Penns creek water clarity?

**Flyfisher** · 02-16-2009, 10:46 PM

Nice work!! The higher water must have turned the trout on!

**Matt / PA** · 02-16-2009, 11:10 PM

[quote author=Kaz link=topic=2610.msg18814#msg18814 date=1234833062]
At that level, it is pretty high, but it is fishable. Should drop to 500 tomorrow which puts you in the game. I would not think clarity is an issue. At 500, Streamers, pools, and some close to shore nymphing or picking your spots. Getting around nymphing may be difficult, but also depends where you fish it.

One more day would be much better, but isn't that or should have been here yesterday always the case

[/quote]

Kaz,
Thanks for the input.......been a while since I've been on Penns and I forgot what the gague levels meant in real world fishing. I was hoping to really get around and nymph it thoroughly but sounds like I should wait a bit longer.
Maybe I'll hit Spring for the first trip of the year anyway or Fishing Creek thanks for the feedback Esox. I know that stream very well and had a similar experience with a big brown myself there with exactly the same results.
Mine was in Humphrey's Hole in 1993. Swam a black wooly bugger along the high bank under some submerged sticks and out he came like a nuclear sub. I almost set the hook before he even got there he startled me that badly.

He broadsided the fly and I set the hook like I was in the Bass Master's classic from adrenaline and POW! popped him right off. He sat there in plain sight for about 5 or 6 seconds shaking his head back and forth trying to spit the fly and then darted back for cover.
I almost cried as that fish looked like it was pushing 30".

I talked to a Fish cop from the Tylersville Hatchery the following year or 95'? and he said they shocked that hole and moved 2 trout to the Mill Hall stretch of the creek that were over 10lbs of wild Brown each. He said ONE of them "might" be pushing the new state record.
Also the State record Brook Trout came from that same spot a few years later due to a flood at the hatchery and some brood stock getting into the water.........my buddy Russ actually caught and released that fish a week before it was "caught" and recorded as the new state record.

**Matt / PA** · 02-17-2009, 09:54 PM

Picked Spring creek...........I'll save Penns for a later date when it's a bit warmer and flows are lower and I can nymph it thoroughly.

Purposely got up there around 10:45, on the water a little after 11Am and fished until 4:45 with a sweet lunch break of cold Beefaroni and bottled water mixed in. ;D

Water was low and clear, moreso than I like it for either but it didn't fish horribly considering guides were icy pretty much all day and the olives are still a ways off.

I normally don't keep track of exact catch numbers but today i payed attention for some reason.
26 good trout landed, 19 browns, 7 rainbows, the largest of which was a 15 1/2" brown.
(Also butt-hooked 6 other trout and face hooked 6 big suckers.

Odd how that works.)

The fly de Jour was mainly my own #16 scud pattern which accounted for 15 fish, 5 more on baetis nymphs, 5 on sucker spawn, and one on a #24 gray midge.

I "wasted" 1/2hr or more messing with some midging fish later in the afternoon. I say wasted because the water was so low and clear and the fish were rising in shallow water so you practically needed a rifle to get a fly in front of them without getting to close and spook them, plus the upstream breeze made getting it there a PITA so I caught one for giggles and went back to nymphing.

It was the maiden voyage for my new Z-Axis 9' 4wt and it fished very nicely. It's quick and crisp but the tip loads up nice which made for effortless tucking of nymphs all day. It's paired up with a Ross Rhythm 1 and an Airflo Ridge line. I didn't get to air it out at all obviously but it was a pleasure to fish even in a limited role.
I midged and did a little nymphing as well with my 8'6" SP (which was my wedding present from my wife 9 years ago)

One odd thing I noticed today and I don't know if it was a coincidence or not? I finished up the day nymphing with the SP and all 6 of the trout I foul hooked were with that rod. I didn't foul a single fish with the Z-Axis and I fished 3/4 of the day with it?
Interesting.

All in all not a bad semi-short day, typical winter fishing on Spring Creek. Stopped in Flyfishers shop on the way home and Doug said there is some weather coming in tomorrow and Thursday which is supposed to drop 1" of precip on the area so water levels should rebound a bit and get a little more color which it needed to fish even better.

**Esox_Hunter** · 02-17-2009, 11:06 PM

Congats man, thats a pretty darn good day on SC. I won't ask for the specific pattern(probably sacred), but what color was the scud you were fishing?

I finished up class a bit earlier than usual, so I shot down to the paradise for the last hour of light. I landed 3 small browns and a tiny bow on a shenks minnow.

**Matt / PA** · 02-17-2009, 11:41 PM

No I don't mind at all.
It's a pale Olive "pseudo-seal" dubbing mix with a touch of blue lite brite mixed in it for a hint of flash.
Tail is a couple partridge fibers from the shoulders with the brown tips.
Shellback is just cut in "back width" sized strips from old dubbing bags.......nothing special as long as it's thin and good and clear.
The real secret I think to the pattern is imitating the "bloodline" that runs down the back like a shrimp.
I use a single strand of black crystal flash doubled to give it a touch more width, laid over the back and anchored at the head before the shellback is tied over.
The entire thing is ribbed with fine dark copper wire in only 4 or 5 wraps over the whole body to create nice big segments, pick out fibers straight down for legs between each segment and trim flush with the bottom of the hook bend.(I like those up turned eye offset hooks.......(I think Dia Riki makes them, I have a bunch but have long lost the label for the exact model hook?)
Thread is light dun colored or a pale watery olive.

I used to make one that was more labor intensive that worked really well that included a complete underbody of black crystal flash and trimmed tight on top and sealed with flexament to make the black line show through when wet........too much of a pain in the butt so I modified it and they eat it just the same.

I really enjoy fishing up there but it can get a little tedious when the water is down like that and your constantly adjusting rig weight and cleaning gook off the flies. LOL.
I know the water really well though so that helps. Today was pretty typical of winter catch rates for me I guess even though the conditions weren't the best. When the Baetis start hatching that rate will go up a bit as long as I don't abandon the nymphs to early and start fiddle farting around with dry flies. ;D

**Esox_Hunter** · 02-18-2009, 10:36 AM

Thanks Matt!!

Next time I stop in TCO I will pick up some psuedo seal dubbing and give it a whirl.

I haven't been spending much time on SC this winter, even though I am 5 minutes away. The LJ has been too irresistable for me thus far. In a couple weeks that will change when the BWO's begin to make their appearance.