Spring Creek Sulphurs

A

alatt

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Feb 23, 2010
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Went last night (5/11) to my favorite spot on spring, had been doing well with sulphurs but last night the hatch didn't start till 8pm and it wasn't as heavy as it has been. I was between Bellefonte and the paradise. I was wondering if anyone else experienced the same. Because the sulphurs started a little earlier this year are they winding down.
 
Warmer weather will make them start hatching later in the evening
 
Damn, forgot that. I think it was very close to 80. Thanks for the reply
 
alatt said:
Went last night (5/11) to my favorite spot on spring, had been doing well with sulphurs but last night the hatch didn't start till 8pm and it wasn't as heavy as it has been. I was between Bellefonte and the paradise. I was wondering if anyone else experienced the same. Because the sulphurs started a little earlier this year are they winding down.
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I was there last Friday and it was a stuttering light hatch with not many fish coming up but a pod of enthusiastic 7-10” trout under a stream side bush kept me busy for 30 min and caught 5 of em then moved on and caught a 12” in next pool up and it went dead
 
I haven’t hit a “good” Sulphur hatch on Spring in probably 5 or 6 years. My last “good” Sulphur hatch on Spring was that rainy, drizzly day on Jam weekend a few years ago where they rose all day like morons and everyone caught like 1000, or something silly like that. Anyone who was there I’m sure remembers it, as everyone I talked to had their best day ever on Spring that day.

Maybe they’re still full from that? A couple times since I’ve stayed til past dark, and never even made a cast. No bugs, no fish rising, and I didn’t feel like nymphing. Maybe I’ve just had some bad luck with the timing of my outings, but they were all second half of May, when you can usually count on Sulphurs, even if it is an all at once, right at dark deal.

YMMV, but that, coupled with the crowds and the overall setting have had me migrating to some of the other “big” limestoners for my hatch chasing as of late. I’d much rather sit on a log, drink beer, and get my butt kicked by Penns, than by Spring.

I’ll be up for a long weekend the first week in June. I have no plans to fish Spring, unless everything else gets blown out. Even then, I may just fish Brookie streams til dark instead.
 
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There was a good sulphur hatch on May 4. About half were the big sulphurs (size 14) and about half small sulphurs (size 16). So yes, they did start early.
 
troutbert said:
There was a good sulphur hatch on May 4. About half were the big sulphurs (size 14) and about half small sulphurs (size 16). So yes, they did start early.
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No size 15’s? That’s what I usually carry.
 
certainly not winding down. Sulphur have been a bit inconsistent in the Centre/Blair/huntingdon areas compared to recent years- meaning harder to predict. That's my observations on 4 different creeks, 8 different locations. But they are out.
 
It's been hit or miss for me on Spring w/Sulphurs so far this season. The other night, I had the most action on #18 BWOs with steady hatch and steady risers. I popped a few on #22 Hi-Viz Griffiths Gnat too. Saw some #14-#16 Sulphurs but #s were very sparse so I didn't even bother tying one on. I agree w/Swattie...I wasn't at the Jam, but I do remember being on Spring several years ago- I think it was on a Sat but could've been a Sun. Was mid-morning mostly cloudy out and FFP and just downstream was absolutely lit. I could do no wrong. The last time I experienced Sulphurs like that was on Allenberry/YB back in the 90s. Would love to get on a hatch like that again.
 
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Dear Board,

In 1996 on a suggestion from Dan Shields at Flyfisher's Paradise my brother Terry and I rented a cabin at Musick's Modern Cabins for the week before Memorial Day. Located in Aaronsburg, they were literally 20 to 30 minutes from everywhere. We were excited to fish Spring, Penns, BFC and maybe even the Little J. Mrs. Musick even cleaned up and made our beds, and their golden retriever was rooting around outside our bedroom window every morning at 5:30 AM to make sure we didn't oversleep.

The first evening we went to Spring Creek, caught a spinner fall, fished till 10:00 PM. The next day and every day after we spent all of our time on Spring Creek. It was bank full and filled with the limey green water and the fishing was incredible. Dry fly fishing started every day by 9:00AM coincident with our arrival onstream. Sometimes it was tan caddis but mostly it was Sulphur's.

