Valley Creek, Chester/Montgomery, 9/9/09

[Wildfish]

Late start this morning on VC. Hit the stream around 9 am, fished until around 1. Not the best block of time, but it was overcast all day with occasional light showers, so I was hopeful. I covered a decent chunk of the valley forge park, but couldn't find much fast, deep water. Levels seem low, but I don't know where to check. Managed two fingerling browns and a couple chubs or fallfish (posted in another forum for identification). Fished tandem nymphs, purple copper john up front, scud behind. Trout seemed to want the copper johns.

 

[jayL]

I stopped after work. I managed a few nicer than average fish (for valley, anyway) in about 2 hours. They were very fat and healthy. They pounced on dries, but it began to rain too hard to see my stimulator. I switched to a dark hare's ear and got a few on that.

I spotted a bruiser, and he sat there in plain sight long enough for me to tie a bugger on. When I moved to cast to him, he headed for a ball of roots. Typical.

I would say that it's fishing pretty well despite the low flows. Hopefully this cool summer should lead to a great spawning year.

Anyway, here is all of PA's streamflow data:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/PA/nwis/current?type=flow

Here's valley:
http://tinyurl.com/kjhnkk

 

[Wildfish]

Thanks JayL--I'm new to fishing PA, and that's very helpful.
What's "average" for valley? I was very pleased to get into some 9"+ fish one day last week, but I haven't seen anything like that again, and it's starting to seem like they're all fingerlings.

 

[jayL]

I find most of the fish to be around 6-8 inches, and there are LOTS of them. There are plenty of larger fish, but you have to work for them.

I've caught them so small that I was amazed they were able to eat my size 16 nymph.

Edit:
I'd consider this little dude maybe an inch or so above the norm. I usually expect a few of these every trip.
http://imgur.com/eAFuV.jpg

 

[surveyor06]

Wildfish,

Dont approach Valley like you would a normal trout stream. The browns there seem to lay all over. I typically catch most my fish there in shallow riffles. I dont come across much deep pools, although there are some. Take your time, and fish the stream thoroughly, you will be surprised to how many fish turn up. I started as a bait caster, and learned that fish hold in deep pools, but the more I fly fish, the more I realize that fish are all over, and Valley is def a stream that this holds true.

Andy

 

[Wildfish]

Thanks guys--much appreciated.
Sorry to move this away from just a stream report, but this info is definitely helpful for me.

I was told to fish the stream quickly, that they spook real easy and to leave each riffle after a couple casts. Not bad advice I assume, but in practice the 3 times I've been there the fish have hit after a handful of casts. I've been hesitant to really work a spot fearing that the bite is off as soon as I touch the water. Next week I'll slow it down.

 

[jayL]

I find that I do best either fishing incredibly fast, or painstakingly slow. I have had equal success by spending two hours on a few dozen pools and by spending two hours in the same spot. You can rest productive stretches every few minutes and do well for hours. The fish do spook easily, but they will feed again after a few minutes.

I personally enjoy covering water, so I usually buzz right through. I don't think the speed at which you move matters as much as making sure you are thorough and cover every inch with your drifts. The stream is small enough that you can cover an average pool in 10 casts or so.

 

[sunra]

Thanks for the report and advice. I was there on the ninth from about 11am to 2pm. Only managed a fingerling just above the green iron bridge though I did see some nice fish on the move. Many people scouring the stream to rid it of the invasive crawfish. That could have had some effect on the fishing, but I was not scared away.

I am wondering a couple of things about your technique/setup. Maybe you would be willing to share?
1. What rod are you using?
2. How long of a leader and what type(taper) of leader?
3. Drift indicator or not?
4. Are you stepping in the water?
5. What approach/cast are you using, i.e. straight up, across, etc.?


I generally use my 7'6" 3 weght, a 9 foot leader for nymphing, drift indicator, casting either straight upstream with a reach mend or up and across, I do get in the water very quietly and wait, etc.

I just have not had the numbers of fish that some are reporting, and they are often true fingerlings. Beautiful, though, and I did mamge one hog last sping which I posted on another thread.

Thanks for any insight, and thank you for sharing here.

 

[jayL]

1. What rod are you using?
8.5ft 5wt, 8ft 4wt, 7.5ft 3wt. It all depends on my mood and conditions.

2. How long of a leader and what type(taper) of leader?
6' furled, 1.5' 3x tippet, 1.5ft 4 or 5x depending on conditions. I will snip the last length off for streamers.

3. Drift indicator or not?
Dry/dropper occasionally. Usually strike putty for nymphing slower stretches. Sometimes no indicator for faster water. Again, depends on mood.

4. Are you stepping in the water?
I try not to. Crouched on the bank is best. Faster stretches allow for wading. For example, it's impossible to fish the stretch above the iron bridge without wading, but the water moves fast enough to allow it.

5. What approach/cast are you using, i.e. straight up, across, etc.?
99% of the time, up and across. If I must go downstream, I'll position myself as far away as possible.


Additional info:
The fish are not picky with respect to patterns. Attempt to choose patterns that imitate as many food items as possible. Generic nymphs and scud patterns, small buggers, and larger-than-you'd-expect dries all work well.

As to the size of the fish-

Don't worry about size. Valley is a numbers stream IMO.

 

[Wildfish]

I've only fished the stream a few times, landing about 6 fish total, but if the information helps:

1. What rod are you using?

8' fast 5w

2. How long of a leader and what type(taper) of leader?

9' 6x taper

3. Drift indicator or not?

For an indicator I generally use a dry dropper. I had a few looks at a small caddis, but for visibility a parachute ant works well (it seems to be a good terrestrial stream). Fishing a tandem in slower water I looped on an indicator, but they screw up my short cast.

4. Are you stepping in the water?

When I have to. Sometimes it's unavoidable, esp fishing around fallen trees.

5. What approach/cast are you using, i.e. straight up, across, etc.?

As much as I can, upstream and slightly across. But I landed one drifting downstream around a tree.

 

[sunra]

Thanks!

I love that stream and those colorful browns!

 

[philfisher]

Last time I went to VC I tried to be super stealthy, which worked (I caught three fish), but I definitely need to work on my crouching technique. after a few hours of that I could barely move!

 

[TheDude]

Just curious, why has the water level been low? I am out in Centre County and we have had good flows this year, and my family out in Philly and Bucks county seem to have gotten even more rain than we did here. My mother in law told me Doylestown got 12 inches of rain in August. Is something taking water from the stream?

 

[jayL]

While there is water being taken from the stream, the problem is mainly due to development. The entire area is paved, which means the entire rain storm is in the stream within a few minutes. It's basically a big drain chute, so the extra water is gone within a few hours.

 

[TheDude]

Oh okay, that makes sense. I never thought of storm water depriving a stream of gradual flows, only adding extra surges of water. I can picture it now that you explain it.

I would imagine since Valley Creek was a fertile limestoner that it receives a good amount of its flow from springs. Is that not the case?

 

[jayL]

I have read numbers, and a good percentage of it is spring fed. I just think that when runoff is taken from the equation, it pretty much always stays on the low side.

 

[afishinado]

Dude,

Jay has it pretty much. He’s “out there” at Valley quite a bit. ;-) Here is some detailed info about the watershed.

http://www.savevalleycreek.org/watershed.asp

http://www.savevalleycreek.org/map_surfaces.asp

http://www.savevalleycreek.org/map_basins.asp