Green Drakes

[blitzinstripes]

.....are starting. I saw multiple posts from a few different streams over the last three days, with pics of newly emerged duns.

Let the madness begin. 😁

 

[Swattie87]

Green Drakes. So hot right now.

 

[Mike]

Imagine how much air pollution plus particulate matter from tire wear is created by individuals driving, and frequently doing so, just to fish the green drake hatch and other hatches on Penns Ck. The other recent thread on Penns social problems, etc made me think of other places…parks, trails, streams…that have been “loved to death.” It cracks me up when people here complain about the crowding (and its concerning potential impacts). When we’re seeing the problems and keep returning anyway, we’re not part of the solution.

 

[tomgamber]

Daw a few in the veg on Saturday and Sunday. This warm should completely set them off. Enjoy. I'll be down here.

 

[blitzinstripes]

I've never made the 'pilgrimage' to Penns for the hatch, but I try to poke around a few slightly less famous streams. I'm not a fan of crowds.

 

[Acristickid]

Couple streams appear to be wrapping up with drakes. Penns should blow off good for several more days.

I would fish Penns on weekdays and if possible when it’s raining , less crowding and fishing without fishing in the dark. Also, fish at 4am till 8 or so. You will do just as well as the night and there will be NOBODY!

The funny thing about Drake is yeah it’s hard to park or whatever but when the Drake start hatching it’s almost pretty dark so you’re not gonna be really wading around , you gotta kind of find a spot and you’re only gonna be moving within like 10 yards because it’s too dark to do anything else.

 

[Swattie87]

I really hate that I missed the early season hatches this year. Rising fish in daylight is always nice.

I’m going to be up in NCPA for a week, starting next week, and anticipate fishing First Fork, Kettle, and The Pine. Stockers seem to rise more freely in the daytime, and I’m hoping to see some Slate Drakes. They’re more reliable for daytime activity than Sulphurs and GD’s.

 

[redheadflyguy]

Exactly. If you're somewhere crowded, you're part of the crowd.

 

[caddisflyer]

Imagine how much air pollution plus particulate matter from tire wear is created by individuals driving, and frequently doing so, just to fish the green drake hatch and other hatches on Penns Ck. The other recent thread on Penns social problems, etc made me think of other places…parks, trails, streams…that have been “loved to death.” It cracks me up when people here complain about the crowding (and its concerning potential impacts). When we’re seeing the problems and keep returning anyway, we’re not part of the solution.

I agree with this post. I have for various reasons done more fishing close to home and found it to be less hassle and more of what I really am looking for in the outdoors. Have certainly seen more and more places "loved to death". I think your idea of taking some personal responsibility for the overuse and abuse of our environment and natural areas definitely deserves consideration going forward especially by the environmentally conscious fly fishing crowd. We are entering a new era.

 

[Bamboozle]

On just about every stream I fished over various Memorial Day weekends in Potter, Tioga & Clinton Counties I saw Green Drakes including some really small streams.

What I didn't see were people which sort of made me chuckle thinking about the masses battling it out on Penns at the same time...

 

[Swattie87]

On just about every stream I fished over various Memorial Day weekends in Potter, Tioga & Clinton Counties I saw Green Drakes including some really small streams.

What I didn't see were people which sort of made me chuckle thinking about the masses battling it out on Penns at the same time...

Don’t get me wrong, the allure of GD’s on Penns or BFC is that it’s (mostly) wild fish. On the big NC freestones, the bugs are nearly as good, but the fish are (mostly) stocked. That’s the difference.

I’m a small stream guy at heart. I like NCPA because in general, the small stream fishing is better there than around State College. Yes, there are some good small streams around State College, but it’s more hit or miss, there are some definite duds around. In NCPA, nearly all small streams are at least good. If I fish those during the day and hit one of the big freestones for the evening, I’m happy, even if the fish for the evening hatch are stockers.

