Skunked but Improving

[RCFetter]

I hit the Pennypack around 4PM and fished until 7:30pm. Stream was clear and water temp was 62F. I hooked a small trout (it looked like a Rainbow) on a size 12 hare's ear (w/ gold ribbing) but lost it when it jumped. I tried other flies including a white bead headed nymph, an elk hair caddis and some wet stone flies. I also tried an old size 8 muddler that floated like a piece of balsa wood. It was funny.

Otherwise my casting has improved greatly thanks to Foxgap and a free 45 min lesson last week from HA. I'm not getting much distance but that may be due to only having a 71/2 foot 4wt rod . I have an 8' 6wt that I never used so maybe I'll try that next time.

I saw a lot of trout in the water. I did not see a hatch but they were aggressively attacking something on the surface. That started around 5:30PM.

I did not get frustrated and hope to get out again in a few days.

 

[docsab]

Hey RC, where do you fish the Pennypack? I'm in Wrightstown, not far from Doylestown, and am interested in exploring some new spots. I imagine that area gets some pretty heavy fishing pressure.

 

[Phish_On]

Its not the length of the rod. I can bomb out my 7'6". Practicing in the yard will help you improve. Try swinging buggers, they are easy to fish, can't really do it wrong. Get confident hooking an landing fish first then move to 'harder' flies to fish. Just my .02$

 

[Phish_On]

P.s. they where prolly hitting some kind of emerger. Especially if it started at 5-530. There was prolly a hatch if you would have stayed later.

 

[Volksnurse]

RC,
I've had good results on the PP with pretty much any slim, dark or tan nymph or emerger. There aren't many big hatches, but a caddis or a midge will usually get a fish's interest.

I haven't been out on the PP for a few weeks....how were the temps?

 

[RCFetter]

docsab wrote:
Hey RC, where do you fish the Pennypack? I'm in Wrightstown, not far from Doylestown, and am interested in exploring some new spots. I imagine that area gets some pretty heavy fishing pressure.

I fish off of Verree Road and in Lorimer Park in Montgomery County. It does not get too much pressure a week or so after a stocking.
Off of Verree Road, I walk about 1.5 mi east and catch some nice trout. The Pennypack does have hold overs by the stream gets very warm by mid June or at least I've never tried it beyond mid June.

 

[RCFetter]

Phish_On wrote:
P.s. they where prolly hitting some kind of emerger. Especially if it started at 5-530. There was prolly a hatch if you would have stayed later.

Thanks Phish_On. I'm going to pick up some olive buggers tomorrow. I do practice in the back yard but when I'm on stream I'm thinking about too many things. If I stick to wolly buggers and practice tying tippet to leader I know I'll do better.

I'm dealing with the same issues as Stagger.

In terms of hatches, I've only seen what I would call small balls of black micro gnats a few feet above or along side the stream.

I've seen trout sipping and splashing at sunset but never with a hatch.

 

[RCFetter]

Volksnurse wrote:
RC
...........

I haven't been out on the PP for a few weeks....how were the temps?

Water temp on Monday around 6pm was 62F.

 

[RCFetter]

RCFetter wrote:

I've seen trout sipping and splashing at sunset but never with a hatch.

I should note that the above is pretty much explained by pcray in another thread where he explained:


"You can tell a lot from HOW they rise. There are boils, sips/dimples, gulps, porpoising, splashy/jumpy rises, etc. They generally all mean something different.

Really splashy rises, mixed with actual leaps, generally means they are actively chasing something up to the surface, and more often than not that would be some sort of caddis. A typical midge rise would be more like sips/dimples, with no splashing, just a little ring on the water. Often spinners are the same way. A boil is very often mayfly emergers or nymphs in the surface film, i.e. something just under the surface. Porpoising is typically taking something that is truly floating, like a dun."