1. Troutnut Forum
›
2. Fly Fishing
›
3. PA contingent, Page 2

Hello Lam, Welcome to this Forum! So you fish Donegal? I used to fish it all the time and liked the water from the quarry down to the little bridge where it flows under the roadway. How is it fishing these days? I've not fished there in quite a few years. It used to have more water about ten years ago but many houses were built within a few mile radius of the creek and I think it really altered the water table as the creek now has far less flow than it did a decade ago.

I had some great days there though on those balsa bugs called "Corker's" and can remember one day in a pool on a bend in the creek when I caught about ten preety browns from 12" - 15".

I haven't actually fished it since about June. I have been up to Potter County a few times and have gone to Clark's the last 3-4 times i have been out.

In general, there is always something to be had. There has been excellent sulpher hatches the last few years that seem to last for ever. I (and others) have caught both wild browns and rainbows. I hear that wild rainbows are rare but they are in there. I think it's great that this stream has rebounded so far. It is still stocked but some of the fish are definitely reproducing as evidenced by 3-5 inch browns and rainbows that are occasionally caught.

I fly fished as a youth and took Joe Humphry's class when I went to Penn State but then got out of fishing for a while. I have been back into it for about 3 years now. When I was getting back into it I went to the Donegal a lot. I was amazed that there were fish rising in February. When I talked to the guys at the local fly shop, they told me it was probably BWO's. I purchased a bunch and soon started landing some nice fish on dries in the winter. I didn't think that was possible. I have learned and relearned a lot over the last three years and most of my lessons have been on the Donegal.


Since you are near York, you probably fish the Codorus, don't you? If I go to Hanover on business I usually try to leave enough time in my trip to hit the Codorus for a half hour or so.

Actually I seldom fish any of the York, Cumberland, or Dauphin county streams and creeks. I have a cabin on the West Branch of the Delaware and normally fish there, or the main stem of the Delaware, three mid week days from May 01 through the third week in June. Then I spend two weeks on the Missouri in MT and start going to the West Branch every other week through the end of October.

Occassionally when the Delaware is high in the Spring, or after June, I do fish the bait stretches of the lower Yellow Breeches and once or twice a year go to Clark's Creek. Every couple of years, in the Spring, I go over to the Codorus in Porters Sideling during the Hendrikson emergence and catch a couple little wild browns.

Ok, PA guys, don't let those WI folks get all the glory. Let's hear from you. Are you tying? Fishing? As for me, I've fished olives and nymphs every chance I've had for about a month, and am now working on a new (to me) method of nymphing without shot as described in other posts here and on the Flyfisher's Paradise board. You use weighted nymphs and nothing else to get the fly down. What have you been up to?

Louis,
The only olives I’ve observed of late have been emerging from perfect gin clear conditions in a state just below tipsy.



Louis,
It appears to us WIguys that you haven’t caught a fish for about a month, or you wouldn’t be working on a new method. Speaking for myself, at least I have an excuse.

In the interest of encouraging both Louis and Falsifly in their respective olive encounters, I would add that olives often emerge with even greater frequency in the states above tipsy. However, the fishing becomes more challenging in direct proportion to the frequency of the emergence.

Gonzo - It appears as though the frequency of your wing rubbing has got you flying higher than a kite.

Yeah, I just flew in from the state of Reality. Boy, are my wings tired! ;)

Falsifly, I'll just have to say that your surmise is false, and that the new method produced several nice fish today. The air was in the mid 50's and fish were very active. How's the weather up your way?

I think I can speak for all of us in PA when I say that we catch so many fish with traditional methods that we and our educated fish get bored and have to try something new. I gave a few a graduate-level survey course in nymphs, emergers, and dries just this past weekend. They were eager learners.

I understand that things go at a little slower pace in the Midwest, which is fine.

-Shawn

Louis- Its reassuring that your new method is finally producing fish. However, we slower paced Midwesterners (as Shawn puts it) find it difficult to define the phrase (several nice). We don't use subjective terms in describing fish caught. We prefer objective terms as in actual number caught and size in length.

As to your question on the weather here. That should be self evident. I'm stuck here behind the computer with nothing to do but babble. My working days are fast approaching and my fishing days disappearing exponentially.

All kidding aside I envy your several nice fish for I have non.

Another member of the PA contingent here. Hail from New Kensington. Have made a few day trips this year to Spring for the blue wings. You guys in the limestone belt have it made - there's nothing in my area. Hope to make it to the Big D this year in August.

As for tying, I'm about 1000 flies short, but will focus on midges, Grannoms, Henrys, quills, and cranes for the near term. 99% dryfly.

Shawn above alludes to some fine fishing he did the other week on Spring. I too have made the pilgrimage several times for the olives. Like Kinzua I'm behind on my tying, but it seems the night before I always knock out enough flies to get me through the day. Tight lines here in the Keystone state,

First post but had to say hi to all of my other Pensytuckieans. I currently fish and live in the Lehigh Valley. Just got into fly fishing over this past winter seriously.

Welcome LVflyguy, there is a strong contingent of PA guys who post here and help each other out. If I can offer any assistance, please let me know, and you might hear some questions from me about Lehigh Valley trout in the future.

Falsifly, thanks for the kind words and the kidding, both are welcome!!

Fellow Pennsylvanians, any Tan Caddis showing up yet?

Well put, Falsifly. And I share Louis's sentiments - a little ribbing is good for the soul. I'm just glad Louis didn't share the gory details of my latest excursion - I may have overstated my acumen slightly.

I will have to hide my comments about the Midwest from my wife, an Ohioan. She'd probably get all sensitive about it.

-Shawn

A quote from Getyourbone on the WI contingent. Louis do you see what I mean?

Falsifly, I'm afraid you Midwesterners just don't appreciate the subtle metaphysical nuance of the PA posts. Witness this fly-tying suggestion from Shawn:

Typical PA BS. Beating around the bush.