Fallfish are always fun

wgmiller, I once caught a 2 foot brown that I thought for sure was a chub rising. Honestly, we little dimples along the bank under a branch. If I had been concerned about catching a fallfish I would have passed on that one. I would have bet alot of money on that day against that being a trout.
 
Fallfish are fun for newbies - they're easier for them to catch than trout.
But I've not real wild about catching them. They're so damn nervous while you're removing the hook. And that grunting. Yuck!
 
Well........... I am definitely not a newbie, but I think a good fallfish on the fly rod is a lot of fun. The snorting or crunking or croaking doesn't bother me. I don't care if they stink or if they are somewhat slimy. It doesn't even bother me when they totally soak me when I release one. To me it all part of the experience. I really enjoy catching many different species of fish on fly gear and I will throw the Fallfish into that group. I would be out there tomorrow trying to catch a 20 incher but I need to get some things done around the house before leaving for a bowhunting trip to West Virginia. After I return I plan on getting out there to smash some big fallfish but I will have the toothy critter gear along with me just in case the opportunity presents itself.
 
Ah, Why complain about fish slime on your hands, especially, when you are standing in water. How you get around getting soaked when you release them and the slime is................
You submerge the fish completely below the surface with your slimy hand prior to release. Then swoosh and repeat.

Zack and Night Stalker... Where you are fishing you have to be hooking other species as well, which should make for exciting fishing there. Unless you have targeting fallfish down on that crick.
 
In the creek where we were fishing there are smallmouths, muskie, catfish, suckers, carp, bluegill, fallfish, and supposedly some big wild trout from some of the spring creeks flowing into it (I have yet to catch one yet). A few years ago there was a small population of largemouths but something happened and I haven't seen one since! I actually caught a 18 inch largemouth on a fly during that time and it was the only one I got on a fly. During the warmer months I will target mainly carp, smallmouth and if I'm feeling desperate for fish, some bluegill. It's my home water and a great creek to fish on.
 
I've touted my appreciation of fallfish for years on this forum.

In my experience, however, they fight much better in warm water. They'll bite this time of year but often lack the zing they have in summertime.
 
Shhh, You guys are spot burning the best chub water in the state!

I refuse to call them fallfish in a lame attempt to make them seem more noble than they really are.

Embrace the chub!
 
In all sincerity, Lancaster County has some of the best actual Creek Chub water in the state.

As for Fallfish, I'll go ahead and spot burn it all right now. The Susquehanna River or any of its tributaries that average a flow of about 100 cfs or greater at their mouth. Have at it!
 
TimB wrote:
Embrace the chub!
Click to expand...

Embrace the hornyhead chub!!! :-o

I'm sorry, but that just looks like a tool with a bad case of VD!

DSCN2696.jpg
 
There are no chubs in Lancaster. I have to travel out of the county to chase chubs. I've had much more success in Lebanon Co. & Cumberland Co. I float the Swattie and there are several good stretches: way upstream in the state park, Hummelstown, etc. The Quittie is pretty good as well.
 
SNUB THE CHUB, with the above photo I rest my case
 
Nasty, nasty things.

Anyone who says they ain't in Lancaster County is smokin' the whacky tobaccy though. My hatred for the thorny grunting wang fish grew right here in my home county.

Let me spot burn a few prime chub/fallfish waters for you. The Cocalico through downtown Ephrata for one. Lititz Run in the heat of the summer. Hammer Creek anywhere below Speedwell Forge.

Want me to keep going? Indian Run in Ephrata. The Conestoga through Talmage. Middle Creek. Oh screw it. Fish a nymph through any warm water body of water and you're bound to catch them. Nasty, nasty plague from God.
 
I probably catch more creek chubs than trout! You just got to deal with it...For those of you out there complaining about the smell, grunts and slime, you dont have to touch them...I just pull them out of the water by the fly and twist the hook upside down until they drop off the fly and swim back to where they came from...Simple! On the rare occasion that I touch them, it's because the hook got set too deep and I need to use forceps to get it out.
 
Hey, Squatch-
How about a guided trip? I'll buy lunch.
 
Love gettin a Chubby.
013_zps287012a8.jpg
 
KeithS wrote:
Hey, Squatch-
How about a guided trip? I'll buy lunch.
Click to expand...

LOL! Actually, right down stream of the bridge where we met, there's some big froggy water that has some massive chubs in there! Big brookies too, but you gotta decide if catching the big ol' chubs is worth catching a 12" native....
 
On the Brandywine, some of the fallfish (native, wild beasties, they are) actually jump. On the hookup, sometimes they outfight similarly sized hatchery trouts. When I'm trying to catch a fallfish on dries, I have to pause just a bit to hook them. They are like Rocky Mountain whitefish in this regard.

Ridley has beautiful chubs in the spring, when they are in full spawning regalia.

For sheer disgusting slime though, none of these Pennsy fish can beat squawfish. The ones I catch on the Bitterroot are amazingly smelly, and their slime doesn't easily wash off in the water. Next time I need to bring some disposable Sham Wow.

tl
les
 
I appreciate the Native North American Fallfish and I seriously have seen them jump quite a bit.

I wonder if it's possible to breed a Trout & Fallfish to get a seriously hardy and prolific sort of hybrid.
 
"I wonder if it's possible to breed a Trout & Fallfish to get a seriously hardy and prolific sort of hybrid."

A new invasive?
 
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