salvelinusfontinalis
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My only hope is that you take the time to read through this in its entirety. Even if you have to do it in pieces, this is a culmination of my works complete for one time, given to you.
I promise if you do, it just might change your perspective.
In the world of trout fishing far extending beyond the simple mountain brooks lay a valley, on the farm by the highway and fly fisherman navigates subtle currents that sway green snaky shish-ka-bobs of scuds past giant trout under a sun struck haze over a glossy mirrored surface that is seemingly set a blaze.
Everything moves around him and yet the fly-fisherman so still, so quiet and so focused thinks.....
“Its Good to be in my head and just be cerebral with no one asking me for anything”
“I needed to get out fishing again, cabin fever sucks”
"I'm Cold"
"My feet are Cold"
"Man that trout's huge"
"Wish the highway wasn't so close."
"Burrr"
"Just a few more Drifts"
"I should have brought a thermos of coffee, its zero degrees outside"
"Oh he looked at it that time, man that trouts huge."
"I hate that highway"
"I cant feel my feet,that cant be good."
"I might have to take some breaks today."
"Maybe ill go home early, my wife wouldn't believe it."
"OMG that time he almost grabbed it! I saw the white of his mouth!"
"Ok, OK just a few more drifts."
"Its quiet"
"I dunno he might have given up"
"Ah, Just a few more drifts."
"Least its peaceful I don't hear a thing."
"Yeah, he gave up, man look at that fish....."
"WAIT No. I got all day fish! I'm not even cold anymore and you are going down!"
"Well, it's late and I got to get back."
"............wait did he just take that? oh no."
“OK, just a few more drifts......”
PENNSYLVANIA’S CLASSIC LIMESTONE SPRINGS
[size=xx-small]-A beautiful (private) Pennsylvania Spring Creek in SEPA. One of 6 remaining (that Ive found and I've fished out of hundred(maybe?) that is a true classic limestone spring with a population wild brook trout not named Big Spring. Some grow upwards of 14". Interesting enough, water from this spring creek was used to make "The Whiskey That Warmed the Revolution", bottled by Mitcher's Distillery and given to Washington's troops at the Delaware. [/size]
THE LETORT
"Says it all"
"Memory"
Originally written 5/19/2011
Edited 9/19/2018
I could give a beginning fly-fisherman my rods, reels and flies and this would truly be a great gift. The monetary value of these items is undeniable but the worth of these "tools of the craft" can be far surpassed in just one random act.
Today was the fly in the run tournament on Lititz Run. I was asked to be a stream guide for this event because of the need for knowledgeable and experienced fly-fisherman to oversee beginner anglers on the water. It was felt that my intimate studies and experiences on this stream could come in very handy.
Lititz Run in the Millport Conservancy Badge Only Fly Fishing Area, Now owned by F&M College
The last time I participated in this event, there were plenty of kids fishing the tournament. I was hoping to show a few "up and coming" young fly anglers some of the tricks I have to offer in my bag. This was not to be this year because not one child was in the event.
The morning proved tiresome because I was paired up with 8 very experienced fly-fisherman that needed no guidance. They put the hammer on the fresh stocked fish and did very well. After lunch it began to down pour as we were trucked out to the next beats.
-On the Letort with a Spring Creek
After about an hour, I came across one lone older fisherman. I asked him how he was doing and he replied "you know, not to good." There was a tone in his voice that told me it wasn't just because the fishing was poor for him. I dug a bit deeper. This older man explained to me that he joined the tournament to fish with some friends and have fun. When the rain came his 3 friends left the tournament and he was a one-man team. He also lives 3 hours away and made the trip. To make things worse, he also was trying fly-fishing for the first time in remembrance of his late father who was a diehard fly-fisherman. He showed me his equipment which was a rod that had to be 90 years old or so and a automatic antique fly reel that mounted sideways on the rod. Through our brief conversation I come to find out this man was 77 years old and really had no idea where to begin.
- A brisk early morning sunrise over a steamy Letort Spring Run cat tails and fishing rods
I said....."If I may....."
First I fixed his 3 ft leader to be around 8 ft w/ tippet. I tied on a white bugger that was about 3 inches in length and showed him how I would fish it and a few casts to make his life easier.
I told me he appreciated all I was doing but he really had no expectation of winning the tournament since he was a one man show. So, I asked him, "what do you plan on getting out of this then?" He said, "I just want to have fun.".................follow me I said.
We left the tournament area and I took him to a hole I know holds quite a few large trout but it is the hardest hole in the entire stream to fish w/ the oldest fish in the stream. There is absolutely no place to back cast and you are at an odd angle. Everyone that I fish with or have talked to about this hole will confirm ....it’s just a bi*#$ to fish this spot. I showed him how to do a modified roll cast. It took him less than 3 minutes to learn this cast. He kept saying he wished he could get it farther and I told him we all do too. "Everyone I know, never can cast in the spot correctly but keep trying and hang on."
-Staying to the shadows , low and behind weeds bodes well on Lititz
About 1 minute later this older gentleman had a monster fish crush that bugger like it was the last food item on earth. The rainbow leaped the entire way out of the water, ran about 10 feet and took one large head shake and snapped the 3X like it was 8X. The man’s jaw dropped and he yelled. " DID YOU SEE THAT TROUT! THAT'S GOT TO BE THE BIGGEST TROUT IVE EVER SEEN!"
What was funny was that fish leaped out of the water for the next 3 minutes or so trying to dislodge the large bugger from the corner of its mouth. We just sat in awe and watched the fish.
He lost the fish because of his lack of experience w/ playing large fish on a fly rod. But that’s ok. Before we had to quit I got him into another large trout that the barbless hook just let go.
- A very large and old Lititz Run Brown Trout from the early 2000's
The old man turned to me and said, "Thank you, this is what I came for! I’ve learned more in the past 30 minutes w/ you than I did in the prior 6 hours of the tournament. I really appreciate it!"
I could see he was still trembling from the large fish he felt tug his fly line. I told him, I had just as much fun watching him as he probably did fishing. I made sure he knew that the fish he tangled with are over 5-7 years old and that I’ve seen experienced anglers take years to get these fish to bite. He did it on his first try. He said, "You know what, you right!"
I like to think that he got a glimpse into his father's past passion. Even if for just a moment, maybe the riddles his father sought to solve, he untangled in his own way. At the very least, he honored his father by just being on the water thinking of him. I think his dad would have been proud the way he handled himself so well and just had fun like he planned to do.
-SEPA wild brown caught by Slaymaker
So the greatest gift you can give a fly-fisherman is a memory. A time or place frozen in the mind. A keepsake for your own reference to view when you please to do so. The key to this gift is sharing your knowledge with one another......
as sportsman, lets never forget this.
- Myself on Letort Spring Run in the Fly-Fishing Only Heritage Area
"What Trout See"
Figure1
Figure 2.
*These two pictures should be very important to you if you fish spring creeks. Or so I have found. When I began my journey on these creeks, I spent most my time watching trout run from me. Day after Day, Year after Year. The thought occurred to me that this is your biggest problem on these creeks, spooking fish. How a trout sees in regards to Height and Distance when factoring in Refraction and the trouts relative position in the water column is mind boggling. Especially, when you factor in time of day, year, water clarity due to weather event.......BLAH! Yes, the gentle rotation of the earth on its axis as summertime hopper drifts fade into sculpin chuck and duck frozen Sunkist hazes. Sounds nice but It all just really works against you though.The lower position of the sun from the tilt of the earth away from the sun causes longer shadows and the light refracts different. Couple that less vegetation to hide from the trout and sudden the fish are setting up for Florida while your standing in a barren empty field.
Generally Classic Limestone Springs are ridiculously clear too.
Crystal.
-Unknown Limestoner PA
Spring creeks really are the proving grounds for the Art of Stealth. Go there to test your medal they will tell you but its really testing your mental. They look at you funny when they tell you, “you do know that was never going to work” or well “you shouldn't have done that!” I just agree and then catch 100's of fish every year the same way I was told it wasn't going to work, sometimes right beside them too. Most of them are small trout, but then again they dominate the population. The art of not spooking a fish is very intricate and often harder than the art of spooking a fish which is highly over looked, both will work on many difficult Pennsylvania trout.
