Pohopoco Quandry?

[mcneishm]

I don't fish the Pohopoco often enough to have a real feeling for the stream in terms of the bugs it offers to the trout that live there. Three weeks ago, I fished the long flat below the dam using a nondescript emerger, #16. Lots of fish raising; caught a dozen. Last evening, lots of fish raising, probably 15 fish within easy casting distance, one brown and several false rises. Ugh!

Early on there were a few #16 tan caddis on the water but it did not seem that the fish were taking them. The rises appeared to be taking something in the film, emergers I guessed, but I could not see whatever the insects were. (As it got darker, some of the rises became splashier.) There were a couple of light cahills but too few to elicit the activity I saw. My assumption was they were taking BWOs. I went through emergers from #14 down to #18, caught one brown on a #16, had a few false rises on a #18, but beyond that . . . frustration at scads of rising fish that I could not catch.

For those more familiar with the Pohopoco, what say you? A really dumb angler or super sophisticated trout?

 

[lestrout]

Yo mcne

The splashy rises could be to BWO spinner fall; or since BWO nymphs swim, possibly the emergers. Or caddis emerging.

 

[mcneishm]

I doubt it was the caddis. There were only a few on the water around 7:30 when I arrived and those disappeared as the evening wore on. The riseforms at that time were not your classic splashy caddis rises. It could have been a BWO spinner fall but if it was, I could not see the bugs. I'll go with the emergers tho I will say that the prior time I was there when BWOs were definitely coming off, the emerger pattern I used was very effective.

 

[Bamboozle]

Don't fish the the "Big Crick" part of the Po, but it sounds like if you had a size 16 or 18 all black EWC to imitate the Little Black Caddis you might have caught a few more.

Little Black Caddis appear on most eastern PA streams around this time of year at or around dusk and are almost impossible to spot unless you get your head almost level with the water so you can see them doing their dance inches above.

 

[JeffK]

This is a general answer, but when I can't see anything on the water and the fish are rising I try a size 18 rusty spinner. Then again, some days I just can't figure it out - it's part of fly fishing.

Caddis can be tough to figure out. Some times they are on the caddis spinners which few people fish. If it is some form of emerger sometimes swinging wets when it gets dark works (some times it doesn't)

 

[ryansheehan]

JeffK wrote:
This is a general answer, but when I can't see anything on the water and the fish are rising I try a size 18 rusty spinner. Then again, some days I just can't figure it out - it's part of fly fishing.

Caddis can be tough to figure out. Some times they are on the caddis spinners which few people fish. If it is some form of emerger sometimes swinging wets when it gets dark works (some times it doesn't)

Caddis "spinners" are picked off under the water most of the time. They lay their eggs on the bottom and weakly swim to the surface. I'm not sure I've heard anyone describe a caddis as a spinner but I think I get what you mean.

 

[redietz]

ryansheehan wrote:

JeffK wrote:
This is a general answer, but when I can't see anything on the water and the fish are rising I try a size 18 rusty spinner. Then again, some days I just can't figure it out - it's part of fly fishing.

Caddis can be tough to figure out. Some times they are on the caddis spinners which few people fish. If it is some form of emerger sometimes swinging wets when it gets dark works (some times it doesn't)

Caddis "spinners" are picked off under the water most of the time. They lay their eggs on the bottom and weakly swim to the surface. I'm not sure I've heard anyone describe a caddis as a spinner but I think I get what you mean.

You're right, depending on how you define "spinner". Since caddis don't really have them as such, it could mean two different things:

1) Ovipositing (egg-laying) caddis, which as you say, are mainly picked off underwater. Swinging a wet fly, or fishing an Elk Hair Caddis wet can really pay off. Not all species of caddis swim underwater to lay their eggs, however. (See "Egg-Lying Behavior on the page Troutnut Caddisfly.)

2) Spent caddis, ie. those that have already laid their eggs, died and are now floating. The Adams was originally tied with spent wings to represent exactly this, and it still works from time-to-time. You can Google "spent caddis fly" to find modern flies that represent the same thing.

 

[Tigereye]

That happens alot on the Lehigh also. If you are fishing a glide check the activity upstream at the nearest large riffle. Sometimes egg laying caddis drown and get washed down and trout feed on them there.

When I get frustrated on those mysterious rise occasions I like to use a royal wulff. " Throw 'em a candy bar". Like kid you can offer them the finest meal and they still go for dessert. Doesn't work all the time but enough to save your sanity.

 

[Dave_W]

Good advice on trying a Wulf.

Not a Pohopoco regular here...
However, this time of year (late May into July) if I encounter a fish sipping mystery bugs that won't take the typical flies and presentations, I like to rest that fish for a few minutes and then serve him a #18 black ant.
Trust me, try it sometime.

 

[Vaughn]

Good advice Dave. The ant trick worked for me on McMichael creek Sunday afternoon. It is a trick I need to remind myself to try more often.

 

[lestrout]

Not so much for the Po, but a switchup with another terrestial, a plopped beetle, works too. Especially for stockies, excise the legs, attennae, wings, appendages - and brown is better. Color about the same as Purina Cat Chow (ha!).

 

[trout48]

Hey Les how are you doing. Hope fishing is going well.You have an open invitation for the fall actually any time you want. Hope all is well. Nick

 

[JackM]

I think a splashy rise is also common when craneflies are active.

 

[acesedgley]

I was in Jim Thorpe a couple weekends ago, and wanted to see where this creek starts below the dam, but could not see where to access. Last week one of my colleagues told me she was at a reception at the Grange , and that she thinks the road onto the Grange property continues on down toward the creek.
Is that what I needed to follow?

 

[JeffK]

Yes. The dam is at the end of Old Mill Rd, where M&H Marine & Sports Center is, so you can follow their signs. Old Mill splits from Pohopoco Drive. But if coming from the east a short cut is to turn down Grange Rd to get to Old Mill. Coming from the west, if you come to the grange you have gone too far, so just go down Grange Rd to get back to Old Mill rather than turning around.

 

[phiendWMD]

acesedgley wrote:
I was in Jim Thorpe a couple weekends ago, and wanted to see where this creek starts below the dam, but could not see where to access. Last week one of my colleagues told me she was at a reception at the Grange , and that she thinks the road onto the Grange property continues on down toward the creek.
Is that what I needed to follow?

The directions Jeff mentioned will get you there. For the future, if you have a smart phone, you can just drop a pin in Google Maps to the place you want to end up. More often than not, this will get you there or as close as possible.