We closed out the week on the Susky fishing the Shamokin Dam side of the river in the big pool below the Flubberdam. Every smallmouth in the river from Port Trevorton on upriver was off the spawn and chasing bait in that pool. It was a glorious end to a perfect week!

Regards,

Tim Murphy :)
 
I too fished Spring in late 90’s. I made the near 6+hr ride yearly from eastern CT. We’d fish the early afternoon sulphers then jump in the car for an early dinner at Schnitzels in Belefonte so we could get back for the spinner fall. On the way back to the river there were spots along that backroad that followed the river where we’d drive thru clouds of sulpher spinners with their orange egg sacs. Incredible hatches that rivaled anywhere I’ve fished in the country. I’m dating myself here but that area down where the abutments were in front of the Rivera and down stream was just spectacular fishing with a brown trout behind every rock.
 
I think that cool down over last few weeks put the brakes on it. Fished Tuesday evening up from Benner and hatch wasnt very good. Risers about last 30 minutes before dark. Wednesday Penns was slow and the hatch really never got going at least by 8:15 when I left. Thursday the J was great and I was very satisfied and left by 8.

Today should be great anywhere.
 
Swattie87 said:
I haven’t hit a “good” Sulphur hatch on Spring in probably 5 or 6 years. My last “good” Sulphur hatch on Spring was that rainy, drizzly day on Jam weekend a few years ago where they rose all day like morons and everyone caught like 1000, or something silly like that. Anyone who was there I’m sure remembers it, as everyone I talked to had their best day ever on Spring that day.
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I was on Spring Creek the day Swattie is referring to. It was the most incredible sulphur hatch I have ever witnessed. Among the clouds and the drizzle midday it was like someone flipped a switch and the whole creek started boiling with feeding trout and it lasted for hours right up till darkness set in. I vividly remember fishing the last hour in a fairly heavy rain, soaked to the bone and catching fish on every cast. It was impossible to see your fly or keep it floating with the intensity of the rain - but it didn’t matter. If you would have been fishing a dry/dropper rig you probably would have doubled up at least every other cast. I feel so fortunate to have witnessed and participated in that sulphur hatch! I haven’t seen anything remotely close since and more than likely won’t, but it’s what keeps us coming back!
 
Swattie87 said:
I haven’t hit a “good” Sulphur hatch on Spring in probably 5 or 6 years. My last “good” Sulphur hatch on Spring was that rainy, drizzly day on Jam weekend a few years ago where they rose all day like morons and everyone caught like 1000, or something silly like that. Anyone who was there I’m sure remembers it, as everyone I talked to had their best day ever on Spring that day.

Maybe they’re still full from that? A couple times since I’ve stayed til past dark, and never even made a cast. No bugs, no fish rising, and I didn’t feel like nymphing. Maybe I’ve just had some bad luck with the timing of my outings, but they were all second half of May, when you can usually count on Sulphurs, even if it is an all at once, right at dark deal.

YMMV, but that, coupled with the crowds and the overall setting have had me migrating to some of the other “big” limestoners for my hatch chasing as of late. I’d much rather sit on a log, drink beer, and get my butt kicked by Penns, than by Spring.

I’ll be up for a long weekend the first week in June. I have no plans to fish Spring, unless everything else gets blown out. Even then, I may just fish Brookie streams til dark instead.
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I was there that day. One of my best days on Spring Creek. I was all wet, but there was no way I was gonna leave with that hatch happening for much of the afternoon.
 
recently fished Spring and Little J

spring had minimal sulphurs w few risers
little j had bwo spinners/caddis/sulphurs w/many risers

TCO- my cousin bought studs but tco wouldn't install- boots were too dirty! WTF
 
6xAdams(Jones) said:
Are those tied with frog hair dubbing and unicorn tail parachute posts?
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If you choose to.

You can buy odd size hooks, size 15, 17 etc. I've thought about doing that but haven't so far.

For BWOs, I think a size 17 would be pretty nice. I don't like using a hook as small as #18. I use size 16 for BWOs, and just tie the pattern small, but size 16 is a little large. A size 17 hook might be perfect.
 
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