The Art of Stealth goes further than stay low and moving slow or what clothes you wear but these all are important. Those will be the first three pieces of advice someone will tell you to do on a spring creek. Well how low and how slow? Got a ruler or a dashboard attached to you leg? I think to begin this process we must look into what a trout sees.
- A SCPA classic limestone spring creek. Highly threatened by urbanization and storm water run off. Still a small wild rainbow trout population is hanging on and river fish occasionally run up this beautiful stream.
- a NCPA, yes NCPA Limestoner. Well actually its cause by volcanic stuff but ill take it.
- The NCPA limestone stream just suddenly begins here. Dont step in lava!
Trout in these environs can see amazing distances. Figure 1. explains that a trout can see you and anything 1m (3.28ft) above the ground at 6 meters (19.68ft) away from the trout, not factoring in season,time of day and depth of water. Well then! The average PA spring creek is 15' across! This will make it nearly impossible to get beside the fish without spooking it. You can stick to shadows, get low and go slow all day long but just remember stay 3' from 20' away is the window in which you have to stay hidden from the trouts eye. Of course, all the while the gin clear water makes it all the more difficult. Sun, Shadows and a whole array of movement can give heed to the trout and make him wary of your presence. Most days you are going to have a sore back if you try to fish that low all day. Forget the knees. Even still is it possible to stealth your way into holes, crack a code and catch your target fish. It is simpily too much information for me to cover. I suggest you get a good book on it, Yes, trout and refraction is in many books.
Before I changed my way of thinking, I ran a series of experiments to help me with my spooking problem. One thing I discovered is the "45 Degree Rule" Trout in Classic Limestone Springs "generally" are more comfortable when approached from downstream going up and you shall not pass the 45 degree angle from the stream bank to the side of the fish.
LOL love my paint?
Over the Course of the study, I approached over 100 wild rainbow, brown and brook trout at various times of day and year very slowly. I would see how close, at what speeds and from what angles trout were the most comfortable in my presence. The end game was to learn how much disturbance a trout would tolerate and still feed. Nearly 60% of the fish would spook from that 45 degree angle from about 20 feet away while standing 5'7" and moving very slowly. I just kept noticing how my angle was always just breaking that 45 degree mark. 90% or more spooked at 90 degrees.
-The Letort in the Heritage Area FFO Water.
To take this a step further I then pondered, does degree of disturbance effect when a trout will begin to feed again after the disturbance is removed? Is Catch ability + Time relative to severity of disturbance? Well the results were interesting and I had the perfect lab. I choose a SEPA spring creek, a lesser known one but arguably the best for that region, and private property that I had access too. There was one deep hole, at least 6', that contained several larger trout. It was late summer and large hopper were all over the tall grasses. My 3 subject fish were 1 very large wild brown and 2 larger wild rainbows. I stood 30 yards upstream and tossed hoppers into the creek. The trout began to feed.
-A Brown
My first pass was to walk by at normal speed then go back upstream 30 yards away and continue feeding. When I walked by the trout zigzagged the pool and clung to the rocks at the bottom. When the disturbance was removed and with he food still abundant, the fish began to feed again within 5 minutes.
My Second pass was to walk by fast and stop, Then make a sudden movement, return upstream and continue feeding after 1-2 minutes. The sudden movement sent the brown hiding in the rocks 10 yards downstream and under an undercut. The rainbows joined him right after. With the disturbance removed, the fish began feeding within 15 minutes. It took the brown 10 minutes to return last. The rainbows 8 minutes.
My Third pass was a repeat of the 2nd pass. The exact same reaction from the fish, however....
With the disturbance removed, the fish began feeding within 30 minutes. It took the brown 25 minutes to return last. The rainbows 14 minutes.
-SCPA unknown limestoner
My last pass I cannon balled the fish. As expected, the fish went to the undercut. Did not return after 1 hour.
So I can conclude that simply walking passed a Large Letort Brown is not an end game if you are patient. You can do the "long wait" of give the fish "amnesia"(see later) That said, there are over 700-900 fish per mile in these streams that are 15' wide at any given time. YOU ARE GOING TO SPOOK FISH. They can see you coming from the parking lot gearing up.
- Beautifully Frustrating Falling Spring in all her Glory
Another thing trout see is you fighting those weeds.
Trout see lots of things
They see you.
-John stalking fish on a Central PA classic spring. Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography
![i]](http://-[i]The%20Letort%20@%20Upper%20Bonny%20Brook[/i])
"What Trout Eat"
-"Sculpzilla" From Big Spring Creek Photo Credit Tim Robinson
Sculpins are a prime choice to be gobbled up by trout in spring creeks. Especially large trout. The above and below sculpin was a freak of nature.
-Photo Credit Tim Robinson
Even still I tie most my sculpins in the articulated configuration and 3"-4". Another good pattern for a more realistic profile is a Witlock's Near Nuff Sculpin Size 4-6. Brook Trout in Big Spring are especially fond of sculpins. In fact, your catch rate goes up drastically when you fish them. So to say, scuds and cress bugs take bows and sculpins take brookies, you can catch either with any but I notice a percentage difference. The ditch is just filthy with Sculpins and that has histoically always been the brook trouts strong hold. However, the efferts of CVTU and a massive restoration has brook trout range expanded dramatically in Big Spring, and some nice ones too.
Photo Credit Slaymaker Photograpghy
Photo Credit Slaymaker Photograpghy
- a stunning unknown classic limestone spring in SEPA, one of the 5 left to still have a wild brook trout and not be called Big Spring
Cress Bugs and Scuds consist of most the diet. The famous Cumberland Valley Trout and bottom digging swill eaters and not the romantic beetle risers people catching them on claim them to be. Well, I say it too when I'm throwing a beetle.
I highly recommend rummaging around in the aquatic weeds in these creeks sometimes. It will give you a better idea for pattern sizes and abundance. Ah, there is that normal size sculpin.
Wow all this time Ive been babbling on in this Letort Section and I have hardly talked about it. All I can say is everything you heard is true and more.
Miss Letort is a teacher. You fight that stream not the fish and it has a life of its own. Stupid Trout......Impossible Stream. People are intrigued by these streams because of their extremely unique complex ecosystems and hard approach situations. I'm giving a few ways I have approached fish but not on the Letort. The Letort will always be a never land conundrums in the middle of a caring community. That stream is so special in so many ways, I admit its one that is harder to talk about. Not because of fishing pressure. No. Because it is YOUR right of passage and YOUR journey. I have learned life lessons thinking on that stream. I swear its given me a feeling saying: “Ok you caught your last fish. Might as well leave because I'm closing the gates for you. Your card has been revoked!” She always means it, I never get another fish if I stay. Its happened the last 15 or so trips and I started listening after about 10. I leave, go somewhere else and catch more fish. That stream is your journey to explore and its personal in every way. I hope it is kind to you as its been at times to me. My only advice for new Letort anglers is, don't fall in a sink hole! All that said, the one lesson Ill share with you, is in the way the Letort is the ultimate uncontrollable cesspool of problems. Its the one thing in the world that you really have no real control over. If you do gain control, its short...your lucky and move on. In this life, you just cant control everything. You can fight it and fight it and beat yourself up. Some times in life you need to throw your arms up, say “ **** it” and go with the flow. No matter what problems you have. Every time I finally just let myself go and gave into her completely, she always shows me something a little special.
She will always be my first love.
She is beautiful in that way.
-Letort Wild Brown Trout
BIG SPRING
Approaching a Spring Creek Vol. 1 "Code Cracker"
Situation 1: Controlling your wake
Here is the place we will be dealing with. It looks harmless enough, but let me tell you it is riddled with problems. I approached this hole about a month or so ago to see what I could scare up. The back of the pool is filthy with small wild trout, the head of the pool has 4 big fish. It looks something like this:
Red are the big fish, yellow are the small ones. I'm picking the battle of the big fish over the little fish. This changes the tactics of fishing this area tremendously. I know I didnt have the red dots on the fish exactly. Its just a situational diagram.
Originally a month or so ago I approached this hole going downstream just to see what I could scare up. (Scouting a spring creek for future trips might be another post at a later date) The little fish flew downstream, spooking the big fish down to the bottom of the pool.
The next trip I tried what every single other angler would try. Come going upstream behind the fish. No wrong idea. All the little fish I didn't notice last time flew upstream spooking the big fish. Besides, you have to move so slow not to wake the water, a snail would cause waves.
