Night Fishing resources, techniques, flies, and reports.

[JeffP]

It’s unclear to me what you are referring to as the “last surveys of the Stoga.” I’d be curious to learn from you if some group or agency reps did any survey work between Lancaster STP and the mouth. I established a YOY SMB sampling site near Millersville in about 2008 and it is still used today. Other than some fish flesh sampling done by DEP around that same time, and with very poor results for SMB in terms of numbers electrofished, I am unaware of any other sampling. We did sampling in Lancaster City at the waterworks area many years ago in spring and we did well for large SMB adults, larger than typical Susq R walleye, and Tiger Muskellunge. Thorough sampling by my crew only ever extended from Morgantown down to the Cocalico Ck confluence, so that’s why I’m asking about other sampling farther downstream.

Mike, I am just going by memory. I think the Cocalico, Conestoga, and maybe one other creek were done around the same time and maybe even listed together.

 

[JeffP]

Mike, I am just going by memory. I think the Cocalico, Conestoga, and maybe one other creek were done around the same time and maybe even listed together.

Crum Creek was the other one.

 

[Fish Sticks]

The massive spring that dumps out in back of dutch wonderland creating mill creek looks fishy. That dumps into the conestoga. Have driven by but have never fished it. Imagine smallies and musky like the mouth when its scorching out. Id be shocked if there were not brown trout in Mill creek as well.

 

[Mike]

Mike, I am just going by memory. I think the Cocalico, Conestoga, and maybe one other creek were done around the same time and maybe even listed together.

Yes, that was my crew and me on all three.

 

[Mike]

The massive spring that dumps out in back of dutch wonderland creating mill creek looks fishy. That dumps into the conestoga. Have driven by but have never fished it. Imagine smallies and musky like the mouth when its scorching out. Id be shocked if there were not brown trout in Mill creek as well.

We also sampled Mill Ck and Pequea from their headwaters to their mouths with sampling sites run about every 4 mi. No BT in Mill…and we bracketed Dutch Wonderland with sites. Mill has ST in the headwaters above New Holland Res. No trout in Pequea, although I had a bit of hope when we were in the headwaters because they appeared borderline for BT. Of course, there are a few ST tribs down near Martic Forge that we documented in the early 1980’s when we in Area 6 were doing our own “unassessed waters program” with more intensive sampling from then until the official PFBC one was initiated in about 2009 or so.

 

[Fish Sticks]

We also sampled Mill Ck and Pequea from their headwaters to their mouths with sampling sites run about every 4 mi. No BT in Mill…and we bracketed Dutch Wonderland with sites. Mill has ST in the headwaters above New Holland Res. No trout in Pequea, although I had a bit of hope when we were in the headwaters because they appeared borderline for BT. Of course, there are a few ST tribs down near Martic Forge that we documented in the early 1980’s when we in Area 6 were doing our own “unassessed waters program” with more intensive sampling from then until the official PFBC one was initiated in about 2009 or so.

I heard about brook trout in mill actually before. I thought the headwaters were just behind dutch wonderland where the spring pops out i did not know there was a reservoir.

 

[JeffP]

We also sampled Mill Ck and Pequea from their headwaters to their mouths with sampling sites run about every 4 mi. No BT in Mill…and we bracketed Dutch Wonderland with sites. Mill has ST in the headwaters above New Holland Res. No trout in Pequea, although I had a bit of hope when we were in the headwaters because they appeared borderline for BT. Of course, there are a few ST tribs down near Martic Forge that we documented in the early 1980’s when we in Area 6 were doing our own “unassessed waters program” with more intensive sampling from then until the official PFBC one was initiated in about 2009 or so.

My friend, same one fishing the Conestoga, caught a big brown on a plug one fall on Mill.

 

[Fish Sticks]

My friend, same on fishing the Conestoga, caught a big brown on a plug one fall on Mill.

Their in pretty much every large stream with limestoners draining in at some point id wager, does not surprise me.

 

[Fish Sticks]

Was deep in central PA on vaca with family and my son wouldn’t sleep so didn’t get out at night like i wanted too. Upon returning home I hit a local stream full trout and fallfish from 9pm-3am last night/ today.

Moon phase 1st quarter, water temp 66 deg.

Continued with testing a tandem of two new night time patterns I have been working on. Fishing was lights out and I took pictures of a couple of the fish, wasn’t counting though.

 

[Fish Sticks]

My favorite new pattern

Hoping to get out and use it again next week after dark.

 

[Fish Sticks]

Finally got out again

Was a DARK DARK night which has pluses and minuses, moon rise took a while and was in a valley.

Continued to test the above patterns, did fairly well with lots of strikes and go two to net on downstream swing with them. Then action cooled off on swing and started contact nymhing up stream to two huge size 2 pickets pins and got a nice fish before the night ended.

 

[Beweav]

Here’s a quick question for the experienced ones among us. It’s dark for so long in the morning, at this point I can’t really do any fishing in the light before work. Do the same techniques for night fishing apply to early mornings?

 

[Fish Sticks]

Here’s a quick question for the experienced ones among us. It’s dark for so long in the morning, at this point I can’t really do any fishing in the light before work. Do the same techniques for night fishing apply to early mornings?

Yes, i have fished till 3-4am and that is some times when things heat up. I cannot speak beyond that but would guess until first light you have a good shot

 

[caddisflyer]

Greetings everyone,

Someone on another forum asked for resources on night fishing for trout. I have been doing 30ish-50ish trips a year 4 seasons a year for maybe about 7 years. Mostly for brown, brook, and rainbow trout. I guess I have been night fishing for a lot longer than that but originally not with a fly rod.

I wanted to post the requested resources and discuss, techniques, flies, and reports on a running basis for anyone interested.

These are my favorite resources.
1.
View attachment 1641226937


2.

Night Fishing Archives

Trout after dark, on a fly rod. Night fishing for trout is accompanied by legend. Tall tales are easily masked in shadow, and the truth is dimmed once the sun sets over the horizon. In this category are many tips and tactics to break through the legends. There are also some tall tales.

www.google.com

(Check the trout bitten podcasts too there is a really good intro to night fishing and a mouse emerger one)

3.
View attachment 1641226938

(Dvd very helpful)

5. Trout tactics, strip set, and techniques of fly fishing and fly tying by humphreys, daniels, and harvey all have small night fishing sections

6. This article is super quick but pretty spot on in my experience for beginners

Night Fishing Tactics for Brown Trout

Article Written by Mike Komara. Learn More About the Author Below / Article Read Time 6 Minutes Although the night fishing learning curve can be steep due to low numbers of fish and unusual tactics, it can be extremely rewarding when you finally find a trout that goes bump in the night. The...

www.cortlandline.com

Techniques are too extensive to list here because small tweaks often make a difference but alot of it is in the above resources.

I could night fish any stream with 4 flies with confidence but I use more than that.

1. LOW floating mouse (master splinter, bad mother or foam fettuccine marabou muddler) sizes 6-2/0

2. Harvey Pusher sizes 8-2/0

3. Size 4-10 governor soft hackle

4. Black wooly bugger size 2-8

My usual set up is 6wt with glow in the dark cortland WF charged with my UV res light to home made leader 3 ft 40lb-3 ft 30 lb-3 ft 25lb-tippet ring- a 4” strand of 17lb mono to a govenor + a 20” strand of 17lb mono off same ring to size 4-6 foam fettuccine midnight muddler. I start out searching with that no weight and change accordingly based on season’s conditions.


Tell me about your night fishing experiences, techniques that have worked, flies, and about trout and warm water species too. I am trying to get into night time river/creek small mouth too.

The Bashline book is a gem.