salvelinusfontinalis wrote:
Lmfao @ sandfly ;-)
No problem?
The problems you would face on that stream, using that approach would be immense. While I do not claim to be a Letort expert, I have been some what of a regular there for quite sometime. It is by far the most technical stream in PA besides, 2 other cousins.
Catching just one or two fish can be considered having a good day on the Letort. My opinion does count for something, while I'm not expert like Vince or Charlie, I have now had multiple double digit fish days on that stream.
But do you have secret patented flies? Have you ever lost a feesh? That's what I thought.
That approach on Falling Spring and Big Spring might work. Not on the Letort. While Falling Spring and Big Spring contain a fair amount of weeding (Falling Spring having more than
Big Spring) the Letort is a very "weedy" stream.
FSB is getting on up there toward the headwaters. It's really helping the fish out as well. It will be interesting to see how BS responds to the project work.
In the middle of summer, after a long dry spell, means nothing if anything for flow as you indicated. The Letort is a true limestone spring creek and rely on little storm groundwater recharge to keep it flowing. It will however have the "weeds" on full bedding and taking long roll casts will likely result in lots of hang ups using a underwater fly like you tie.
The roll casts are out. Nymphing the channels is possible with practice. Sculpinating the channels . . . .
If you tie your own leaders, it will be a complete mess to clean out of the knots.
I am about done with hand tied leaders for that and other reasons. Either gonna use 14' Rios or get into furled. Just so everyone knows.
Even if you dont, it is likely that you will get hung up on some sort of vegetation. Being a true limestone spring it is of almost a 0 gradient and is very low in the flood plain. The currents are extremely deceptive and you have to have timing, observation and patience when casting to a fish.
Deceptive? That is an understatement. I am sure you have sat there and watched the debris float around in the current. It's amazing.
Finally, long casts on the Letort can and IMO are bad because of the fish you didnt notice between you and the water you are trying to hit. Once your line hits the water over top of those fish, they will scatter and take off like mini rockets. Sending an entire 50 yard stretch up and downstream of you useless by spooking all the other fish.
Absolutely correct. I saw a guy earlier this year get all bent out of shape because there were active risers and a very nice bwo hatch. He is slapping out casts to reach the far bank, mending every 3 seconds because of the current. I just kept on walking, much further up stream. That was my first and only double digit day there, though my sample size is probably on 15 days. I got lucky.
There are little, if any, fast moving water to hit active fish. In all my years fishing this stream, I have counted roughly 6 riffles in the watershed from Bonnybrook downstream way past Harmony Hall Drive (minus the Army War College that Ive never fished).That is almost the entire watershed.
That sounds about right. BTW, let's get passes or whatever and hit the War College one day.
The secret to this stream is stealth. You will need to approach the fish and get fairly close to it before casting. This will solve multiple problems. One, you will be able to observe exactly
what the currents underneath the surface are actually doing by watching the vegetation sway. This will give you your timing in order to drift the fly down to the fish without getting hung up on the weeds. Second, this will eliminate the amount of vegetation obstacles you will face between you and the fish.
Note: You frequently only get one drift on these fish so make it count.
You will then get a better drag free drift and if the fish actually takes, you will have less hang ups during the fight. The large browns in the Letort, once hooked, will immediately head to the nearest clump of cover to hang you up. It really is a bit of a conundrum.
I have not had that problem. With the large fish that is. I hope to some day.
The water is gin clear and very flat. Letort fish will see you coming miles away but without attempting to approach the fish from a low profile, failure is almost certain. Letort browns are a different beast altogether when fishing PA.
Note that wading is almost always out of the question as well in my experience.
You said to pick the situation and I did. I picked the most technical stream in PA, it is obvious that you have little to no experience on this kind of water and I'm not taking a shot at you. I have little to no experience with Steelhead. I'm certain you could out fish me or show me a thing or two up there in Erie,
just like I could show you some tricks down this way. The point is, that is why we are here, to learn from one another. If you are unwilling to hear others opinions, after asking for that opinion, then what is the point?
You have experience with Wild Bills Allentown Steelhead. Pretty much the same thing.
x 2 now.
![images[3].jpg](/data/attachments/1311692/1311692501-0d13d11e0f62bfd8f80267782b43146a.jpg)
