Blown out opening day for trout

I can hear the headwaters of the Perkiomen Creek from my window as I type this...

Because of how small this portion of the creek is, I don't even have to look at the USGS gauge to know things are blown out downstream.
 
caddisflyer said:
Most of the small streams will be in good shape for Saturday. Already dropping yesterday. But please feel free to use high water as a reason to stay home and do yard work.
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Staying home this week has allowed me to get some other needed things accomplished, that I won't have to deal with down the road now.

Got my truck inspected Tuesday

Finally bit the bullet, and bought a new phone yesterday - way over due on that.
Switched from Android to and iPhone. So gonna take some gettin used to.

Gonna clean the porch and deck today, so that I'll be ready to put the outdoor furniture out when the weather gets decent again.

And tying more flies for - hopefully - better days ahead
 
I would not be surprised if water color is about perfect (clearing but not clear) by sometime Saturday afternoon on many larger, width class 2 streams (up to 20 m avg width) and Sunday morning should be excellent. Width class 3 streams ( up to 10 m) should be pretty good by Sat morning in terms of ideal color. “River” classification stream sections…greater than 20 m avg width…will probably still be problematic. No matter where one goes over the weekend, flows will probably present some challenges and split shot will be in demand. I have friends and former colleagues who will most likely be using their 9 split shot minnow rigs to get down where the fish are on Kettle. No, I’m not joking.
 
Antietem in Berks should be perfect by Saturday. I was gonna cancel my plans to hit a stream Sunday morning but looks like it might be good to go.
IMG 7352
 
caddisflyer said:
How's your fingers feeling?
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They are just starting to feel somewhat normal now. It was definitely a mental battle to stay fishing. I figured several days of Catfishing and shop hopping was in my immediate future. So I wanted to get at it while it was on the rise.
 
Andrwhite610 said:
Antietem in Berks should be perfect by Saturday. I was gonna cancel my plans to hit a stream Sunday morning but looks like it might be good to go. View attachment 1641235195
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Antietam Ck, Berks Co, runs off fast and clears up fast. It’s a go-to water when all streams in the area are muddy because it clears so fast.

I walked along the lower Jordan mid-afternoon today and although it drains a lot of ag land and was still high with very rapid current even in the normally slower pools, I could already see 1 ft down in the water column. Meanwhile, along Mill Ck, trib to Sacony, Berks Co, my wife said that water was still flowing off the fields and hillsides at a good pace in places. Flows may not drop as fast as I thought even as water clarity improves.
 
In Lancaster County, Lincoln Road was still closed this morning at the bridge over Middle Creek. Hammer was really high and still super muddy on Buch Mill Road.
 
opening day is a bust. i will install my rain barrel and prep the garden then tie flys after dinner. maybe next weekend. im hoping the last week in april will be good as i have a camping/fly fishing trip planned
 
Kyle said:
opening day is a bust. i will install my rain barrel and prep the garden then tie flys after dinner. maybe next weekend. im hoping the last week in april will be good as i have a camping/fly fishing trip planned
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Let me know when you go…would enjoy connecting in NJ.
 
Already had other plans. I see this as a conspiracy to make my planned trip to camp the second week crowded.
 
Dear Board,

I checked the most local trout stream to me this evening. It is back within it's banks and slowly clearing. By Saturday it will be high but definitely fishable.

Regards,

Tim Murphy :)
 
tomgamber said:
Already had other plans. I see this as a conspiracy to make my planned trip to camp the second week crowded.
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This is what I always used to do with my FIL and some of his friends and a couple of mine. Had the streams almost all to ourselves. Loved it. Then I had kids and the guys got too old to go.

Man I miss that stuff. I hope my kids will want to do that with me when they are young adults.
 
The biggest downside i can see to fishing tomorrow where i was thinking of heading is wind between 15 -30mph
 
bringthepain said:
The biggest downside i can see to fishing tomorrow where i was thinking of heading is wind between 15 -30mph
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That is why when I head out fishing in the afternoon I will be tucking myself back into a secluded mountain crick. Hopefully those mountains on each side of stream will help to shield the wind.
 
bringthepain said:
The biggest downside i can see to fishing tomorrow where i was thinking of heading is wind between 15 -30mph
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Similarly to the concept mentioned by jifigz, when it gets real windy sometimes I can find a hollow in the relative flat lands in comparison to the available mountains of Juniata and Mifflin Counties where the air is calm enough that the fishing unaffected. Either that or I switch to spoons and heavier spinners or bait with extra weight.

The other big picture “downside” is that license sales will probably be affected for the year, as many anglers wait until Friday night before opening day to decide on buying a license for the year. With the relatively recent return to one opening day, the PFBC has lost its ability to hedge against those losses on occasions when opening day weather, flows, or water clarity are less than desirable. The numbers will determine whether or not that was a wise fiscal move in the long run.
 
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Fish a stream with a ridge on its northwest side. You won’t have any wind issues in the stream bottom, though you will hear the wind ripping above your head.

We’re fortunate in that in much of the state most of the ridges run in a general SW to NE orientation, providing a good wind block for winds coming from the NW. Which is generally the prevailing direction we get most of our really windy days from.
 
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