Spring creek yesterday

[Jkilroy]

Well,
Yesterday a friend and me decided to try Spring creek on Memorial day. Wasn't a very good day, caught 2 big suckers, lost one brown and landed one. My buddy didn't get one. Didn't think it was possible to have a bad day on Spring but I guess it is. I guess the combination on high heat and humidity pretty much shut the fish down or I just didn't have it together. Started out at Benner till 1200 then checked out the paradise. That's a cool place, have to take my wife back and it has real nice water. I did notice I was spooking fish when I was walking upstream there, didn't do that at Benner. After we we done trying we were packing up and I saw someone fishing in the grass area where it's no wading and saw him catch a fish, okay that's fine, then saw him land another one, so I went over and asked thim what he was using. He caught 3 fish out of 5 cast's! Allright what was I doing wrong? He was using a indication with a simple grey sow bug! Go figure, So he gave me one and I landed my only fish of the day. Guess I'll have to try them in the future when all else fails. Also found out he was a guide, that helps.

Suggestions for future outings when fishing is tough anyone? I know Aaron told me dry/dropper, I'm not so good with that. How do you know when to swith to that?

[Troutastic]

If nothing's hatching and/or the fishing is tough, start thinking outside the box... I like the dry/dropper idea. Maybe put on a big foam ant/beetle as your dry, and then drop a small mayfly nymph or sow bug under that. Double the chance to catch fish with both your nymph and your "indicator". You could even go with the hopper/copper/dropper idea, where you incorporate another nymph off the back of your first one... that can get dicey though, more flies = more tangles.

[AaronJasper]

I would use some sort of terrestrial as the dry and a really small nymph. I do well with zebra midges and really small, size 20 nymphs. I like to make my small nymphs olive in color.

[Jkilroy]

I hate tangles, two flies are good for me. Do you use tungsten beads with the 18's and 20's? This may be a dumb question but how do you know when to switch to the dry/dropper combo?

[AaronJasper]

I use one dry and one nymph only I rarely use two nymphs. I feel that if I need to use two nymphs, then I can catch then by other means. Yes, my tiny nymphs usually have beads. I like silver for SC.

What do you mean by switch?? You know my rule. Stick with the same flies, you know that they will work! Get the presentation perfect.

I was talking to Pete about this today. A great angler can win a competition without the right flies, but a good angler can still have the best flies and not be as successful as the angler with the right presentation. Pick an ant or a beetle than you can see and floats well, tie a dropper thats about 30 inches off the back. Attach a small nymph to the tippet and fish the crap out the skinny water. Be very stealthy!!! Those fish are ultra spooky...

[Kaz]

Good suggestions so far. Spring is getting low, but will get much lower. Gauge 2.25 now, but summer is usually 1.9 - 2.1. anyway, some low water tactics to consider without restating other posts:

1. I like one fly in most situations with low flow. Wet ant, PT, or cress bug work fine underneath and an ant/ beetle are tough to beat on top. Willow trees have small beetles, size 20 or 22 so keep that in mind. Article in Mid atlantic this month by Greg Hoover on that topic.

2. Fish are often in very skinny water. Cast b4 you step in.

3. The take is often as soon as the fly hits the water, dry or nymph, so be ready.

4. Watch the temps. Spring does get warm. Not like other streams, but I have taken temps midday that reach 70.

Have fun...

[Jkilroy]

Thanks for all the tips! Next time I visit State College, I will be better prepared, maybe. Just have to tie some size 18's

[AaronJasper]

... and some 20's too

[Jkilroy]

I'm not too fond of tieing on small hooks. If I can catch fish, it'll be allright.

You ever use CDC to keep your beetles afloat? My 16's barely float.

[SaboVT]

I have fly fished Spring Creek more than any other stream in my short fly fishing career....size 18 and 20 tan and brown zebra midges have by far been my best producers.