 

[Bamboozle]

Don’t get me wrong, the allure of GD’s on Penns or BFC is that it’s (mostly) wild fish. On the big NC freestones, the bugs are nearly as good, but the fish are (mostly) stocked. That’s the difference.

I’m a small stream guy at heart. I like NCPA because in general, the small stream fishing is better there than around State College. Yes, there are some good small streams around State College, but it’s more hit or miss, there are some definite duds around. In NCPA, nearly all small streams are at least good. If I fish those during the day and hit one of the big freestones for the evening, I’m happy, even if the fish for the evening hatch are stockers.

I'm not talking about the big NC stocked freestoners, I'm talking about smaller NC Class A streams including some 10 feet or less across in spots, many that feed into some of those larger creeks.

Like you, I'm a medium to small creek guy so other than maybe three or four times, I've avoided places in NC like Big Pine, Little Pine & even both branches Young Woman's Creek like the plague. I am usually fishing the smaller Class A & B creeks. I won't name locations but there are hardly any I've fished up there where I don't experience SOME amount of Green Drakes hatching.

Bottom line, at Green Drake time most folks are too hung up on the "storied" big streams and the chance for a bruiser. However for me, it is really a special treat when you have a small stream loaded with 8" - 10" wild fish with a few bigger fish thrown in that are eager as HELL to grab a Green Drake dun or spinner imitation...

...and you have the whole place to yourself...

 

[Phillyfisher]

Always wanted to fish the Green Drake hatch, but I’d rather do as others here and find somewhere less famous. Perhaps someday.

 

[dudemanspecial]

I know of a popular stocked crick in NC PA that gets a good green drake hatch. The crick itself is certainly not on any fly fishers radars. Of course there are wild brookies in there but I think I am the only one that gives a damn.

 

[sandflyx]

lots of places on upper pine for solitude with the drakes

 

[jordan7982]

Does anyone know tips/tricks for GDs in southwest PA? I've seen random daytime GD duns on Meadow Run before and have heard Dunbar has a decent population of them.

 

[kbobb]

Imagine how much air pollution plus particulate matter from tire wear is created by individuals driving, and frequently doing so, just to fish the green drake hatch and other hatches on Penns Ck.

You could say the same about driving to fish any hatch anywhere, or fishing in general, or participating in any other irrelevant activity (like fishing). Some of us are not able to ride our bicycles to quality fishing areas and must drive a car to reach them.

Look at how many people created pollution by driving hundreds of miles, spent multiple thousands of dollars and the time involved, to watch the moon move in front of the sun for a couple hours last month.

Additionally getting to witness a natural spectacle like the tremendous green drake hatch on Penns or similar, may be what folks want to see more than the fishing.

 

[kbobb]

Does anyone know tips/tricks for GDs in southwest PA? I've seen random daytime GD duns on Meadow Run before and have heard Dunbar has a decent population of them.

Tips or tricks on SW streams like Dunbar? First get the locals to stop taking fish out of the creek during the no harvest time. Then there will be some fish around to eat the infrequent drakes that are there (BTW - I've fished Dunbar for over 50 years and it was much better fishing 30 yr ago).

 

[Mike]

You could say the same about driving to fish any hatch anywhere, or fishing in general, or participating in any other irrelevant activity (like fishing). Some of us are not able to ride our bicycles to quality fishing areas and must drive a car to reach them.

Look at how many people created pollution by driving hundreds of miles, spent multiple thousands of dollars and the time involved, to watch the moon move in front of the sun for a couple hours last month.

Additionally getting to witness a natural spectacle like the tremendous green drake hatch on Penns or similar, may be what folks want to see more than the fishing.

A key word in my comment was “frequently.” That applies to cumulative driving miles and use.

 

[Swattie87]

Does anyone know tips/tricks for GDs in southwest PA? I've seen random daytime GD duns on Meadow Run before and have heard Dunbar has a decent population of them.

Clear Shade Creek has a fairly reliable GD hatch. Similar to Dunbar though, the issue is whether there are fish around to eat them.