Need help on Penns

[mcarney99]

Fished penns yesterday from about 9 am to dark and struggled big time. Struggled during a weekend trip same time last year. Looking for some help I’ll try and explain how I fished and looking for any and all advise. Penns was running somewhere in the 350 cfs range and clear. Bwo and midges came off most of the day but didn’t bring many fish to the surface. I fished most of the day running a tandem nymph rig. I fished a small size 18 baetis emerger beadhead to a size 20 zebra midge. I fished this on a New Zealand style indicator, a small clear airlock indicator and also tight lined. My leader was 12-15ft throughout the day using 6x fluorocarbon tippet. I adjusted depth of indicator and weight throughout the day to fish the entire water column from catching rocks to right below the surface. Flies used throughout the day:

Bh zebra midges size 20 (black, olive, red, brown)
Bh baetis nymphs size 18
Bh pheasant tails size 16 and 18
Bh jig style hares ear size 14-16
Czech nymph size 16
Bh prince all black and all brown size 14 and 16
Holy grail size 14 and 16
Black and golden stones size 8-12
Bh Walt’s worm size 16

And a few other patterns that also didn’t produce.

I feel like I fished well and was quite puzzled by only booking two fish throughout the entire day. I fished every run pretty thoroughly. I would normally just chalk a day like this up to inexplicable bad outing but just like last year everyone around me seemed to pretty successfull. I witness a lot of guys catching fish after fish. The one guy I talked to was at fish #20 with his buddy by noon. Fishing size 22 and 24 midges with heavy shot under and indicator. They moved into the run I was leaving and each hooked up before I finished retying my rig. I tried to replicate their success it couldn’t. The smallest midges I had on me were size 20. So should I have smaller midges. Should I tie less beadhead nymphs on the next trip. I fished around poe paddy. I know they see a lot of flies. Does it help to tie more nymphs with lead wire then using beads for these fish? Was really looking forward to the trip and the long drive home from penns filled with dissatisfaction again is really weighing on me. Anyway thanks to anyone who spent the time to read this and anyone who who can give any advice on flies or tactics that I should employ on the next trip.

 

[ryanh]

Such is the nature of PC. Maybe your leader was too long. I usually high stick it in that type of water but I got hit with the skunk yesterday.

 

[ryansheehan]

I've only fished Penns a half dozen times so this may be a more general comment than you're looking for but here goes. My two thoughts when I read your description are speed and strike detection. As you increase your weight your strike detection suffers. Obviously, the water temps are still on the low side so fishing slow is important. What was your tandem configuration? Was it weight above two flies connected at the bend of the hook? When I feel like I've got my speed right and I know the fish are eating I will often put my weight on below the flies. I am much more likely to do this in the cooler temps when the strikes are much more subtle, sometimes undetectable. As you were drifting your indicator was it moving the same speed as the surface water? When indicator fishing the cooler months I am often looking for it to moving considerably slower than the surface current.

 

[bikerfish]

What was the water temp? That can have a huge effect on catch rate. I'm thinking it's still very cold. Go fish it end of may-early june when it's warmed up, bugs are hatching, and fish are rising everywhere, and you'll see why it's so popular. Fall is another great time to fish it.

 

[DaveS]

I’m not surprised to hear you struggled, as did I on Saturday. But with low water and Blue bird day, (bright, sunny) what is really surprising is anyone did very well.

Myself and the guys I fished with concentrated on a shady bank to find some risers. Then just struggled to get those fish to eat.

Often the key to fly fishing is observation. And if you see someone doing well, it pays to watch what their doing. And if you can ask a question without encroaching on their day, do so. And if they’re doing it on Penns, you may just offer to buy them dinner for their expertise. I don’t know anyone who isn’t regularly humbled by Penns.

 

[afishinado]

Yeah, Penns can be tough, and everyone struggles at times...many times.

It sounds like you fished with stealth and fished the right places, techniques and flies. Just always make sure you get a good drift and are getting your flies down to the level where the fish are in the column.

My only advice, especially in the cold water this time of year, is to add some weight until your catch the bottom or catch some fish. Like Ryan posted above, add your weight to the point for better strike detection, especially when using smaller flies.

There's no magic, really. If someone shows you something that is working that day, tomorrow is another day and there will likely be another puzzle to solve. Learning something new is great, and the more stuff you learn and try, the better chance you have of cracking the code, for that day anyway.

 

[Bruno]

I fished Penns withe DaveS on Sat. Fished hour, after hour after hour with nada a bite. I was getting the blues and the fish gods bestowed some mercy and i landed a few using a wet fly.


