Valley Creek

With cooler evenings and rain showers, the trout are becoming active again on Valley.  A delicate approach  is critical and will yield fish. Try to stay out of the stream and selectively enter at points well above or below areas believed to be holding fish.  This attractively colored brown hammered a tan caddis larvae imitation.  Very similar looking larvae were found under nearby rocks leading into the ripples.  Color seems to be critical, as the fish were not interested in any other color patterns.  

 

Octoraro Creek



West Branch Octoraro Creek

Fished the West Branch of the Octoraro in Lancaster County on Sunday.  Parts of the creek were recently stocked in April.  I had to search for the fish a bit but eventually honed in on a bunch of brown trout stacked up under the shadows of a bridge.

The water was running low and clear so I approached the fish carefully, using a zebra midge dropped off of a  small midge dry. The brown featured here was one of several caught in a short span of time.

It's about an hour ride from the Philadelphia area but it makes for a nice day, surrounded by horse farms, meadows and an occasional Amish horse & buggy.  

Upper Delaware River



Upper Delaware River

Made a trip North to the Upper Delaware River this past weekend. We fished the East Branch on both Saturday afternoon and again Sunday morning. Conditions were ideal, with relatively clear water and air temps in the 60s.  Several fish were caught in the 18 to 20 inch range. This nice bow was caught Sunday morning on a large stone fly nymph.

There was plenty of dry fly action too.  Numerous bugs were on the water, with fish sipping green bellied, tan Caddis and Hendrickson's. We had a bunch of targets and multiple large fish were netted. If you are looking to fish this historic river, I recommend contacting the folks at Cross Current guide services. Great group of guys and they will work hard to put you on fish!

Tulpehocken Creek

Tully Brown

Made a trip west to the Tulpehocken on Saturday.  It really is a beautiful and scenic stream.  The word itself is Native American and means "Land of the Turtles."

The delayed harvest section was recently stocked about a week ago.  The water is running a bit high and slightly off colored but the fish are certainly there. Several anglers were out and about but their nets seemed to remain holstered. I fished the "Road to No Where" stretch and  was fortunate to land this nice brown on a caddis larva nymph. As soon as I tied the right fly and got to the right depth, bingo.

 

Valley Creek



Valley Creek

Valley is becoming more and more active as the temperatures rise.  The stream is still running just a bit high and chocolate flavored but the fishing is good. I am seeing more and more fish rising in early to mid-afternoon. There is plenty of insect activity; Midges and small BWO's hatches are visible. 

 

This small but colorful brown was caught on a zebra midge dropped off of a caddis dry. The smaller the midge nymph the better. Sizes 20 to 22 are working well and be prepared for quick, distinct strikes. Quietly cover long stretches of the stream. Fish are holding in all areas and can be found in the shallowest of waters. 

Pickering Creek

Pickering Rainbow

The early Spring stock is in at Pickering's special regulation, artificial only section. The fishing to date has been a bit hit or miss, with spinners and lures seemingly having more luck than flies, due to the higher, off-colored water. With that said, this decent rainbow was caught on a caddis nymph, being bumped off the bottom of a deeper pool. It's advisable to use heavier tippet (4x) and multiple split shots if need be to get down into the strike zone.

Pickering is known for its shallow runs that lead into deeper waters. Fish the slower pools by the foot bridges or down trees. The trout are hunkered down but right sized nymphs (caddis or stones) will trigger some strikes.

French Creek

French Creek Brown

The special regulations section of French remains well stocked with plenty of rainbows and browns to go around.  I even spotted a decent sized Palomino sitting underneath the cover of the bridge. The large brown featured in the photo to the left took a San Juan worm dropped off a caddis nymph.  The fish was caught just before sundown in the Shedder Mill section of the stream. Several other fish were caught on caddis nymphs.  Slowing the fly down and dipping in and out of seams will produce good results.