Well don't get in the water duh! Well that sounds easy and would be sound advice. Lord knows I hate wading spring creeks and it can be dangerous. The fish are too far away from this side of the stream not to wade however. I would hate to cross the creek just to fish one hole because I personally like fishing most this stretch from this side......I thought all of these thoughts for about 1 week before I returned.
When I returned to this place just last Monday. Sitting on the edge of the stream I could see the big fish moving around at the head of the pool. What am I going to do? Then it hit me.
The pink line represents an old restoration that was done to this creek. This is a series of rocks that extend out about 3/4 the width of the creek and they sit just below the water. Cress, sticks and other debris is what you can really see. This creates a few things good for me in this situation.
The rocks will give me a place to not sink in the silt. The rocks cress, debris and grass will also control my wake from not disturbing the big fish. Basically all I have to do is stay low, move slow and I am going to get really close to them. If I do spook fish, it will be all the little yellow dots at the head of the pool (they will go upstream) and the little yellow dots at the end of the pool (only this time they will be running away from my target area.)
X is where ill stand about very very low.
Notice how as I approach I am keeping the rocks, cress and debris to my left between me and my target fish. The little fish represented by the little yellow dots will move downstream as I approach. I want to stand right about where the 4th dot from left to right is sitting. This will put me slightly to the side and behind the bigger trout (red dots). Remember Im certainly with in 20' so stay less than 3' off the ground.
Now at first I threw a heavy sculpin at these fish and they would chase and dart at it but that is all. After another cast with the same result, I did the crazy thing. I walked back to the stream bank very slow. See these fish will quickly notice something is wrong if I keep throwing that fly at them. The more a trout sees a fly in this stream and the more times you don't present it properly will surely lead to failure. I tied on a cress bug and red midge larva. I smoked a cigarette, took a shot of whiskey and waited. About 15 minutes later I returned.
In doing this, I was able to land one of the largest wild rainbow trouts of my life two drifts later. I would have taken a pic but the fish just would not allow it. Far to big and powerful and just wouldn't co-operate.
- To make up for it, here is another Big Spring Rainbow, this fish was so fat it could hardly swim and it just flaild around at
the top of the water. I got in waist deep in the middle of the creek and just netted it.
After releasing the fish. I got a little closer and took a pic.
Do you see what I see? I was able to instantly lead the fish downstream upon hook set and left the two fish at the head of the pool unspooked. Which I promptly spooked the fish with my very first cast. Win some lose some. That's fishing a spring creek.
I'm sure there are other ways to approach this area of stream.
- A gorgeous male wild rainbow trout from Big Spring. Take note to the bubbles on the fish. Make no mistake that is not froth from our fresh battle but rather
something that happens to the rainbows flesh that it builds up nitrogen due to the water at the ditch. It has no effect on the brook trout and only effects larger rainbows in
the ditch. It eventually distends their eyes and kills them. This fish if it doesn't leave the ditch soon, will suffer the same fate.
"Sight Fishing"
Sight fishing Big Spring is your best way to fish it. In fact, it is a great lab to learn how to do so. Take your time and pick your targets and account for the by standards. Trout can be tricky to see in Limestone Springs. As clear as the water is you think it would be easy but they blend in so well. Some almost look clear. Its crazy!
- Getting ready to do the dance in a small obscure SCPA limestoner
Just remember to try and not get too close and remember your angle in relation to them.
Staying well behind them
[size=xx-small]-This substantial limestone spring is located in SEPA, it pumps 10,000 gallons of 52 degree water every second. It was bricked in by a church in the early 1700's.
This is a prorogation area, no fishing zone, but once a year the church opens it up to a kids derby. There are always fish left over. Me and my daughter, to this day, still feed them
all summer, fall and winter. The kids the following spring get a couple of real tanker ships to catch. This picture is the following spring and you are seeing 2 large browns were
grew.[/size]
-A iconic shot of "The Spring House". A very large limestone spring actually flows out of this house.Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography
- This limestone spring is a darling in a lovely area close to home. One of my all time favorites and its so forgotten.
- I was throwing my 11' Hardy 7/8 wt Graphite DeLuxe around Big Spring like I was in the Musky Classic. Spooling the reel. I was skipping Corners and fishing
the next corner down! It was a blast! I didnt catch any fish all day, then I saw this guy 1' off the bank when walking back to the car. Caught him at my feet.
- "The Ditch" Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography
-A Giant Big Spring Bow
- Big Spring Psilocybin Trout
Again I cant stress enough how much I love the Rainbows in Big Spring and yes they have declined. The project did what it was suppose to do. Favor brook trout. I catch bigger, more and for greater distances, much more wild brook trout since the restoration. The PFBC hatchery had killed this stream but now it is returning. Such a wonderful place.
FALLING SPRING BRANCH
-Me at the famous sign at Falling Spring Branch. Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography
- Falling Spring Branch
Falling Spring Branch is a conundrum unto itself. You have no where to hide most places while standing in an open field twiddling your thumbs. Meanwhile, “the sea of weeds” hides, protects and makes it impossible to catch hundreds of fish. In the winter when they are died back, the open areas now exposed give way super highway’s of trout because the fish see you from 40 feet away. A pleasure to fish when you enjoy some of the most technical fishing in the country.
In fact, it is where I realized I had a spooked fish problem and developed my theories on how to heard spooked fish away from my target fish.
- Falling Spring bow
"Approaching a Spring Creek Vol.3 The Dark Reality"
-Originally posted 1/11/12
![size]](http://[size=85]-%20A%20unknown%20spring%20creek%20in%20SEPA%20[/size])
Trout have a biological make up that has the job of 3 things. Procreate, Eat, and Hide. That is it. While the trouts bedroom business can help us catch trout, but lets not go there, the fact it eats does. That is what we have been trying to do all this time right? Fool a spring creek trout into eating? Freestone watersheds in Pennsylvania are different in the fact that many are infertile. A meal is few and far between. In limestone springs, food source is abundant. Trout grow to enormous lengths and fatten up very nicely. They eat, do it regularly and they will do it again. As the trout in these streams grow, their caloric demand increases and they eat even more. Conditioning them to...............eat even more.
-Unnamed SCPA limestoner
Find the real big fish. Just find him. Mark him and comeback. This is the largest fish hence he eats and eats a lot, but catch him how you ask? Is that really and issue?
-Another unknown spring creek with brook trout
Trout are stupid! That's right! Trout are stupid people!
These fish have been written about, studied and discussed more times than they have been caught! Heck, they have me writing photo essays on them! Are you kidding me?! I have seen trout eat cigarette butts, clumps of algae and bare hooks. These streams changed the entire culture and technique of modern day fly-fishing? They are just some dang fish! They have the IQ of like 2 and we have to plan how to fool them? People ask me all the time about how to catch spring creek trout. I got news for you, you are the dang predator! You tell me! Jesus you think that herons worry about if they are going to catch a fish or not? NO! There is no fail. There is only survive and eat and your worried about catching a fish?! Your at the dang top of the food chain! Its a fishhhhhhhhhhh!
-Yep
See its hard because you think your limited by regulations and tools like C&R Fly-fishing Only Regs & graphite, fiberglass or bamboo rods with flies and yes, you are. We cant go spearing fish or snagging. Its not sporting and its not fair. You don't have to think of it as limited, though and perception of every situation is key. Your never limited because you are human and your at the top of the food chain! Stop it already! Its a fish! Fishing is a blood sport. We are king! We could shoot the heron and trout for that matter if we really wanted too. We are king on the streams and don't forget that, even the herons know it, as they fly away.
-Casting on lower Falling Spring's FFO area. Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography[/
The dark reality of it all is we are the predator, a savage, barbaric and unforgiving species and unfortunately all we do is whine. If we ever got past our humanity, the world would be a dark place.
Lord knows I'm not proud of this last code and forgive me but just break the trout.
I showed you in vol 1 how to plan an attack and approach a hole.
Now I show you how to will it.
-lemonade, summertime sunset fading light and spring creeks, not much time left
This one time while fishing a local hunting clubs freestone stream when I was 10 or so, I learned a code for these streams. I didn't even realize it at the time. This amazingly large trout was in water that didn't even cover its back. When I came walking up the path and crested the bank, I saw it and it saw me. That fish ran upstream under a deep under cut. I stood there for hours, completely enamored by the size of the trout I saw. Jiggling my worm in front of his “cave”. At the time I thought maybe I just angered the fish into biting, but that fish came charging at least 10 feet to destroy my worm. I was young and didn't fully grasp what happened, but I caught the fish. It was so large it broke my 6 pound test while on shore. I creeled the fish. It was a stocker brookie and was amazingly colored. That fish measured 24 inches long and was around 13 inches in girth. It was a beast and to this day, the largest brook trout (stocked or wild) I have ever caught. That fish left an impression in my mind that can never be erased. That fish was angry, it was my Devil Trout.
