"Sucker Spawn"
By: Aaron Jasper
Hooks: Tiemco 2457 or 2488H
Thread - red or color to match yarn
Yarn - angora or any yarn with lots of antron in it
March is the time of the year when the trout fishing starts picking back up. The midges are starting to wind down. Its time for the main even of march…. The suckers are starting to spawn. The trout are starving and the eggs are there at the right time. It seems as if every year the trout anticipate this ritual. When you see suckers in a stream that contains trout you can bet that in March the trout will not be far behind. This event comes at a time when there is very little other food for the trout to feed on.
I have spent many a March day fishing some of Pennsylvania’s famous limestone streams. The most notable are the Little Lehigh in Allentown and Spring Creek near Bellafonte. I have seen literally hundreds of suckers balled up spawning on these creeks. One day that I particularly remember was 4 years ago and I was fishing with my friend John. When we pulled up to Spring Creek, we looked in the water and there they were. There were about 30 suckers spawning in one riffle and about 100 trout feeding behind them. The slaughter began as soon as our lines hit the water. We caught every trout on the sucker spawn that day. We must have landed a couple hundred trout that day. The fishing was off the hook.
I have had many days where this fly has saved the day. Try this pattern the next time you go out when the water is high and muddy. Also, vary the colors and thread. In high water I like to use brighter colors, such as, chartreuse, orange and pink. When the water is lower, colors such as, white, cream, peach or light pink are the ticket. Tie some up and give them a try!!
Step one: Separate the yarn into three strands.
