Paflyfish Spring Jamboree 2024 - Save the date!

On the way, will pull in around 6:30, plans for a super fast unpack and hustle down to spring if anyone wants to join.

Jammin
 
I’m back to a Saturday (day only) appearance at this point, if anything. Wife still coughing up a lung, and still pregnant. I was hoping at least the former was resolved. Will see how she’s doing over the next 24 hours.

Considering just heading up for the morning socializing and not fishing and heading home when everyone disperses for the day’s fishing, but TDB.
 
Spring was very slow last nite. VERY sporadic sulphurs and rises. Got a couple on wet flies and 1 on top in a couple hours fishing. This was at the game lands area. Will probably try a different section tonite.
 
I'm not at the jam but fished some tribs to penns today and it was slow , picked up about 4pm and then died off around 6 , worked hard for a dozen fish
 
I'd like to say that you guys nailed it this year! Conditions should be really good. Hope everyone kills it and look forward to seeing some pics
 
Didnt get on stream till like 7:15. Dun hatch poor. Spinner fall strong but late and short lived. Caught like 10. We drinkin by a fire now and that is solid.
 

Attachments

  • 20240516_205010.jpg
    20240516_205010.jpg
    88.9 KB · Views: 59
acesedgley said:
Spring was very slow last nite. VERY sporadic sulphurs and rises. Got a couple on wet flies and 1 on top in a couple hours fishing. This was at the game lands area. Will probably try a different section tonite.
Click to expand...
FWIW, I've been on spring a few times this week. The sulphur hatch has been surprising sparse compared to other years. Grannoms were a bit early this year, but cold snaps and high water might have them late this year - at least I'm hoping that's the explanation.
 
Well the spinner fall was very strong last night on Spring where I was. So they hatched sometime. I don't know when, other than I wasnt there.
 
As mentioned a while back, I am off to a wedding around Philly tonight and up and out to the Jam tomorrow morning.
 
Officially out. Maybe next year.
 
Hit Penns on Friday evening and much of Saturday afternoon - despite ideal conditions the fishing was poor for me with few bugs and virtually no surface activity except for briefly Friday at dark. I had no luck nymphing or streamers; stuck a few on wets but really had to work for it. Good to see many of you Friday evening.
 
Penns was pretty poor through the day on Friday around Coburn for me too, despite the cool overcast weather.
Pretty surprising.
I did find some decent rising activity the last hour of daylight, above the junction with elk and pine creek.
Right in Coburn.
The water was lower and clearer there.

Really enjoyed seeing everybody again Friday night.
As usual, Shaky's music was the highlight.
 
Spent 6 1/2 hours on Spring Creek on Friday with nothing to show for it. Hatch activity was sparse. 3 or 4 fish would rise sporadically and then shut down for 20 minutes or more. The stream level was perfect but the color in the deeper water was slightly brown. It wasn't an issue except for fish rising in deeper water. You couldn't make out the bottom clearly so you couldn't see the structure they were resting near before they rose. I had 3 takes on a Sulphur emerger but missed them all, just like I missed landing the fish that took a BH Pheasant Tail nymph.

Once the rain stopped on Saturday I soothed my fragile ego by catching 15 or 20 bluegills and pumpkinseeds on foam spiders in Colyer Lake. If it had been a little nicer weather-wise I would have launched my float tube.

Still, I had a great time. It was great to see old friends, some of them I've known since the original jam in 1999 and really nice to meet some more recent board members too. New heads are needed and they showed up well.

Regards,

Tim Murphy :)
 
Last edited:
Thursday - Spring, late arrival, like 7. Poor hatch, excellent spinner fall but late, caught 10 I think, 8 of them in the last 10 minutes before dark dark.

Friday - fished penns all day thinking bugs would start early with the clouds and occasional drizzle. They didnt. Sylvaneous nymphed up like 10. Some bugs in evening, only a few rises, but I managed 1 on a streamer and 3 on dries.

Saturday - small stream then Penns. Caught like 15 in a couple hrs on the small stream, mostly browns, couple brookies. Hit Penns in evening, it was solid, sporadic risers during duns, and a very good spinner fall and that got em really going. I wasn't on my best game at spinner time with a fly change and struggled tying it on, but I ended up with 7 I think it was for the dun/spinner combo. 3 were brookies! It was not crowded at all, there were only a couple cars by the tunnel at 5:30, broadwaters had like 2 guys and we saw not a soul after going below that. It also really wasnt too high, crossed multiple times and could pretty much wade where you wanted.

The socializing was top notch as always. So good seeing everybody!
 
Adam caught his first Spring Brownie. On a big black bugger. Great weekend. Weather wasn't bad. Got to show Adam some new pieces of Penns. Just a great place to be. Ate like kings, hung out with some really great dudes and even caught fish. Unfortunately the bugs didn't get the memo.
1000009545
 
It was good to meet some of you Thursday and Friday night. Sorry I didn't make it Saturday night, I sat down to take a break when we got back from Spring and passed out.

We had similar experiences to most of you. Fished Penns Thursday evening and all day and evening Friday. Great bug activity but the fish weren't really into it. Found one steady riser Friday night that I worked for a good 30 minutes before catching it. Ended up being a 6 incher 🤣.

Saturday decided to try Spring and it was disappointing. Almost zero bug activity during the day. Saturday evening my favorite spot on the canyon trail was unoccupied and I settled in there waiting for some action......ened up a very half *** olive (i think) hatch and the fish couldn't have cared less.

I do think I set my personal record for most fish self releasing before hitting my net. I bet it was 10-15 all weekend, which isn't a good number when they are hard to come by in the first place.

Hopefully I will see you all next year, maybe sooner!

- Ron
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Harman's North Fork Cottages


Real Time Data From
the USGS Site

Share this page

Back
Top