- The hardest stretch of any spring creek ever. Good luck! This SEPA classic spring was channelized in the 1940's by the Army Corp to control flooding.. Its straight and 2'- 3' deep and silty. It doesnt look dangerous but it is. The sediment and substrate is slowing killing the brook trout population too, which also has a small few lake run fish, eventually one of the last 6 Spring Creeks in PA will lose its brook trout.
Then there will be 5.
If this creek every meanders again, free, with its wetlands, it would be a powerhouse creek.
Its true. It was my Devil Trout. That trout was big and no doubt was conditioned to eat. I have seen Herons, stalk and stalk, but the heron has one advantage you do not. Time. They have no job, no lawn to mow, no bills to pay and no wife and kids at home. This predator can wait. Herons eat large amounts of fish in one day. Mostly by sneaking up on them but sometimes they return several times to one spot in one day. They are hunters in every sense. I've even seen herons move for large trout once they know the fish sees them.
- Falling Spring Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography[/
I was fishing Falling Spring once when this happened. This Heron was hunting fish and saw a decent trout. When that trout saw the heron, the wake went downstream and that bird flew following it. That Heron backed that trout into a section of stream with limited vegetation and habitat. Once that fish was exposed in shallow water, it had no chance.
In angling, one short term aspect of it is called the long wait. This is when you have spooked the fish and you are letting him adjust and feel comfortable again. Maybe even letting them get used to your presence. Ya it works and that is a nice thought. It does happen.
My version of it is to mark the spot in my mind that the fish was located. Return to his feeding lie many times throughout the day and try to stealth my way into his hole and catch him while he is comfortable.
- The Falling Spring Christmas Tree. Its actually lit year round. Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography[/
However, there is one approach that is far different. One dark, twisted and insane approach.
There has been much debate about how long a trout will stay “spooked” and not feed. I have determined through my experiments that they do not stay spooked for long and will continue feeding rather rapidly once the disturbance has past. However, the greater the disturbance, the longer trout stay spooked. What would happen if a trout, had constant disturbance? Would they never eat again and die? I highly doubted that and decided to do a test.
Again find the biggest fish and corner him. He sees you, yes, let him. In fact scare him. Harass the fish. Comeback in intervals. Change the time at which you comeback to the fish. Fish for him for hours on end for long stretches. Follow him when he moves up or down stream. Make sure he knows your casting to him sometimes. Play with its mind, its a stupid fish. Never let the fish leave your sight except to let him feel comfortable for only moment. Strike "pure fear" into the fish. Let it "know" its being hunted and let it think its going to die. I even encourage the use of yelling and calling the fish names.
Crazy?
-Falling Springs bows are generally smaller but can grow large.
You see this is how you become the heron. I not only learned that day observing the heron that I am the predator but that trout, as prey, are limited by their habitat. They can only swim so far being confined to a watery road. You have traveled to this place and you have 2 days to fish. This is one of the most legendary areas in fly-fishing history, where and what else do you have to do? In the beginning the trout will run, hide, drift down stream from you. Follow him at times and sometimes stay back just a little. Watch him do this for hours on end. Some fish this does not work on and they will not re-take their feeding lies or they even find a good place to hide. These fish will not fall for this trick. I have found this approach does not work on Letort fish because Letort habitat is too good, so to say. Letort browns will run downstream and find a deep undercut in cress in 4 foot thick silt. While I'm sure its possible in any other circumstance, you cannot break a Letort Brown. She, the Letort, will not let you.
Because these trout have been conditioned in every aspect of their daily lives, they fall into tendencies. They like particular lies and places to feed. They feel comfortable here and I'm exploiting that comfort.
Day 1 will be ugly. The fish will move around, swim fast and get lock jaw. You will throw flies and have them all rejected. You will be hungry, tired and sore. It is as unpleasant for you as it is for the fish.
Sometimes you can hook them on day one but it is less likely. Harass the fish from morning to night.
Day 2 arrive at the stream just before sun up and the very second you can see, enter the stream and continue. Eventually biological need and conditioning of the fish forces it to eat. Even though you are standing over top of him and he can see the whites of your eyes, though he knows you are there for only him, he has to eat and he will start too. It takes awhile and at first, your not sure, but then you will notice him subtly picking off small morsels because he is afraid to eat anything big, in fear it is a fly. You can even see the large white mouth open and eat.
Now this fish is yours.
- Rainbow from a SEPA limestoner
Lets look at it to the far extreme also. I would be willing to bet that if you harass and wait out the fish even longer, lets say 2 weeks, the fish will eventually be conditioned to your presence. After all the yelling, jumping and harassing the fish, I bet it would be used to the constant disturbance and would no longer be spooked by you.
Don't sound so shocked or appalled by the idea. Almost every single one of us has done this too a fish. Ever go out first day and surround a hole full of trout you can see with 50 other guys? You don't think those fish know you are there? Ever take your kids to a trout rodeo?
You have spent all this money on equipment and flies. You have spent a good portion of your life drifting flies and eventually, you will get a good drift on a small fly. Its only a matter of time. This is fishing for trout past the point of spooking. We have all harassed and spooked trout and yet caught them. Spooked fish do and will eat because they have to eat. It is my belief that 80% or so of the trout you catch in spring creeks knew you were there anyways. You can be stealthy and break down holes and situations, but it really doesn't matter. Those fish not only saw you 40 yards away, its likely they saw you leaving you house before you got there. How far are you willing to go to catch a fish? Are you willing to break a trout? Make it your *itch? You can. Anything is possible on these streams.
This is why I have seen more beginner fly-fisherman land gigantic trout out of these streams that I have caught. I like to fish for sport and once I spook the fish I move on. People get strange around large fish, especially trout. A beginner will get fixed on the “biggest trout they have ever seen” and fish for it past the point of being ridiculous. This is why so many, once a year fisherman, land nice stockies on first day. They stand over top of them and wait them out. They have to eat. They need food like every other living organism.
-Making a long cast on Falling Spring
So you ask how do I catch spring creek trout. Well I showed you in these 3 posts. I pick a battle, then try to crack the code to the hole, then I try to finesse the fish. If none of these approaches work, well then I return a few times that day to the best fish and I try to get lucky. I can tell you this much, you never catch those fish or have that spring creek experience if you continue to hold those trout to such high esteem.
-Coming to the net. Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography[/
It was once said that there is more BS in fly-fishing than a Texas feedlot and I agree with that sediment. The difference is I embrace it. Its the lore and mystery that make it fun and unusual. Fly-fishing is a thinking mans game and a game for unusual people. Here I am, a dad first and a modern day trout bum. I think about it, I read about it and when I have time, I fish. We are a strange lot, chewing tobacco, drinking beer or enjoying a good pipe, we are sportsman. Yet I shop at AC Moore and enjoy doing it. It is the parody that makes this sport wonderful. Its spirited, its funny and sarcastic.
But why do we make it so hard?
Because that BS............................well it smells much better.
"How Many did you spook?"
In case you didn't notice we saw a lot more fish than just out of the water
This Big Letort Brown was in the process of swimming away while you enamored the view
This large Brook Trout is a true trophy. How could you miss him?
OK, ill give you this one because rainbows can be hard to see. Still did you have to wade up through?
But this one? Seriously that was the biggest brookie Ive seen outside of Big Spring and now its sulking!
Looks like you got a spooking problem too. Maybe YOU are my problem and why I'm not catching fish today. Tell you what, why don't you go fish that way and ill go this way.
The past few months I have abandoned bass and have been fishing the spring creeks with all the rain. The pleasent surprise comes from my local spring creek. Once a degraded watershed so badly it was on America's top 10 most degraded watersheds. Today it supports a small population of wild rainbows and some big boys. He is what I found the past few months.
Not too shabby for a creek that was in the top 10 most polluted huh? Brings a tear of Joy to my eye to see the wild fish pop up here and there. Really rekindled that flame....
