Valley Creek, Chester Co., 7/23/19

[AndyP]

I hadn’t fished Valley Creek in quite awhile, maybe 4-5 months but I found myself with some free time today.
Time - 10:00 to 1:30
Water Condition - running high and chocolate milk in color
Bug Activity - lots of mosquitos !
Started out pounding the banks and calm eddy’s with a black Slumpbuster but had no takes and no signs of life. Switched to a double nymph setup, a heavy yellow stonefly and a black beadhead frenchie. Much to my surprise I had an all time best day. Stopped counting after 12 fish to hand and the amazing thing was several were between 12”-14” ! One was a legit 15”. All fish were very full bodied and clean looking, very healthy ! This place always amazes me.

 

[timmyt2]

Nice! Did you get a water temp?

 

[lestrout]

Yo Andy - very cool. Were you using the big yellow stone as the weight? The only stones I've seen on our Valley are the medium blacks and maybe browns early in the season.

timmy - USGS has charts for temperatures. Of course Valley warms and cools (depending on specific springs) as you go downstream.

 

[AndyP]

I was fishing a very long riffle and there are several springs in the area. You can feel them wading thru. I did not take a water temp. The water was running high and very muddy and the fish turned on for about a 2 hour window but I was surprised that most fish were caught when visibility was literally zero....at least for me.
Les, I used the yellow stone for weight and the Frenchie was tied off the bend of the yellow stone. Size 12 for both. Was really surprised that it was almost 50/50 as I did not expect the yellow stone to catch anything.

 

[pcray1231]

Valley is like that. Double digits is common in high brown water. But it doesn't stay that way long.

 

[Foxgap239]

High and muddy is the only way to fish VC especially this time of year. But Pat is right, get out quick as it comes down faster than any other stream I know of.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Good stuff, Andy. The temps have been fine for the first 4 hours of daylight, though the rain does bring up the temps. I saw 66 at 10:30 AM on July 12th when I was quitting, even in 150 CFS.