Prepping for Spring

[SmittyTheSquatch]

Hey all!

I'm looking forward to some warmer weather and are starting to tie with that as the focus. Being my first spring in PA, I'm wanting to fill out my boxes in preparation. I have been tying some sucker spawn eggs the past few days since I am hearing that is a thing around here which wasn't something I had tied before albeit a little low brow. Loading up on greenie weenies and black elk hair caddis are on my to do list for soon as well. All three of these patterns are patterns I had not used before over my years.

This got me thinking. Anyone have any other specific patterns or suggestions on what to tie up that might be useful in PA? I have loads of Waltz Worms, hares ears, sowbugs and PT nymphs. Just wondering if there is anything else I shouldn't be without for the upcoming warmer months.

 

[albatross]

Sky Blue's PA Hatch Chart

Site sponsor Sky Blue Outfitters has a PA hatch chart that covers the main hatches. Don't forget about the brood XIV cicadas coming this year.

 

[SmittyTheSquatch]

Sky Blue's PA Hatch Chart

Site sponsor Sky Blue Outfitters has a PA hatch chart that covers the main hatches. Don't forget about the brood XIV cicadas coming this year.

Thanks! I forgot I had got the cicadas covered a few weeks ago. Should be fun!

 

[Nocktavius]

If I were to sit down and tie tomorrow for the next 3-4 months- it would be (in order of increasing time to get done) salmon roe and peach colored eggstacy eggs, black colored France flies, some kind of BWO nymph (WD-40 comes to mind), BWO smokejumpers or another CDC emerger, caddis pupa/peeking caddis, olive Walt’s and sexy Walt’s, GTI caddis, a CDC and elk spent caddis in Grannom colors, some Hendrickson emergers and duns, and some good heavy 3.8 and 4.6 Pats Rubber legs in coffee and golden stone colors.

Combine these with your pheasant tails and hares ear variants in size 10-20- and you should be able to handle anything that PA throws at you

 

[SmittyTheSquatch]

If I were to sit down and tie tomorrow for the next 3-4 months- it would be (in order of increasing time to get done) salmon roe and peach colored eggstacy eggs, black colored France flies, some kind of BWO nymph (WD-40 comes to mind), BWO smokejumpers or another CDC emerger, caddis pupa/peeking caddis, olive Walt’s and sexy Walt’s, GTI caddis, a CDC and elk spent caddis in Grannom colors, some Hendrickson emergers and duns, and some good heavy 3.8 and 4.6 Pats Rubber legs in coffee and golden stone colors.

Combine these with your pheasant tails and hares ear variants in size 10-20- and you should be able to handle anything that PA throws at you

This is a really solid list and what I was hoping for. Few of these weren't even on my radar. Thank you!

Do love me some WD-40s when spring comes tho! Are Pats used pretty commonly around here? I feel like I haven't heard as much about big stoneflies in PA.

 

[Brianh]

I would add March Browns, Grey Fox's and definitely Rusty Spinners.

 

[Bamboozle]

I realize you are from State College, but there are more than a few places in PA where you'd be lucky to encounter more than few important hatches...

The first thing I'd do is try and define the places you plan to fish first and most often. After that, look up hatch charts for those streams so you don't waste time tying a bunch of flies you will never need and tie the flies you need first, first.

Welcome to PA!

 

[TerrellBFly]

Caddis, Caddis, and more Caddis. For every section of the water column. Top to bottom, in my opinion the most prevalent type of hatching aquatic insect in PA - at least in central/western PA. Additionally, I find that rainbow warriors and midges get the job done routinely.

 

[Nocktavius]

I would add March Browns, Grey Fox's and definitely Rusty Spinners.

He said next 3-4 months so I didn’t go past Hendrickson/Grannom time. Late spring and summer mayflies will be a whole other list of nymphs, emergers, and surface patterns of varying life cycle stages. I kept the list fairly simple bc it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the Latin names and hatch stages- but the reality is many central PA trout will take some form of an emerger (CDC, dubbing and Antron tail) as long as it’s the right size and riding drag free.

To piggyback on my original comment to the OP- seems you’re fairly new to PA. Would recommend your basic complement of nymphs and emergers but then buying a few dry fly patterns from fly shops located along the waters you plan to fish (aka NOT TCO). You will copy and change these patterns throughout the hatch (sometimes frantically tying 6 bugs before allowing yourself to drive to the creek). This is the best way to get on some fish quickly while also learning the best hackle, dubbing colors, sizes and proportions to match the local bugs. Meanwhile keep banging out dozens of those confidence nymphs to fill your boxes. You’ll lose way more of those anyway.

Also add some wooly buggers and squirmies and chartreuse mops to your list for those inevitable high water days

 

[SmittyTheSquatch]

Caddis, Caddis, and more Caddis. For every section of the water column. Top to bottom, in my opinion the most prevalent type of hatching aquatic insect in PA - at least in central/western PA. Additionally, I find that rainbow warriors and midges get the job done routinely.