Visions of her creep into your soul like the morning mist around the river bend,
weaving a inescapable web around your heart that ignites an intense fire of insatiable desire.
Forever I am haunted by these waters.
I promise if you do, it just might change your perspective.
In the world of trout fishing far extending beyond the simple mountain brooks lay a valley, on the farm by the highway and fly fisherman navigates subtle currents that sway green snaky shish-ka-bobs of scuds past giant trout under a sun struck haze over a glossy mirrored surface that is seemingly set a blaze.
Everything moves around him and yet the fly-fisherman so still, so quiet and so focused thinks.....
“Its Good to be in my head and just be cerebral with no one asking me for anything”
“I needed to get out fishing again, cabin fever sucks”
"I'm Cold"
"My feet are Cold"
"Man that trout's huge"
"Wish the highway wasn't so close."
"Burrr"
"Just a few more Drifts"
"I should have brought a thermos of coffee, its zero degrees outside"
"Oh he looked at it that time, man that trouts huge."
"I hate that highway"
"I cant feel my feet,that cant be good."
"I might have to take some breaks today."
"Maybe ill go home early, my wife wouldn't believe it."
"OMG that time he almost grabbed it! I saw the white of his mouth!"
"Ok, OK just a few more drifts."
"Its quiet"
"I dunno he might have given up"
"Ah, Just a few more drifts."
"Least its peaceful I don't hear a thing."
"Yeah, he gave up, man look at that fish....."
"WAIT No. I got all day fish! I'm not even cold anymore and you are going down!"
"Well, it's late and I got to get back."
"............wait did he just take that? oh no."
“OK, just a few more drifts......”
PENNSYLVANIA’S CLASSIC LIMESTONE SPRINGS
[size=xx-small]-A beautiful (private) Pennsylvania Spring Creek in SEPA. One of 6 remaining (that Ive found and I've fished out of hundred(maybe?) that is a true classic limestone spring with a population wild brook trout not named Big Spring. Some grow upwards of 14". Interesting enough, water from this spring creek was used to make "The Whiskey That Warmed the Revolution", bottled by Mitcher's Distillery and given to Washington's troops at the Delaware. [/size]
THE LETORT
"Says it all"
"Memory"
Originally written 5/19/2011
Edited 9/19/2018
I could give a beginning fly-fisherman my rods, reels and flies and this would truly be a great gift. The monetary value of these items is undeniable but the worth of these "tools of the craft" can be far surpassed in just one random act.
Today was the fly in the run tournament on Lititz Run. I was asked to be a stream guide for this event because of the need for knowledgeable and experienced fly-fisherman to oversee beginner anglers on the water. It was felt that my intimate studies and experiences on this stream could come in very handy.
Lititz Run in the Millport Conservancy Badge Only Fly Fishing Area, Now owned by F&M College
The last time I participated in this event, there were plenty of kids fishing the tournament. I was hoping to show a few "up and coming" young fly anglers some of the tricks I have to offer in my bag. This was not to be this year because not one child was in the event.
The morning proved tiresome because I was paired up with 8 very experienced fly-fisherman that needed no guidance. They put the hammer on the fresh stocked fish and did very well. After lunch it began to down pour as we were trucked out to the next beats.
-On the Letort with a Spring Creek
After about an hour, I came across one lone older fisherman. I asked him how he was doing and he replied "you know, not to good." There was a tone in his voice that told me it wasn't just because the fishing was poor for him. I dug a bit deeper. This older man explained to me that he joined the tournament to fish with some friends and have fun. When the rain came his 3 friends left the tournament and he was a one-man team. He also lives 3 hours away and made the trip. To make things worse, he also was trying fly-fishing for the first time in remembrance of his late father who was a diehard fly-fisherman. He showed me his equipment which was a rod that had to be 90 years old or so and a automatic antique fly reel that mounted sideways on the rod. Through our brief conversation I come to find out this man was 77 years old and really had no idea where to begin.
- A brisk early morning sunrise over a steamy Letort Spring Run cat tails and fishing rods
I said....."If I may....."
First I fixed his 3 ft leader to be around 8 ft w/ tippet. I tied on a white bugger that was about 3 inches in length and showed him how I would fish it and a few casts to make his life easier.
I told me he appreciated all I was doing but he really had no expectation of winning the tournament since he was a one man show. So, I asked him, "what do you plan on getting out of this then?" He said, "I just want to have fun.".................follow me I said.
We left the tournament area and I took him to a hole I know holds quite a few large trout but it is the hardest hole in the entire stream to fish w/ the oldest fish in the stream. There is absolutely no place to back cast and you are at an odd angle. Everyone that I fish with or have talked to about this hole will confirm ....it’s just a bi*#$ to fish this spot. I showed him how to do a modified roll cast. It took him less than 3 minutes to learn this cast. He kept saying he wished he could get it farther and I told him we all do too. "Everyone I know, never can cast in the spot correctly but keep trying and hang on."
-Staying to the shadows , low and behind weeds bodes well on Lititz
About 1 minute later this older gentleman had a monster fish crush that bugger like it was the last food item on earth. The rainbow leaped the entire way out of the water, ran about 10 feet and took one large head shake and snapped the 3X like it was 8X. The man’s jaw dropped and he yelled. " DID YOU SEE THAT TROUT! THAT'S GOT TO BE THE BIGGEST TROUT IVE EVER SEEN!"
What was funny was that fish leaped out of the water for the next 3 minutes or so trying to dislodge the large bugger from the corner of its mouth. We just sat in awe and watched the fish.
He lost the fish because of his lack of experience w/ playing large fish on a fly rod. But that’s ok. Before we had to quit I got him into another large trout that the barbless hook just let go.
- A very large and old Lititz Run Brown Trout from the early 2000's
The old man turned to me and said, "Thank you, this is what I came for! I’ve learned more in the past 30 minutes w/ you than I did in the prior 6 hours of the tournament. I really appreciate it!"
I could see he was still trembling from the large fish he felt tug his fly line. I told him, I had just as much fun watching him as he probably did fishing. I made sure he knew that the fish he tangled with are over 5-7 years old and that I’ve seen experienced anglers take years to get these fish to bite. He did it on his first try. He said, "You know what, you right!"
I like to think that he got a glimpse into his father's past passion. Even if for just a moment, maybe the riddles his father sought to solve, he untangled in his own way. At the very least, he honored his father by just being on the water thinking of him. I think his dad would have been proud the way he handled himself so well and just had fun like he planned to do.
-SEPA wild brown caught by Slaymaker
So the greatest gift you can give a fly-fisherman is a memory. A time or place frozen in the mind. A keepsake for your own reference to view when you please to do so. The key to this gift is sharing your knowledge with one another......
as sportsman, lets never forget this.
- Myself on Letort Spring Run in the Fly-Fishing Only Heritage Area
"What Trout See"
Figure1
Figure 2.
*These two pictures should be very important to you if you fish spring creeks. Or so I have found. When I began my journey on these creeks, I spent most my time watching trout run from me. Day after Day, Year after Year. The thought occurred to me that this is your biggest problem on these creeks, spooking fish. How a trout sees in regards to Height and Distance when factoring in Refraction and the trouts relative position in the water column is mind boggling. Especially, when you factor in time of day, year, water clarity due to weather event.......BLAH! Yes, the gentle rotation of the earth on its axis as summertime hopper drifts fade into sculpin chuck and duck frozen Sunkist hazes. Sounds nice but It all just really works against you though.The lower position of the sun from the tilt of the earth away from the sun causes longer shadows and the light refracts different. Couple that less vegetation to hide from the trout and sudden the fish are setting up for Florida while your standing in a barren empty field.
Generally Classic Limestone Springs are ridiculously clear too.
Crystal.
-Unknown Limestoner PA
Spring creeks really are the proving grounds for the Art of Stealth. Go there to test your medal they will tell you but its really testing your mental. They look at you funny when they tell you, “you do know that was never going to work” or well “you shouldn't have done that!” I just agree and then catch 100's of fish every year the same way I was told it wasn't going to work, sometimes right beside them too. Most of them are small trout, but then again they dominate the population. The art of not spooking a fish is very intricate and often harder than the art of spooking a fish which is highly over looked, both will work on many difficult Pennsylvania trout.
