Fished Valley Creek in the park today from 11:30AM to about 3:00PM. The water was crystal clear and maybe a little low. I don't own a thermometer, so I didn't take the temperature. The weather was quite warm and partly cloudy. There were a few olives hatching, but only a few fish rose for them. I managed to land one and loose one one on a 18 brown bead headed nymph. The one I landed was the prettiest brown I ever caught. Its belly was almost a sunburst yellowish orange color. Its belly looked like the belly of an autumn brook trout.
Valley Creek, Chester County, 4/4/2011
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greenlander
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Also fished Valley on 4/4. Saw a decent amount of rises, but nothing steady. I couldn't see what they were rising to, so either they were in the film or it was midges, I guess.
I swear I'm getting worse at fishing this stream. I can't even get reliable production from nymphs anymore. Maybe I've just got a late-fall/early spring perspective on the situation.
Was able to pick up 4 on a couple different small, white-winged emerger patterns, but wasn't able to solve any of the riddles elsewhere on the stream, even in some of the "usual spots". In one of my favorite spots, not far above the iron bridge, I must have had 10-12 *hard* hits on a wet fly/emerger rig I had on, not a single one of which resulted in a hook set.
An exceedingly beautiful day to be out fishing, at any rate.
I swear I'm getting worse at fishing this stream. I can't even get reliable production from nymphs anymore. Maybe I've just got a late-fall/early spring perspective on the situation.
Was able to pick up 4 on a couple different small, white-winged emerger patterns, but wasn't able to solve any of the riddles elsewhere on the stream, even in some of the "usual spots". In one of my favorite spots, not far above the iron bridge, I must have had 10-12 *hard* hits on a wet fly/emerger rig I had on, not a single one of which resulted in a hook set.
An exceedingly beautiful day to be out fishing, at any rate.
iceyguides
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cut yourself some slack greenlander, it's a tricky stream, with wild fish. 4 is a decent outing there, at least for me. I've had the same experience as you-hard time hooking up. Those little buggers seem like they've gotten very adept at grabbing something with a fierce but fleeting strike. I haven't fished it in months. I've gotten away from the stream just because the fish are always so small, not that i catch huge fish regularly but the possibility is nice. The largest i've got there was probably 13-14 and last year i saw one that was around 18.
greenlander
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I'm not upset about it, just a bit perplexed. I'm not much of a fisherman, but I fish Valley often enough that I like to think I know what I'm doing on that stream.
I hear you regarding the small fish. I also would like a shot at some bigger fish. That said, the 12 incher and 8 incher I caught there on Monday both put up a better fight than any of the 5 or 6 much larger stockies I pulled out of Pickering a couple weeks ago.
That's why I keep coming back to Valley. For me, I haven't found anything else within 30-45 minutes (from Philly) that offers an abundant chance at wild fish or holdovers. Pickering, French, Ridley, etc ... just don't do it for me. To be fair, I've only fished Pickering once, and found the stream pretty appealing. Does Pickering have any wild/holdover population?
The LL is just outside that window, but I can't seem to fall in love with that stream. May I need to fish different stretches. I've fished all the way from the hatchery down well past the covered bridge. I just feel the stream has been fishing worse each of the last few years. Though, since I fish it only a handful of times per year, that's probably a moronic thing to say.
I hear you regarding the small fish. I also would like a shot at some bigger fish. That said, the 12 incher and 8 incher I caught there on Monday both put up a better fight than any of the 5 or 6 much larger stockies I pulled out of Pickering a couple weeks ago.
That's why I keep coming back to Valley. For me, I haven't found anything else within 30-45 minutes (from Philly) that offers an abundant chance at wild fish or holdovers. Pickering, French, Ridley, etc ... just don't do it for me. To be fair, I've only fished Pickering once, and found the stream pretty appealing. Does Pickering have any wild/holdover population?
The LL is just outside that window, but I can't seem to fall in love with that stream. May I need to fish different stretches. I've fished all the way from the hatchery down well past the covered bridge. I just feel the stream has been fishing worse each of the last few years. Though, since I fish it only a handful of times per year, that's probably a moronic thing to say.
Greenlander
the LL is in bad shape due to many factors too much overdevelopment upstream has created eroision and siltation problems,as well as the storm runoff can create raise temps in the summer temporarily.The creek quickly rebounds temperature .But with all the lawn treatment and other stuff rolling into agutter and down the storm drains into the creek it also affects the invertabrates,let alone improper storm runoff measures during construction like silt curtains and silt booms made from cornhusks stuffed in big sock and spiked down would help as the stream suffers from a high sediment load= siltation.
Thats why the LL has become a major midge pit.I have fished this stream for many years and remember when there were good mayfly hatches.
Regards
Rick Wallace
the LL is in bad shape due to many factors too much overdevelopment upstream has created eroision and siltation problems,as well as the storm runoff can create raise temps in the summer temporarily.The creek quickly rebounds temperature .But with all the lawn treatment and other stuff rolling into agutter and down the storm drains into the creek it also affects the invertabrates,let alone improper storm runoff measures during construction like silt curtains and silt booms made from cornhusks stuffed in big sock and spiked down would help as the stream suffers from a high sediment load= siltation.
Thats why the LL has become a major midge pit.I have fished this stream for many years and remember when there were good mayfly hatches.
Regards
Rick Wallace
My thought on Valley; I have been there many times and fished many different spots. I have found days where a nice pool or run contained several fish and other days where there are absolutely none at all in the same location. I have had 10 fish days and more often then not just a 1-2 fish day and even a few days where I think "where the heck are all of the fish?" Valley is fished hard especially on the weekends. It is best to hit it when others don't; say early morning in the summers, weekdays, rainy days, etc. Be persistant and you will figure it out. The fish are there, maybe not a ton of them, but if you hit the right spots you will find them.
My thought on the LL; I have fished that entire stream many times as well and the same holds true there. There are a ton of wild brownies in there and usually in the places that most people overlook. I like to fish that during the sulphur and Trico hatches mostly. Those are solid hatches on the LL.
My thought on the LL; I have fished that entire stream many times as well and the same holds true there. There are a ton of wild brownies in there and usually in the places that most people overlook. I like to fish that during the sulphur and Trico hatches mostly. Those are solid hatches on the LL.
