new to PA flyfishing

[faceoff]

started fishing Pa 2 weeks ago completely blind after growing bored of NJ Streams and tired of the 3 hour drive to the Catskills. 1st started w/ the Lehigh near the dam got there and it was the day after a release and the water was high and off color. Tried streamers and got nothing nice area though. 2 days later I went back to the Lehigh and tried downstream by Hickory State Park and had 3 hits and managed a small chub on an Isonychia dry. Last weekend I fished the Saucon and managed to get 1 small wild brown and 2 bows around 12 in 3 hours midday. I fished small and light. Yesterday I returned to the Lehigh and managed many ugly fingerling browns. I did have one good refusal midstream on an Iso near sundown. This afternoon I fished the Little Lehigh and was dissappointed. I always imagined from stories it would be much different both larger and more pristine. Water was low and the fish were hard to approach and catch. I found many rising rainbows in slow water and could not get them to take 22 flies on 6x. I don't carry either any smaller. Next will be Monocacy any information is appreciated. Any hatches larger than Tricos and Olives happening in Northeast PA? Also, would welcome someone to go fishing w/. My style is I like to move and cover as much water as possible until daylight runs out and then settle in to a slow pool w/ risers. I am generally not the guy who fishes 10 feet from the parking area. I fish nymphs, streamers, and dries. Two compliments I only saw 2 other flyguys in all of the trips(no crowds) in addition, streamside the streams are much cleaner(no garbage) which shows a greater respect for the resources. Cheers!

 

[Padraic]

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the Lehigh. It's one of those rivers I've been meaning to get to, but haven't yet.

An earlier post about the Lehigh indicated that the trout move up close to the dam when the river warms. So you may have been too far downstream. As far as hatches and tactics, it sounds like you are right on.

That's about all I can contribute to the Lehigh/Poconos discussion, but I wanted to welcome you to the board. I hope you enjoy it!

 

[Fishidiot]

Welcome to the board and to fishing in the Keystone State. The Cumberland Valley is my backyard so I too am not the best to advise regarding the LL. There are however some very experienced fishermen who hang out here and many know that water very well. Give your inquiry a few days - I think you'll find this site is a treasure trove of thought provoking and informative stuff.

 

[Coughlin]

Faceoff,
Welcome to Pa fishing. Sounds like you're working through the Lehigh Valley cycle.

I know what you mean about the Little Lehigh. It's a park, afterall. But it is fun to fish in a low impact sort of way. The Monocacy is a nice small stream. It actually runs through a town but it's far enough back and well enough canopied that you think you're in the mountains somewhere. sort of like stretches of the Saucon. As Padraic noted, sounds like you're fishing the right flies in the right size, though I'd suggest going to ant or beetle patterns fished tight to the banks if nothing else is working.

Best of luck
Coughlin

 

[Stone_Fly]

I don't know what section of the Monocacy these guys are fishing, but all of the best fishing is in the City of Bethlehem. But it is a nice stream with plenty of fish.
As for the streams and how to fish them, big flies work, but many guys ignore them for reasons unknown to me, I think they have a ttitude about them. I may not catch as many fish as guys do with dry flies on these streams, but the fish I catch are big. It helps to go when the water is up and a bit colored.
The Little Lehigh hasn't been low all year, I've been there a few times walking the dog over the last 1 1/2 months and it hasn't been low. It flows through a city park and it is fairly protected because of that. Fish outside the regs areas and the fishing can be a bit easier. You pretty much have to use 6X tippet though, and on tricos you've got to go to 7X. I won't go smaller then that, it's just stupid to go lighter.