The Art of Stealth goes further than stay low and moving slow or what clothes you wear but these all are important. Those will be the first three pieces of advice someone will tell you to do on a spring creek. Well how low and how slow? Got a ruler or a dashboard attached to you leg? I think to begin this process we must look into what a trout sees.
- A SCPA classic limestone spring creek. Highly threatened by urbanization and storm water run off. Still a small wild rainbow trout population is hanging on and river fish occasionally run up this beautiful stream.
- a NCPA, yes NCPA Limestoner. Well actually its cause by volcanic stuff but ill take it.
- The NCPA limestone stream just suddenly begins here. Dont step in lava!
Trout in these environs can see amazing distances. Figure 1. explains that a trout can see you and anything 1m (3.28ft) above the ground at 6 meters (19.68ft) away from the trout, not factoring in season,time of day and depth of water. Well then! The average PA spring creek is 15' across! This will make it nearly impossible to get beside the fish without spooking it. You can stick to shadows, get low and go slow all day long but just remember stay 3' from 20' away is the window in which you have to stay hidden from the trouts eye. Of course, all the while the gin clear water makes it all the more difficult. Sun, Shadows and a whole array of movement can give heed to the trout and make him wary of your presence. Most days you are going to have a sore back if you try to fish that low all day. Forget the knees. Even still is it possible to stealth your way into holes, crack a code and catch your target fish. It is simpily too much information for me to cover. I suggest you get a good book on it, Yes, trout and refraction is in many books.
Before I changed my way of thinking, I ran a series of experiments to help me with my spooking problem. One thing I discovered is the "45 Degree Rule" Trout in Classic Limestone Springs "generally" are more comfortable when approached from downstream going up and you shall not pass the 45 degree angle from the stream bank to the side of the fish.
LOL love my paint?
Over the Course of the study, I approached over 100 wild rainbow, brown and brook trout at various times of day and year very slowly. I would see how close, at what speeds and from what angles trout were the most comfortable in my presence. The end game was to learn how much disturbance a trout would tolerate and still feed. Nearly 60% of the fish would spook from that 45 degree angle from about 20 feet away while standing 5'7" and moving very slowly. I just kept noticing how my angle was always just breaking that 45 degree mark. 90% or more spooked at 90 degrees.
-The Letort in the Heritage Area FFO Water.
To take this a step further I then pondered, does degree of disturbance effect when a trout will begin to feed again after the disturbance is removed? Is Catch ability + Time relative to severity of disturbance? Well the results were interesting and I had the perfect lab. I choose a SEPA spring creek, a lesser known one but arguably the best for that region, and private property that I had access too. There was one deep hole, at least 6', that contained several larger trout. It was late summer and large hopper were all over the tall grasses. My 3 subject fish were 1 very large wild brown and 2 larger wild rainbows. I stood 30 yards upstream and tossed hoppers into the creek. The trout began to feed.
-A Brown
My first pass was to walk by at normal speed then go back upstream 30 yards away and continue feeding. When I walked by the trout zigzagged the pool and clung to the rocks at the bottom. When the disturbance was removed and with he food still abundant, the fish began to feed again within 5 minutes.
My Second pass was to walk by fast and stop, Then make a sudden movement, return upstream and continue feeding after 1-2 minutes. The sudden movement sent the brown hiding in the rocks 10 yards downstream and under an undercut. The rainbows joined him right after. With the disturbance removed, the fish began feeding within 15 minutes. It took the brown 10 minutes to return last. The rainbows 8 minutes.
My Third pass was a repeat of the 2nd pass. The exact same reaction from the fish, however....
With the disturbance removed, the fish began feeding within 30 minutes. It took the brown 25 minutes to return last. The rainbows 14 minutes.
-SCPA unknown limestoner
My last pass I cannon balled the fish. As expected, the fish went to the undercut. Did not return after 1 hour.
So I can conclude that simply walking passed a Large Letort Brown is not an end game if you are patient. You can do the "long wait" of give the fish "amnesia"(see later) That said, there are over 700-900 fish per mile in these streams that are 15' wide at any given time. YOU ARE GOING TO SPOOK FISH. They can see you coming from the parking lot gearing up.
- Beautifully Frustrating Falling Spring in all her Glory
Another thing trout see is you fighting those weeds.
Trout see lots of things
They see you.
-John stalking fish on a Central PA classic spring. Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography
"What Trout Eat"
-"Sculpzilla" From Big Spring Creek Photo Credit Tim Robinson
Sculpins are a prime choice to be gobbled up by trout in spring creeks. Especially large trout. The above and below sculpin was a freak of nature.
-Photo Credit Tim Robinson
Even still I tie most my sculpins in the articulated configuration and 3"-4". Another good pattern for a more realistic profile is a Witlock's Near Nuff Sculpin Size 4-6. Brook Trout in Big Spring are especially fond of sculpins. In fact, your catch rate goes up drastically when you fish them. So to say, scuds and cress bugs take bows and sculpins take brookies, you can catch either with any but I notice a percentage difference. The ditch is just filthy with Sculpins and that has histoically always been the brook trouts strong hold. However, the efferts of CVTU and a massive restoration has brook trout range expanded dramatically in Big Spring, and some nice ones too.
Photo Credit Slaymaker Photograpghy
Photo Credit Slaymaker Photograpghy
- a stunning unknown classic limestone spring in SEPA, one of the 5 left to still have a wild brook trout and not be called Big Spring
Cress Bugs and Scuds consist of most the diet. The famous Cumberland Valley Trout and bottom digging swill eaters and not the romantic beetle risers people catching them on claim them to be. Well, I say it too when I'm throwing a beetle.
I highly recommend rummaging around in the aquatic weeds in these creeks sometimes. It will give you a better idea for pattern sizes and abundance. Ah, there is that normal size sculpin.
Wow all this time Ive been babbling on in this Letort Section and I have hardly talked about it. All I can say is everything you heard is true and more.
Miss Letort is a teacher. You fight that stream not the fish and it has a life of its own. Stupid Trout......Impossible Stream. People are intrigued by these streams because of their extremely unique complex ecosystems and hard approach situations. I'm giving a few ways I have approached fish but not on the Letort. The Letort will always be a never land conundrums in the middle of a caring community. That stream is so special in so many ways, I admit its one that is harder to talk about. Not because of fishing pressure. No. Because it is YOUR right of passage and YOUR journey. I have learned life lessons thinking on that stream. I swear its given me a feeling saying: “Ok you caught your last fish. Might as well leave because I'm closing the gates for you. Your card has been revoked!” She always means it, I never get another fish if I stay. Its happened the last 15 or so trips and I started listening after about 10. I leave, go somewhere else and catch more fish. That stream is your journey to explore and its personal in every way. I hope it is kind to you as its been at times to me. My only advice for new Letort anglers is, don't fall in a sink hole! All that said, the one lesson Ill share with you, is in the way the Letort is the ultimate uncontrollable cesspool of problems. Its the one thing in the world that you really have no real control over. If you do gain control, its short...your lucky and move on. In this life, you just cant control everything. You can fight it and fight it and beat yourself up. Some times in life you need to throw your arms up, say “ **** it” and go with the flow. No matter what problems you have. Every time I finally just let myself go and gave into her completely, she always shows me something a little special.
She will always be my first love.
She is beautiful in that way.
-Letort Wild Brown Trout
BIG SPRING
Approaching a Spring Creek Vol. 1 "Code Cracker"
Situation 1: Controlling your wake
Here is the place we will be dealing with. It looks harmless enough, but let me tell you it is riddled with problems. I approached this hole about a month or so ago to see what I could scare up. The back of the pool is filthy with small wild trout, the head of the pool has 4 big fish. It looks something like this:
Red are the big fish, yellow are the small ones. I'm picking the battle of the big fish over the little fish. This changes the tactics of fishing this area tremendously. I know I didnt have the red dots on the fish exactly. Its just a situational diagram.
Originally a month or so ago I approached this hole going downstream just to see what I could scare up. (Scouting a spring creek for future trips might be another post at a later date) The little fish flew downstream, spooking the big fish down to the bottom of the pool.
The next trip I tried what every single other angler would try. Come going upstream behind the fish. No wrong idea. All the little fish I didn't notice last time flew upstream spooking the big fish. Besides, you have to move so slow not to wake the water, a snail would cause waves.
