West Branch White Clay

[mooney4]

Ok, so this is my first stream report so bear with me. Went for the first time to fish the West Branch of White Clay yesterday. Got there about 10am. Loads of stockers everywhere in all the little pools. The water was crystal clear. I couldn't say if it was high or low, sorry. Anyway, I started with a tan caddis but no takers. Every pool I came upon was full of fish caught a couple chubs like usual. I did manage to net two nice browns. One on a Green weenie and the other on a red San Juan worm. I do have a one question on some bugs that were gathered on a rock sticking out of the water. I've attached a pick also one of the browns. What are the bugs???

 

[wbranch]

Picture is too small for me to determine what bugs on the rock. A couple on the right side look like stone fly nymphs. If you could see all those trout it is likely they saw you too. Next time try sneaking up on the pool, crouch or get on your hands and knees and use 5X or 6X with smaller flies.

 

[Fishidiot]

Mooney,
Good report. Please note how we write the title: Stream, County, Date format.
Just reply to this post with date and county and I'll fix it. Not a big deal. When I wrote my first report the mods had to tell me the same thing.
Thanks,
Dave W


From what I can tell, the bugs appear to be adult midges.

 

[englishprof]

I doubt that you were fishing the West Branch if you saw all of those trout. The West Branch is not stocked by the State. Unless some private group stocked the West, you were probably fishing the Middle Branch. The East and Main are also stocked so who knows where you were. LOL.
Right now, all of the streams are flowing below normal. Hard to believe, but we need rain. Good report, thanks.

 

[mooney4]

Sorry, Yes your are correct. The stream is actually the Middle Branch White Clay. The section sites in Pa in Chester County just north west of the Delaware State line. It runs through the White Clay Creek Preserve. That was Monday the 9th. Its a delayed harvest artificial lure only section. Thanks for all the input.

 

[barbless]

The photo of the insects is pretty small, but from what I can see, and from the behavior, they look like a midge species.

If they have two wings, they're a Diptera species- midges, mosquitoes, houseflies, horseflies, etc. are all genus Diptera. Midges and mosquitoes are the ones that hatch out of water.

Caddis, alder fly, mayfly, stonefly, crane fly, flying ants and beetles all have four wings.