Bet The Trout Are On The Feedbag Now

[littlejuniata]

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?01558000

 

[jhguster23]

Thinking about riding up on Saturday to fish the Little J for the first time...Any recommendations as far as where to focus my efforts? It seems like it is an extremely long river with lots of fishable water...quite frankly, at this point I'm feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

Any help you guys might have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[littlejuniata]

With current conditions and looking at the forecast, I would check the USGS site, anything above 2.5 feet you better stay above Spruce Creek if it is way above 2.5 save your gas for another time.

 

[Chaz]

Maybe on some watsheds.

 

[rrt]

Littlejuniata was right; the trout were "out" yesterday. I had a mediocre morning of fishing, so I went back after lunch. Being an "old fool," I thought the sky looked the same as it had in the morning. Wrong. I walked away from my truck and was getting ready to start; then, BOOM! Thunder, and the rain started. It was the only clap of thunder (for a while). I put on my old vinyl rain jacket, and I started to fish. The trout were biting on anything, and I was landing fish pretty quickly, and then there was a flash of lightning and another clap of thunder. I had my graphite "lightning rod" in hand, and I fished awfully quickly back to the truck, threw the rod in the back, and beat it home. I wanated to live to fish another day. As we now know, we got 6" of rain so far, and we're to get a couple more today, busting the drought, I'd say. The creeks are roaring and may go over their banks. We really needed rain, but in central PA, we got too much of a good thing. I think it'll be a while before the creeks are fishable again. :-(

 

[littlejuniata]

Hey Rich, hey you get soaked when you buy gas, a little rain won't hurt.

 

[Maurice]

I think the rain spread over the last several days was prime for a groundwater recharge...which is better than heavy thunderstorms with short concentrations of rain.


When people say..."we need rain the creeks are low"...this is exactly the kind of rain we need.

IMHO

I visited a small stream today and although it was high and colored, it was not chocolate milk. It's been raining steady here since Sunday morning.

I am also suspect to the theory that high muddy water causes trout to "put on the feed bag". Sure we find super fishing on a "mudding condition" and in "colored water" and during a "clearing condition". My thought is that the fish actually feed less during these times because they cannot see food. with a little less than a few inches visibility and heavier currents, the opportunities for fish to feed is actually lessened. Regardless how much "food washes into the stream"

I think because we genrally know where they hold and in heavy currents, we know where they take refuge, that by targeting these areas and putting it on their noses, we tempt the "hungry trout" (because they are not likely to have eaten recently). I ain't sayin ya shouldn't fish for them...although muddy water is one of the factors that add stress to fish. (along with low DO and high temps). Incidently, trout will not feed in a hatchery environment ([edit]during muddy conditions) because this increases stress, adding to the other factors that overwhelm them causing lower resistance to disease.

That said, its supposed to stop raining today and you can bet yer leaky boots I will be fishing tomorrow for hungry trout in muddy water.

Maurice

 

[JackM]

Personally, I like Muddy Waters:

There's no need for anyone else to sing the blues.

 

[littlejuniata]

The cool water and food in the flood waters definately put the Browns on the feed, when I bait fished, that is when I went fishing, high colored water, caught many Browns on bait with full stomachs and even minnows still in their mouth while hitting my worm. They feed also because the colored water decreases the light in the habitat.

 

[rrt]

1. It wasn't the rain that chased me home; it was the lightning. I didn't want to end what's left of my fishing career prematurely. 2. Not sure how muddy you liked it. It's red/brown mud rolling thru here right now, and things are up considerably. It'll be a while before even nymphing w/ lots of weight (ugh!) is a possibility.
3. Bet if you got in a canoe on the LJR right above the evil empire right now, you could be to Harrisburg in a day--if you could survive the debris, etc. :lol:
4. Got to agree that this ought to help recharge the groundwater. We got 5-7" around here!

 

[Acristickid]

Not a very nice week for the Little League World Seris in Williamsport. Saw picture of kids in trash bags sliding down the hill in the outfield.

 

[dryflyguy]

It's been pouring for 3 days straight here in Pittsburgh, and some flooding reported.
This area also got hit hard with flooding 2 weeks ago - twice in the same week.
In fact, we've been getting these hard thunderstorms all summer. Strange weather!
Hopefully, that will end next month, and set us up for some good fall fishing

 

[Maurice]

acristickid wrote:
Not a very nice week for the Little League World Seris in Williamsport. Saw picture of kids in trash bags sliding down the hill in the outfield.

If its sunny they use cardboard boxes...they are adaptive little buggers. :-D