The Annual Paflyfish Spring Jamboree is set for May 19-21, 2023

Friday, May 19 is the start of our meetup for the Paflyfish Spring Jamboree Weekend at the Seven Mountains Campground. This is our annual get-together for members of the site to fly fish, tie flies, camp, and share a few stories. We have a lot of fun fishing over some of Pennsylvania's finest streams including the Little J, Penns Creek, Spring Creek, Fishing Creek, and plenty more in the region.

The pavilion at Seven Mountains Campground is rented by Paflyfish and is used as a meeting point during the weekend. Plenty of impromptu conversations, fly-tying, and meet-ups occur at the pavilion.

The weekend is a casual event with fly fishing in a great region of Pennsylvania. As with every year, we will be meeting up in the evenings at the pavilion to catch up on the day's fishing trips. Friday and Saturday mornings we meet for coffee and plan the day. Often plenty of opportunities for some fly tying and casting lessons are shared.

At this time, we will not be going to plan any special speakers or activities. That could change, but there is always plenty of impromptu fly tying, casting lessons, and support on where to fish. So if you are unsure about the area, do not worry there are plenty of members from the site that can help get you started.

Many anglers from the site come up early or stay later after the weekend. Follow this thread for the latest details or ask any questions.

Please contact Sevens Mountain Campground directly if you would like to stay there that weekend. They have a limited number of cabins, RV hook-ups and campsites. I encourage you to make your reservations now.

Dates: Friday – May 19th - Sunday, May 21, 2023

Use the code: PAFLYFISH for a 10% discount.

Sevens Mountain Campground
101 Seven Mountains
Campground Rd.
Spring Mills, PA 16875
(814) 364-1910

 

Leaving this morning (Friday) and should be getting there about 1:30. Maurice, Tom, Dave and I are staying in our usual cabin #58 at the end. Looking forward to seeing everyone.

 

I've created a PDF checklist for myself, feel free to use it as you'd like.... this is basically a list for anywhere I might go fly fishing, so some items may not be relevant.

Yo kb - great list. I also bring chargers for the electronics, cash and credit cards

 

have fun everyone! tight lines to all of you

 

Have the Green Drakes shown up?

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

well half the state of PA showed up...

Is there are better time of year to fish Central PA?

 

Also the state of PA doing their best to mess up our hatches:

State to begin spraying to control spread of spongy moth population

Spongy moths, formerly known as gypsy moths, defoliated 855,406 acres in Pennsylvania last year, DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said in a press release.

www.fox43.com

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced Monday the start of aerial spraying of state-owned woodlands to combat the spread of spongy moths populations poised for spring outbreaks in many areas of the state.

• Bald Eagle, Centre County
• Black Moshannon, Centre County
• Colton Point, Tioga County
• Fowler Hollow, Perry County
• Hyner Run, Clinton County
• Hyner View, Clinton County
• Kettle Creek, Clinton County
• Kings Gap, Cumberland
• Leonard Harrison, Tioga County
• Little Pine, Lycoming County
• Ole Bull, Potter County
• Pine Grove Furnace, Cumberland County
• Poe Paddy, Centre County
• Poe Valley, Centre County
• Promised Land, Pike County
• R.B. Winter, Union County
• Ravensburg, Clinton County
• Sinnemahoning, Cameron County

 

 

You guys got good conditions for the first time in a while. Hopefully everyone hammered them!

 

For me it was tough. Streams were extremely low but a solid 5 degrees below normal (based on same locations during previous jams). Hit Penns, Spring, and BFC plus 1 brookie outing.

Bugs happened everywhere we looked. Saw massive amounts of sulphers at each place, duns and spinners. March browns and a couple drakes too. Early hatches and spinners with cloudy skies overhead. Everything seemed primed, like perfect.

But the fish just didn't really rise. Any given fish might come up once every 20 minutes, with 10 jillion naturals floating over between rises. I managed to catch a couple fish everywhere, but speaking solely to the fishing, it was maybe the worst jam I've had since the total washout year. I have to think water temp had something to do with it. A lot of people had similar experience as us, but a few hit things better, and I believe em, it was really close to being on I think, so a different spot, sure. For anyone still fishing this week I could see things really exploding.

Not complaining though. I've had some good outings this year. The late night party was low key and subdued and ended early, but all the right people were there and I got to catch up with everyone, hang out with some good friends, show Tammy her first jam. I had a great time.

 

FWIW, I will be there and enjoy myself nomatter where we are. But if there's a vote, I'd vote to move the jam next year. The location is nice, and having a lot of cabins is too. But we've worn out our welcome I think. For me the jam is largely a social thing, seeing people you don't see that often. And while everyone still comes to the campground, less go to the actual gathering, are looking over their shoulders the whole time, and stay less time.