Well don't get in the water duh! Well that sounds easy and would be sound advice. Lord knows I hate wading spring creeks and it can be dangerous. The fish are too far away from this side of the stream not to wade however. I would hate to cross the creek just to fish one hole because I personally like fishing most this stretch from this side......I thought all of these thoughts for about 1 week before I returned.
When I returned to this place just last Monday. Sitting on the edge of the stream I could see the big fish moving around at the head of the pool. What am I going to do? Then it hit me.
The pink line represents an old restoration that was done to this creek. This is a series of rocks that extend out about 3/4 the width of the creek and they sit just below the water. Cress, sticks and other debris is what you can really see. This creates a few things good for me in this situation.
The rocks will give me a place to not sink in the silt. The rocks cress, debris and grass will also control my wake from not disturbing the big fish. Basically all I have to do is stay low, move slow and I am going to get really close to them. If I do spook fish, it will be all the little yellow dots at the head of the pool (they will go upstream) and the little yellow dots at the end of the pool (only this time they will be running away from my target area.)
X is where ill stand about very very low.
Notice how as I approach I am keeping the rocks, cress and debris to my left between me and my target fish. The little fish represented by the little yellow dots will move downstream as I approach. I want to stand right about where the 4th dot from left to right is sitting. This will put me slightly to the side and behind the bigger trout (red dots). Remember Im certainly with in 20' so stay less than 3' off the ground.
Now at first I threw a heavy sculpin at these fish and they would chase and dart at it but that is all. After another cast with the same result, I did the crazy thing. I walked back to the stream bank very slow. See these fish will quickly notice something is wrong if I keep throwing that fly at them. The more a trout sees a fly in this stream and the more times you don't present it properly will surely lead to failure. I tied on a cress bug and red midge larva. I smoked a cigarette, took a shot of whiskey and waited. About 15 minutes later I returned.
In doing this, I was able to land one of the largest wild rainbow trouts of my life two drifts later. I would have taken a pic but the fish just would not allow it. Far to big and powerful and just wouldn't co-operate.
- To make up for it, here is another Big Spring Rainbow, this fish was so fat it could hardly swim and it just flaild around at
the top of the water. I got in waist deep in the middle of the creek and just netted it.
After releasing the fish. I got a little closer and took a pic.
Do you see what I see? I was able to instantly lead the fish downstream upon hook set and left the two fish at the head of the pool unspooked. Which I promptly spooked the fish with my very first cast. Win some lose some. That's fishing a spring creek.
I'm sure there are other ways to approach this area of stream.
- A gorgeous male wild rainbow trout from Big Spring. Take note to the bubbles on the fish. Make no mistake that is not froth from our fresh battle but rather
something that happens to the rainbows flesh that it builds up nitrogen due to the water at the ditch. It has no effect on the brook trout and only effects larger rainbows in
the ditch. It eventually distends their eyes and kills them. This fish if it doesn't leave the ditch soon, will suffer the same fate.
"Sight Fishing"
Sight fishing Big Spring is your best way to fish it. In fact, it is a great lab to learn how to do so. Take your time and pick your targets and account for the by standards. Trout can be tricky to see in Limestone Springs. As clear as the water is you think it would be easy but they blend in so well. Some almost look clear. Its crazy!
- Getting ready to do the dance in a small obscure SCPA limestoner
Just remember to try and not get too close and remember your angle in relation to them.
Staying well behind them
[size=xx-small]-This substantial limestone spring is located in SEPA, it pumps 10,000 gallons of 52 degree water every second. It was bricked in by a church in the early 1700's.
This is a prorogation area, no fishing zone, but once a year the church opens it up to a kids derby. There are always fish left over. Me and my daughter, to this day, still feed them
all summer, fall and winter. The kids the following spring get a couple of real tanker ships to catch. This picture is the following spring and you are seeing 2 large browns were
grew.[/size]
-A iconic shot of "The Spring House". A very large limestone spring actually flows out of this house.Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography
- This limestone spring is a darling in a lovely area close to home. One of my all time favorites and its so forgotten.
- I was throwing my 11' Hardy 7/8 wt Graphite DeLuxe around Big Spring like I was in the Musky Classic. Spooling the reel. I was skipping Corners and fishing
the next corner down! It was a blast! I didnt catch any fish all day, then I saw this guy 1' off the bank when walking back to the car. Caught him at my feet.
- "The Ditch" Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography
-A Giant Big Spring Bow
- Big Spring Psilocybin Trout
Again I cant stress enough how much I love the Rainbows in Big Spring and yes they have declined. The project did what it was suppose to do. Favor brook trout. I catch bigger, more and for greater distances, much more wild brook trout since the restoration. The PFBC hatchery had killed this stream but now it is returning. Such a wonderful place.
FALLING SPRING BRANCH
-Me at the famous sign at Falling Spring Branch. Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography
- Falling Spring Branch
Falling Spring Branch is a conundrum unto itself. You have no where to hide most places while standing in an open field twiddling your thumbs. Meanwhile, “the sea of weeds” hides, protects and makes it impossible to catch hundreds of fish. In the winter when they are died back, the open areas now exposed give way super highway’s of trout because the fish see you from 40 feet away. A pleasure to fish when you enjoy some of the most technical fishing in the country.
In fact, it is where I realized I had a spooked fish problem and developed my theories on how to heard spooked fish away from my target fish.
- Falling Spring bow
"Approaching a Spring Creek Vol.3 The Dark Reality"
-Originally posted 1/11/12
Trout have a biological make up that has the job of 3 things. Procreate, Eat, and Hide. That is it. While the trouts bedroom business can help us catch trout, but lets not go there, the fact it eats does. That is what we have been trying to do all this time right? Fool a spring creek trout into eating? Freestone watersheds in Pennsylvania are different in the fact that many are infertile. A meal is few and far between. In limestone springs, food source is abundant. Trout grow to enormous lengths and fatten up very nicely. They eat, do it regularly and they will do it again. As the trout in these streams grow, their caloric demand increases and they eat even more. Conditioning them to...............eat even more.
-Unnamed SCPA limestoner
Find the real big fish. Just find him. Mark him and comeback. This is the largest fish hence he eats and eats a lot, but catch him how you ask? Is that really and issue?
-Another unknown spring creek with brook trout
Trout are stupid! That's right! Trout are stupid people!
These fish have been written about, studied and discussed more times than they have been caught! Heck, they have me writing photo essays on them! Are you kidding me?! I have seen trout eat cigarette butts, clumps of algae and bare hooks. These streams changed the entire culture and technique of modern day fly-fishing? They are just some dang fish! They have the IQ of like 2 and we have to plan how to fool them? People ask me all the time about how to catch spring creek trout. I got news for you, you are the dang predator! You tell me! Jesus you think that herons worry about if they are going to catch a fish or not? NO! There is no fail. There is only survive and eat and your worried about catching a fish?! Your at the dang top of the food chain! Its a fishhhhhhhhhhh!
-Yep
See its hard because you think your limited by regulations and tools like C&R Fly-fishing Only Regs & graphite, fiberglass or bamboo rods with flies and yes, you are. We cant go spearing fish or snagging. Its not sporting and its not fair. You don't have to think of it as limited, though and perception of every situation is key. Your never limited because you are human and your at the top of the food chain! Stop it already! Its a fish! Fishing is a blood sport. We are king! We could shoot the heron and trout for that matter if we really wanted too. We are king on the streams and don't forget that, even the herons know it, as they fly away.
-Casting on lower Falling Spring's FFO area. Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography[/
The dark reality of it all is we are the predator, a savage, barbaric and unforgiving species and unfortunately all we do is whine. If we ever got past our humanity, the world would be a dark place.
Lord knows I'm not proud of this last code and forgive me but just break the trout.
I showed you in vol 1 how to plan an attack and approach a hole.
Now I show you how to will it.
-lemonade, summertime sunset fading light and spring creeks, not much time left
This one time while fishing a local hunting clubs freestone stream when I was 10 or so, I learned a code for these streams. I didn't even realize it at the time. This amazingly large trout was in water that didn't even cover its back. When I came walking up the path and crested the bank, I saw it and it saw me. That fish ran upstream under a deep under cut. I stood there for hours, completely enamored by the size of the trout I saw. Jiggling my worm in front of his “cave”. At the time I thought maybe I just angered the fish into biting, but that fish came charging at least 10 feet to destroy my worm. I was young and didn't fully grasp what happened, but I caught the fish. It was so large it broke my 6 pound test while on shore. I creeled the fish. It was a stocker brookie and was amazingly colored. That fish measured 24 inches long and was around 13 inches in girth. It was a beast and to this day, the largest brook trout (stocked or wild) I have ever caught. That fish left an impression in my mind that can never be erased. That fish was angry, it was my Devil Trout.