I'd say mister i caught 20 was dialed in. He probably fishes the stream more often and has it down. The sunshine was a killer. Sometimes you are lucky and it does not matter what you are doing.

The real kick in the nutz was the washer and dryer my wife told me she bought when i called to tell he what time I'd arrive home.

My trout cost was roughly 300 per pound sat

 

[vcregular]

With the nuclear sun on Sat and the amount of guys out there and the low water (penns needs water) - - best bet was to just walk away. Those fish wanted nothing to do with coming out from under the rocks. If you did not know Penns Creek trout are allergic to the sun.

As a side not - I can't wait for the regulation water to be extended downstream. On days like Sat you need more water to spread out the out-of-staters.....

 

[Nympho]

Go back in a couple weeks when the Grannoms are hatching and it will be a completely different ballgame.

 

[bradtheflyfisherman]

Had my fair share of days getting skunked on Penns...like others said its usually weather, water level, or fly weight/depth. One time I was fishing way too deep, another time it was way too low and clear, etc.

I mostly use attractor pattern nymphs too - PH tails, Prince nymphs or Frenchies and usually a heavy stone to get the flies down. My friend was using an obnoxiously bright frenchie two weeks ago and absolutely slayed fish. I much enjoy fishing dries on penns over nymphs though.

I'll be fishing with some guides at the feathered hook from Thursday to Sunday, probably mostly on Penns - so hopefully I'll figure out a few more tricks to help me fish it better. With this snow and some rain this week I'm hoping the conditions will be better...although colder, but hopefully the water will be running Penn's creek green.

 

[attackone]

This post made me feel a little better. I fished Penns on saturday as well, sounds like everyone did. It as only my 2nd time fishing it and only picked up 6 and lost a few. I felt like I should have picked up more fish but now i dont feel as bad.

 

[mcarney99]

I appreciate everyone giving me some feedback. A buddy of mine that fishes Penns pretty regularly saw this and shot me a text and gave me enough advice I could write a book. I think it comes down to sluggish fish and not utilizing weight the right way. I saw a couple guys hook up throughout the day and the one guy I mentioned who said he was on fish #20 with his buddy by noon maybe skewed My expectations of the day. Seems like the consensus on here was it wasn’t really the prime conditions for a really successful outing on penns. Was hoping to get some feedback on patterns and sizes that maybe would of worked better, but since no one really got into that I think I need to forget the flies being the issue and work more on technique. Anyway glad I asked on here.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

Penns can be a very technical stream, as mentioned before presentation has been the hurdle for me. When I know I am in a good spot, I try to pick apart the habitat in front of me until I catch a fish, move fish or see active fish in another part of the stretch I'm on. I have found that by focusing on the prime holding areas in one location and really working on precise presentations will give up fish. I have always done well nymphing with various versions of pheasant tails. Later in the spring I usually will also have an emerger or soft hackle as part of my nymph rig as well.

 

[MKern]

Water temp was the main factor.

 

[attackone]

Did anyone take a water temp, I took one around noon and it was saying 48

 

[Hook_Jaw]

Penns does what it wants good luck predicting it or thinking you'll have success most days you will go home feeling like you got your *** kicked by mother nature. The term "It was just good to be out" usually follows.

 

[DaveS]

The last temp I took was 44F. This would have been fairly early afternoon.

I would have loved to have had some clouds that day.

In any case, 6 fish from Penns would never be a disappointing day.

 

[JackM]

I sat on the bank with Mick one evening and watched 4 other anglers flail away almost relentlessly. Observing the water, I saw a fish rise three times, no less and found the energy to wade carefully out about 10 yards into the riffle and cast to it. It took me at least 10 casts to find the rhythm of the hold, and on the 11th behold I had a leaping take. I dragged in my eight-inch triumph and returned to the bank to resume my observing.

 

[chuckyblack09]

Another thing about Penns that I've noticed more than other streams it seems is that the fish seem to be in very specific tiny holding lies. I've caught more fish on Penns in small current breaks and back eddies than probably any other stream.

 

[salmonoid]

Bruno wrote:
I fished Penns withe DaveS on Sat. Fished hour, after hour after hour with nada a bite. I was getting the blues and the fish gods bestowed some mercy and i landed a few using a wet fly.


I'd say mister i caught 20 was dialed in. He probably fishes the stream more often and has it down. The sunshine was a killer. Sometimes you are lucky and it does not matter what you are doing.

The real kick in the nutz was the washer and dryer my wife told me she bought when i called to tell he what time I'd arrive home.

My trout cost was roughly 300 per pound sat

She probably figured for the cost of a fly rod, reel and waders, the laundering devices were a steal!