bit I used a size 16, and sometimes either size would have a bead. A size 14 light olive beadhead caddis larva is my favorite fly through March and April. I haven't tried all the flies, but I have found a few very reliable ones so that I don't need to go searching around.

If anyone ever wants any help demistifying the stream I'd be glad to go out and chuck a line with you. I am no expert for sure but I hate to hear of people who fish Valley and leave think that there aren't any fish.

While we're on the subject of big fish, I caught plenty 14" during that May of 2005. Sadly, none were over that magic 20" mark like that beautiful fish in the pic.
 
wulff-man,
that fish absolutely rocks...i caught my biggest one last month at Valley but it looks like lunch for that 5lber. Cwwbell, i may have to hit you up on that.
 
govtmule,

Credit for that fish actually goes to Brian (the-nymphster). He talks about catching it in the comments below the picture.
 
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