Yellow Breeches - Cumberland County - 8-8-10

[goodfortune]

I was pretty tired from the WW Jam the day before, so I ended up sleeping in, missing the tricos. I finally got on the water at around 11 AM, and left at around 3:30 PM.

The stream was low (154 CFS-USGS), and very lightly stained. Water temps were (in "The Run"/downstream) - 57F/62F at around 11:00 AM, 66F (downstream) at around 1 PM, and 62F/68F when I left. Skies were bright and sunny in the morning, with alternating sun and dark clouds early in the afternoon.

In the morning, I saw a few yellow craneflies, but not much else. The fish we not actively rising yet, but responded well to tan CDC caddis and Tan X-Caddis patterns. I lost count of the number of takes I had and missed, only bringing one small fallfish to hand.

Towards the afternoon, the fish began actively rising. I saw tiny white or cream midges, the occasional whitefly, and an increasing number of yellow craneflies. After trying several patterns over a good long while, I decided to target only the bank risers with a sulfur dun, and to really focus on getting good drifts. The sulfur dun was a good enough match to the craneflies to bring 2 trout to hand, while missing several more.

 

[afishinado]

goodfortune wrote:
I was pretty tired from the WW Jam the day before, so I ended up sleeping in, missing the tricos. I finally got on the water at around 11 AM, and left at around 3:30 PM.

The stream was low (154 CFS-USGS), and very lightly stained. Water temps were (in "The Run"/downstream) - 57F/62F at around 11:00 AM, 66F (downstream) at around 1 PM, and 62F/68F when I left. Skies were bright and sunny in the morning, with alternating sun and dark clouds early in the afternoon.

In the morning, I saw a few yellow craneflies, but not much else. The fish we not actively rising yet, but responded well to tan CDC caddis and Tan X-Caddis patterns. I lost count of the number of takes I had and missed, only bringing one small fallfish to hand.

Towards the afternoon, the fish began actively rising. I saw tiny white or cream midges, the occasional whitefly, and an increasing number of yellow craneflies. After trying several patterns over a good long while, I decided to target only the bank risers with a sulfur dun, and to really focus on getting good drifts. The sulfur dun was a good enough match to the craneflies to bring 2 trout to hand, while missing several more.

Good report Mike. Some days, especially with dries, missing fish on the take is the rule not the exception.

Also "focusing on getting good drifts" is almost always more important choosing or changing your fly pattern.

Great to see you again at the Jam.

 

[sundrunk]

any talk of white flys?

 

[PatrickG]

I was out at the Breeches the past two weekends myself. Two Sundays ago I was out from around 7pm to 9pm. Not much of a hatch for anything other than small cream midges, although I did see a small amount of what had to be large white flies hatch around 8:45pm. Fish weren't too active, although I found a #18 parachute adams worked the best to get them to rise. I was also out Sunday 8/8 during the afternoon around Allenberry. Didn't see much of anything rise or anything hatch during the day. Had success high sticking pheasant tails and hares ears, mostly smallish size 16 - 18, slowly through runs where I found many browns stacked up. I've found that non-bead headed versions work well in these high pressure areas as these fish have seen more than their fair share of beadhead flies.

 

[firandfeather]

I was on the water on Monday. As I bounced back and forth between two anglers, I noticed several spiderwebs full of white flies so I would say they are just starting. We fished above Allenberry.

Water was pushing 70 by 1:00 and then 64 on the "run" side of the bank.

Mike Heck
Author of, "Spring Creek Strategies"

 

[sundrunk]

It's been a warm year...I couldn't imagen fishing the Breeches until things cool down a bit..Maybe we will get some night rain with this next cold front..I'd like to hit the white fly if every thing lines up right, but wouldn't want to stress the trouts out in this heat...Definetly seems like that white fly is about to pop at any time now..

 

[tomitrout]

last couple weeks I've fished a productive hatch of what I thought were White Flies in the evening...then while shootin' the sh!t in at YBO on Friday, I was corrected in that it's more than likely a light cahill hatch coming off, not the exact sub species genus philla of the white fly, need to look at wing verigations to be exact....meh, whatever....Told 'em trout don't speak latin, a #14 white fly, tied catskill style worked great for me until about quarter after nine, picked up some healthy trouts there above Allenberry.

heading back over now...

 

[tomitrout]

I think it's safe to say that, yes, the white flies are ON, cahills my arse...

pics taken evening of 8/10 on the walk out.

 

[Maurice]

Thats them Tomi.....epheron leukon dawhitefly