That was actually kind of my thinking from the research I've been doing. I need to stock up on some different caddis the most when I look at my boxes. Gonna start with some sparkle pupas and then work from there is my first thought.

 

[SmittyTheSquatch]

He said next 3-4 months so I didn’t go past Hendrickson/Grannom time. Late spring and summer mayflies will be a whole other list of nymphs, emergers, and surface patterns of varying life cycle stages. I kept the list fairly simple bc it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the Latin names and hatch stages- but the reality is many central PA trout will take some form of an emerger (CDC, dubbing and Antron tail) as long as it’s the right size and riding drag free.

To piggyback on my original comment to the OP- seems you’re fairly new to PA. Would recommend your basic complement of nymphs and emergers but then buying a few dry fly patterns from fly shops located along the waters you plan to fish (aka NOT TCO). You will copy and change these patterns throughout the hatch (sometimes frantically tying 6 bugs before allowing yourself to drive to the creek). This is the best way to get on some fish quickly while also learning the best hackle, dubbing colors, sizes and proportions to match the local bugs. Meanwhile keep banging out dozens of those confidence nymphs to fill your boxes. You’ll lose way more of those anyway.

Also add some wooly buggers and squirmies and chartreuse mops to your list for those inevitable high water days

Thanks for all the suggestions! Trying to get ahead before I wanna be out fishing every day and not at the vise! I feel like Hendrickson/Grannom are kind of new to me, so I might focus on those for a bit.

I'll be interested to see what high water days look like around here as well. Had a few really good days back in August when the water was up a bit higher than I had seen it since.

 

[BruceC2C]

Glancing thru the 11 previous entries.

did not see mention of Perdigon

I think Kelly Galloup must b stalking this site😎

 

[TerrellBFly]

Thanks for all the suggestions! Trying to get ahead before I wanna be out fishing every day and not at the vise! I feel like Hendrickson/Grannom are kind of new to me, so I might focus on those for a bit.

I'll be interested to see what high water days look like around here as well. Had a few really good days back in August when the water was up a bit higher than I had seen it since.

High water = turbidity = STREAMERS 🙂

 

[MJMFlyfisher]

BWO - nymphs and dries....little sparkle duns and parachutes. I'm hard on the nymphs so I tie a lot.
Blue Quills, Hendricksons, Quill Gordons. - Just making sure I have enough of each. Especially the Hendrickson dries.
Scuds & Cressbugs - Can never have too many. They're quick and expendable so I rip through a bunch. Same goes for Waltz worms.
Sucker Spawn - A winter staple.
Dork Flies - Sorry that's what we call them. 😁 These include "Other" egg patterns like glo bugs, san juan worms in red and tan/brown, green weenies, red hots, mop flies, wooly buggers. (I still refuse to tie squirmy wormies just on principle LOL) I like having a box of these things in case we wind up around a freshly stocked delayed harvest or something. I don't include sucker spawn in the dork flies category because they feel more sophisticated being a match the hatch and all!
Grannoms - Dry and pupa (I'm always lacking on these because I keep missing the hatch)
Stonefly nymphs - Always have to have some nice juicy golden stone nymphs for a few streams. A good chunky meal for those early cold season fish.
Griffiths Gnat - Always have to have a bunch of these for those first early risers, any midging fish, and even blue wing olive hatches they'll take these mixed in.
March Brown / Gray fox dries - Almost forgot! Which I did last year and is why I'm still low on dries. That's gonna be a priority in the next week!

😁

 

[Brianh]

He said next 3-4 months so I didn’t go past Hendrickson/Grannom time. Late spring and summer mayflies will be a whole other list of nymphs, emergers, and surface patterns of varying life cycle stages. I kept the list fairly simple bc it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the Latin names and hatch stages- but the reality is many central PA trout will take some form of an emerger (CDC, dubbing and Antron tail) as long as it’s the right size and riding drag free.

To piggyback on my original comment to the OP- seems you’re fairly new to PA. Would recommend your basic complement of nymphs and emergers but then buying a few dry fly patterns from fly shops located along the waters you plan to fish (aka NOT TCO). You will copy and change these patterns throughout the hatch (sometimes frantically tying 6 bugs before allowing yourself to drive to the creek). This is the best way to get on some fish quickly while also learning the best hackle, dubbing colors, sizes and proportions to match the local bugs. Meanwhile keep banging out dozens of those confidence nymphs to fill your boxes. You’ll lose way more of those anyway.

Also add some wooly buggers and squirmies and chartreuse mops to your list for those inevitable high water days

Rusty Spinners imitate the spinners of most mayflies, so they will be used starting with the early quill gordon and blue quill hatches, through march browns and Grey foxes. (mid to end of May). Then you can move on to sulphers.

 

[SmittyTheSquatch]

High water = turbidity = STREAMERS 🙂

I'm hoping so! I feel like I have only picked off the occasional trout with the streamers since I've been here, but the water has been really low since I got here in August.