- The hardest stretch of any spring creek ever. Good luck! This SEPA classic spring was channelized in the 1940's by the Army Corp to control flooding.. Its straight and 2'- 3' deep and silty. It doesnt look dangerous but it is. The sediment and substrate is slowing killing the brook trout population too, which also has a small few lake run fish, eventually one of the last 6 Spring Creeks in PA will lose its brook trout.
Then there will be 5.
If this creek every meanders again, free, with its wetlands, it would be a powerhouse creek.
Its true. It was my Devil Trout. That trout was big and no doubt was conditioned to eat. I have seen Herons, stalk and stalk, but the heron has one advantage you do not. Time. They have no job, no lawn to mow, no bills to pay and no wife and kids at home. This predator can wait. Herons eat large amounts of fish in one day. Mostly by sneaking up on them but sometimes they return several times to one spot in one day. They are hunters in every sense. I've even seen herons move for large trout once they know the fish sees them.
- Falling Spring Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography[/
I was fishing Falling Spring once when this happened. This Heron was hunting fish and saw a decent trout. When that trout saw the heron, the wake went downstream and that bird flew following it. That Heron backed that trout into a section of stream with limited vegetation and habitat. Once that fish was exposed in shallow water, it had no chance.
In angling, one short term aspect of it is called the long wait. This is when you have spooked the fish and you are letting him adjust and feel comfortable again. Maybe even letting them get used to your presence. Ya it works and that is a nice thought. It does happen.
My version of it is to mark the spot in my mind that the fish was located. Return to his feeding lie many times throughout the day and try to stealth my way into his hole and catch him while he is comfortable.
- The Falling Spring Christmas Tree. Its actually lit year round. Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography[/
However, there is one approach that is far different. One dark, twisted and insane approach.
There has been much debate about how long a trout will stay “spooked” and not feed. I have determined through my experiments that they do not stay spooked for long and will continue feeding rather rapidly once the disturbance has past. However, the greater the disturbance, the longer trout stay spooked. What would happen if a trout, had constant disturbance? Would they never eat again and die? I highly doubted that and decided to do a test.
Again find the biggest fish and corner him. He sees you, yes, let him. In fact scare him. Harass the fish. Comeback in intervals. Change the time at which you comeback to the fish. Fish for him for hours on end for long stretches. Follow him when he moves up or down stream. Make sure he knows your casting to him sometimes. Play with its mind, its a stupid fish. Never let the fish leave your sight except to let him feel comfortable for only moment. Strike "pure fear" into the fish. Let it "know" its being hunted and let it think its going to die. I even encourage the use of yelling and calling the fish names.
Crazy?
-Falling Springs bows are generally smaller but can grow large.
You see this is how you become the heron. I not only learned that day observing the heron that I am the predator but that trout, as prey, are limited by their habitat. They can only swim so far being confined to a watery road. You have traveled to this place and you have 2 days to fish. This is one of the most legendary areas in fly-fishing history, where and what else do you have to do? In the beginning the trout will run, hide, drift down stream from you. Follow him at times and sometimes stay back just a little. Watch him do this for hours on end. Some fish this does not work on and they will not re-take their feeding lies or they even find a good place to hide. These fish will not fall for this trick. I have found this approach does not work on Letort fish because Letort habitat is too good, so to say. Letort browns will run downstream and find a deep undercut in cress in 4 foot thick silt. While I'm sure its possible in any other circumstance, you cannot break a Letort Brown. She, the Letort, will not let you.
Because these trout have been conditioned in every aspect of their daily lives, they fall into tendencies. They like particular lies and places to feed. They feel comfortable here and I'm exploiting that comfort.
Day 1 will be ugly. The fish will move around, swim fast and get lock jaw. You will throw flies and have them all rejected. You will be hungry, tired and sore. It is as unpleasant for you as it is for the fish.
Sometimes you can hook them on day one but it is less likely. Harass the fish from morning to night.
Day 2 arrive at the stream just before sun up and the very second you can see, enter the stream and continue. Eventually biological need and conditioning of the fish forces it to eat. Even though you are standing over top of him and he can see the whites of your eyes, though he knows you are there for only him, he has to eat and he will start too. It takes awhile and at first, your not sure, but then you will notice him subtly picking off small morsels because he is afraid to eat anything big, in fear it is a fly. You can even see the large white mouth open and eat.
Now this fish is yours.
- Rainbow from a SEPA limestoner
Lets look at it to the far extreme also. I would be willing to bet that if you harass and wait out the fish even longer, lets say 2 weeks, the fish will eventually be conditioned to your presence. After all the yelling, jumping and harassing the fish, I bet it would be used to the constant disturbance and would no longer be spooked by you.
Don't sound so shocked or appalled by the idea. Almost every single one of us has done this too a fish. Ever go out first day and surround a hole full of trout you can see with 50 other guys? You don't think those fish know you are there? Ever take your kids to a trout rodeo?
You have spent all this money on equipment and flies. You have spent a good portion of your life drifting flies and eventually, you will get a good drift on a small fly. Its only a matter of time. This is fishing for trout past the point of spooking. We have all harassed and spooked trout and yet caught them. Spooked fish do and will eat because they have to eat. It is my belief that 80% or so of the trout you catch in spring creeks knew you were there anyways. You can be stealthy and break down holes and situations, but it really doesn't matter. Those fish not only saw you 40 yards away, its likely they saw you leaving you house before you got there. How far are you willing to go to catch a fish? Are you willing to break a trout? Make it your *itch? You can. Anything is possible on these streams.
This is why I have seen more beginner fly-fisherman land gigantic trout out of these streams that I have caught. I like to fish for sport and once I spook the fish I move on. People get strange around large fish, especially trout. A beginner will get fixed on the “biggest trout they have ever seen” and fish for it past the point of being ridiculous. This is why so many, once a year fisherman, land nice stockies on first day. They stand over top of them and wait them out. They have to eat. They need food like every other living organism.
-Making a long cast on Falling Spring
So you ask how do I catch spring creek trout. Well I showed you in these 3 posts. I pick a battle, then try to crack the code to the hole, then I try to finesse the fish. If none of these approaches work, well then I return a few times that day to the best fish and I try to get lucky. I can tell you this much, you never catch those fish or have that spring creek experience if you continue to hold those trout to such high esteem.
-Coming to the net. Photo Credit Slaymaker Photography[/
It was once said that there is more BS in fly-fishing than a Texas feedlot and I agree with that sediment. The difference is I embrace it. Its the lore and mystery that make it fun and unusual. Fly-fishing is a thinking mans game and a game for unusual people. Here I am, a dad first and a modern day trout bum. I think about it, I read about it and when I have time, I fish. We are a strange lot, chewing tobacco, drinking beer or enjoying a good pipe, we are sportsman. Yet I shop at AC Moore and enjoy doing it. It is the parody that makes this sport wonderful. Its spirited, its funny and sarcastic.
But why do we make it so hard?
Because that BS............................well it smells much better.
"How Many did you spook?"
In case you didn't notice we saw a lot more fish than just out of the water
This Big Letort Brown was in the process of swimming away while you enamored the view
This large Brook Trout is a true trophy. How could you miss him?
OK, ill give you this one because rainbows can be hard to see. Still did you have to wade up through?
But this one? Seriously that was the biggest brookie Ive seen outside of Big Spring and now its sulking!
Looks like you got a spooking problem too. Maybe YOU are my problem and why I'm not catching fish today. Tell you what, why don't you go fish that way and ill go this way.
The past few months I have abandoned bass and have been fishing the spring creeks with all the rain. The pleasent surprise comes from my local spring creek. Once a degraded watershed so badly it was on America's top 10 most degraded watersheds. Today it supports a small population of wild rainbows and some big boys. He is what I found the past few months.
Not too shabby for a creek that was in the top 10 most polluted huh? Brings a tear of Joy to my eye to see the wild fish pop up here and there. Really rekindled that flame....
Visions of her creep into your soul like the morning mist around the river bend,
weaving a inescapable web around your heart that ignites an intense fire of insatiable desire.
Forever I am haunted by these waters.