Plus it ain't cheap and they really p'd me off with the "on demand" pricing. I reserved, the next day I paid, and they jacked the price like 40%. I asked why and they said as the weekend gets more booked, the remaining cabins go up in price. But they're getting booked because of us. We're doing that. And then saying they give us a 10% discount.
Yeah after jacking the price on us 40%, telling us we can't gather, and all that.

 

I was up Friday. Played a bit in Kish and picked up two wild brownies. My fishing partner took a stocked bow and caught a nice 16 inch brown that was probably the same fish I hit briefly and had it shake the hook. Partner took a fall (t's not a matter of if but when for this individual) and we decided to head back to the truck. Went to a nice little restaurant nearby (Stonefly café) that had phenomenal pizza and sangria.

We took a stroll into camp and did some casting in the lawn by the volleyball net. Some kind older gent was kind enough to let me play around with his own builds. My takeaway from that session was the I REALLY need an Epic 3wt 7ft!

After that we took a trip to Penns. I caught a small wild brown and also had a small one get off. Also had a substantial brown rip off my entire rig as soon as it grabbed my fly. My fishing partner caught a 15 inch native (fallfish), a fish that made me super jealous.

 

FWIW, I will be there and enjoy myself nomatter where we are. But if there's a vote, I'd vote to move the jam next year. The location is nice, and having a lot of cabins is too. But we've worn out our welcome I think. For me the jam is largely a social thing, seeing people you don't see that often. And while everyone still comes to the campground, less go to the actual gathering, are looking over their shoulders the whole time, and stay less time.

Plus it ain't cheap and they really p'd me off with the "on demand" pricing. I reserved, the next day I paid, and they jacked the price like 40%. I asked why and they said as the weekend gets more booked, the remaining cabins go up in price. But they're getting booked because of us. We're doing that. And then saying they give us a 10% discount.
Yeah after jacking the price on us 40%, telling us we can't gather, and all that.

Well said Pat, and I totally agree with you, about the campground AND the fishing. We stopped at Spruce and the Little J on the way home, both pretty dead. I'm sure in the evening things picked up a little, maybe.

 

Anybody totally light it up this weekend? I wanna see the brag posts and pics.

 

Anybody totally light it up this weekend? I wanna see the brag posts and pics.

Not I, though the one I lost that ripped off my entire rig was probably substantial. Just the take of the fish caused a break-off. I couldn't react to what was going on it happened so fast. I've only ever had that happen with steelhead.

If I could brag about something I would.

 

Not I, though the one I lost that ripped off my entire rig was probably substantial. Just the take of the fish caused a break-off. I couldn't react to what was going on it happened so fast. I've only ever had that happen with steelhead.

If I could brag about something I would.

I had that happen a few weeks ago on the EBD (5x tippet, knots shot to hell from a long strikeless day) but went back and got revenge this weekend. Same spot, about the same flows, basically the same take. Turned out to be a 21" wild bow! Go back after him/her again, you might be surprised.

 

We got there too late to get out Friday evening so I just wandered the camp and introduced myself. I cannot recall anyone specific except Turkey and Shakey though. the 1792 full proof may have had something to do with it. It was great to meet everyone in person and to finally set foot on Penn's on Saturday. So many bugs coming off it was hard to tell what they were taking and like others have mentioned with so much choice they were taking their time picking out their meal.

 

I caught a few on Kish, then none on penns for about 1hr fish. Went to fishing creek, fishing 30 mins, skunked... there were some eating emergers almost made me want a tenkara rod, because the beat I fished was smooth as glass.

 

(5x tippet, knots shot to hell from a long strikeless day)

I was unaware that knots got fatigued throughout the day without fish contact but I suppose it is possible. I'm just happy I got to keep my bobber this time around after I broke off. Don't know when I'll be back up to Penns, it has gotten crowded lately and I would rather fish small creeks, but that's just me. The water moves SO fast at Penns in the faster sections that I will have to tight-line it in the future. May have to get an 11 footer to help with this.

 

I did not make it to the campground to formally participate in the Jam, however I did fish BFC Saturday night outside of the narrows. I had an incredible spinner fall, lots of sulfur duns on the water, big caddis laying eggs and green drake duns made an appearance and spent long drifts splashing on the surface.

This enticed very little surface activity. I had one somewhat consistent riser tucked right against the far bank under an over hanging branch that made a drift free presentation nearly impossible. This is common for this section, but fish normally move out into the main channel during big hatches. I stayed well after dark and despite the spinners hitting the water, there was no significant surface activity to speak of.

 

I caught a few on Kish, then none on penns for about 1hr fish. Went to fishing creek, fishing 30 mins, skunked... there were some eating emergers almost made me want a tenkara rod, because the beat I fished was smooth as glass.

Those runs we hit on Penns were pretty rough.