PA Green Drake Report

[alra195]

Well after the heavy weather in SW Ohio last Tuesday night and Wednesday morning I wasn't very hopeful about traveling back to PA and getting to fish. The drive in on Wednesday was relatively dry with no rain until about New Stanton. From there on up the mountain to Somerset it was drizzly but not heavy.

I left the next morning to hit the creek with just a hint of rain on the windshield as I drove South into Fayette County. Dad's knees were bothering him so he opted to stay home but insisted I fish for the day as it might be the only chance on the trip to do so. It turned out he was right and I only got out one day over the four I was back home.

In any case I made it to the creek I intended to fish at about 0700 and for the first hour just watched the high, stained water flow. Now it wasn't too high to fish, nor was it too colored to be discouraging and the best possibility was to give the creek some time and hope no more rain fell. I spent the next several hours poking around for bugs just to see what the hatches might be. I found may of the usual suspects, Green and Brown Drake Duns as well as some small (18's) and some large (14's) Cahills. I also found some huge Caddisflies (10's) that I've not encountered and one enormous Stone Fly that look like it belonged out West with the other Salmon Flies! Really a very cool morning of bug hunting.

Well a couple of hours of that was all I could stand, so I rigged up and hit the creek.



This photo was from later in the day after things really began to clear up and the fishing only got better with time. The big Cahills were coming off with some regularity through out the day but the fish weren't doing any surface feeding yet at all. I managed the first three fish of the day dead drifting brown woolly buggers. This turned out to be a Pennsylvania Trifecta of Trout.

One Rainbow


One Brown


and One Brookie


I took a long break for lunch and was hopeful the few Cahill Duns would start some surface activity once the afternoon shadow lengthened and the water cleared a bit more. Fortunately patience and the creek spirits were on my side. The water got better and better as the afternoon progressed. Green and Brown Drake Duns started to pop to the surface, sporadically but with an ever increasing pace as the afternoon went by. What was very apparent though was it was the Cahills that were heaviest and they started the trout to feeding on the surface. In the last two hours of the day the fish finally came up to the surface and started taking size 14 parachute Cahills with enthusiasm! I got so busy and intent on the rise that I neglected to take many picture and when the real intense fishing started it was too dark to bother with photo's.

If you want to fish the Drake hatches right now would be a very good time to be in the Southwest part of PA. I had fun, I sure hope you do too!

[LadyFisher]

Report and really nice photos! Thanks so much *S*

[JohnScott]

Joe -

I know you were looking to getting in at least a day fishing with your dad, and several more on the water during your trip. BUT it sounds like you made the most of the one ( long ) day you had. It must have been very rewarding to see the bugs come off and the fish up late in the day, and satisfying as you drove home that night.

Enjoyed the report and the pictures. Not familiar with some of the flies on your Eastern streams, but not too hard to imagine after reading your account.

John

[Lake Erie High Ball]

Joe,

Thanks for the post, tip and photos. It is my goal this summer when I am able, to get a trout on the rise. If not I'm not ashamed to nimph um.

Sean

[alra195]

Ladyfisher, John and Sean,

Thanks very much for the kind words and compliments. Really appreciate it. Wish I had more reports to post but locally the creeks have been high and muddy for weeks with not much of a chance to get out and fish. Oh well, the weathers bound to change eventually. I had thought seriously about going to the Michigan Fish-In this year but it is the same week as scout camp with my son. Priorities. In any case maybe n a few years when is a bit older I'll get a cross the boarder and fish the Holy Waters!

Thanks again!