The LJ and Spruce

[FiveWeight]

Fished The Gorge/Barree section of the LJ and Spruce on Sunday and Monday. Water is low, slow, cool and clear on the LJ. Caught plenty of healthy looking browns and a few bows. Two of the browns were very nice sized. Most were 12 to 16 inch range. One of the better browns might have been one I've been catching in close to the same spot for the last several years. He's not 30in but it's close. More likely 27 or so. Very, few risers. Yet I caught all on hoppers, hornet/wasp, and black foam ant patterns.

Spruce at the LJ was tough fishing. Caught browns there also but, I worked for um. The Harvey section of Spruce seems really tight and closed in with greenery this year. Yes, I know it is every year but, it just seemed more so to me on this trip. Little blue winged olives and adams dries worked well on the handful of browns I brought to hand there. In all cases size mattered little. I'd start small and would get frustrated not seeing the fly and go larger. It didn't mater. If you have a chance to get on these waters in the coming months, don't hesitate to make the trip.


I don't post here much anymore. You've got some strange posters here that talk in a cryptic language that makes no sense and yet people keep responding. Life is to short to deal with know it alls and those that think they know it all. Just thought I'd promote the two waters that I call home. Just get out there and go fishing. It's way better than talking about it.

 

[Zak]

Wish you'd have posted a pic of the 27" brown. That is an impressive fish!!

 

[timbow]

FiveWeight wrote:
He's not 30in but it's close. More likely 27 or so.

So, you're telling me you caught a 27" brown on the J?

 

[FiveWeight]

Zak wrote:
Wish you'd have posted a pic of the 27" brown. That is an impressive fish!!

I don't carry fone or camera while on the water. Although I do have a nice small waterproof camera I just don't see how guys become a photographer midstream. I don't carry a net normally and I rarely ever take a fish out of the water to pull the fly. Between the rod tucked under my armpit or down by my boot underwater, forceps in hand.... The picture is usually the last thing on my mind. And it's a rare day that I fish with somebody at my shoulder with a camera. I have given thought about going the GoPro deal here lately though or something similar. I actually wish I had a shot of him also. It is an impressive fish. I can't get my hand around him and I tell myself every time I bring him to hand that I'm going to take my nippers and notch a fin so I know it's him the next time but, I never do.

 

[timbow]

Call me a skeptic, but while the J could very well hold some fish of this size, I'm not sure I believe a fish like this is sitting around eating terrestrials mid-day. The J receives way to much pressure for a fish to make it to that size by being that careless. And add that you have caught him or a similar sized one multiple times?

 

[FiveWeight]

timbow wrote:

FiveWeight wrote:
He's not 30in but it's close. More likely 27 or so.

So, you're telling me you caught a 27" brown on the J?

Nope. I didn't say that. I rarely have ever caught a trout on the J.

 

[rrt]

For timbow: There well could be a 27" inch brown eating terrestrials on the J down from the homewaters club that had left the club's property. Fish on the club are probably used to rising for pellets, and the plop of a hopper could well mimic the plop of pellets. So, I'd say it's more likely than unlikely.

For 5-weight -- Sounds like you had a nice outing. And, no matter how that fish got there, it's a fine accomplishment to land a fish (I Imagine it was a trout, though you say you rarely have ever caught a trout on the J!) while using a dry fly.

 

[timbow]

rrt wrote:
For timbow: There well could be a 27" inch brown eating terrestrials on the J down from the homewaters club that had left the club's property. Fish on the club are probably used to rising for pellets, and the plop of a hopper could well mimic the plop of pellets. So, I'd say it's more likely than unlikely.

For 5-weight -- Sounds like you had a nice outing. And, no matter how that fish got there, it's a fine accomplishment to land a fish (I Imagine it was a trout, though you say you rarely have ever caught a trout on the J!) while using a dry fly.

I thought Donny only stocked rainbows? I could very much believe a 27” Beaver fish being caught but again I didn’t think they stocked Browns?

 

[Wild_Trouter]

You also need to account for the fish that come down Spruce from Evergreen Farms. They stock everything there, and I know I have caught their fish several miles down in the J. I buy FiveWeight's report. I just fished that area two weeks ago (both Spruce in Harvey section- good for some garden variety wild browns and a very large mutant rainbow), and then in the afternoon, I headed down to the J below the fly shop and caught a large obviously stocked brook trout that gave no fight whatsoever along with some cookie cutter browns and fallfish.

 

[Swattie87]

FiveWeight wrote:
I don't post here much anymore. You've got some strange posters here that talk in a cryptic language that makes no sense and yet people keep responding. Life is to short to deal with know it alls and those that think they know it all. Just thought I'd promote the two waters that I call home. Just get out there and go fishing. It's way better than talking about it.

I am rejoiced that you have sustainable the enlightenment to forthright release your catches upon the river world whilst holding a rod of the gods, and not capturing their souls via your spectacle machine of death. Spread your memoir of virtues upon the hills and valleys!

 

[timbow]

I stand corrected. Nice fish, regardless of its origins.

 

[maxima12]

Fiveweight, glad you read my posts!

Maxima12

 

[FarmerDave]

maxima12 wrote:
Fiveweight, glad you read my posts!

Maxima12

Not only is that funny, I think it is the shortest post you ever made.;-)

 

[afishinado]

Swattie87 wrote:

FiveWeight wrote:
I don't post here much anymore. You've got some strange posters here that talk in a cryptic language that makes no sense and yet people keep responding. Life is to short to deal with know it alls and those that think they know it all. Just thought I'd promote the two waters that I call home. Just get out there and go fishing. It's way better than talking about it.

I am rejoiced that you have sustainable the enlightenment to forthright release your catches upon the river world whilst holding a rod of the gods, and not capturing their souls via your spectacle machine of death. Spread your memoir of virtues upon the hills and valleys!

I agree with Swattie ^

I rarely ever have a camera with me fishing and my phone is usually tucked in somewhere in a pocket under my waders in a zip-lock baggie. At times I regret not getting pics, but c'est la vie.....

I also agree that big browns come down from the private waters on Spruce all the time.

Nice catch FiveWeight!

 

[FiveWeight]

You guys seem to be somewhat confused on what river I was fishing. I can't recall ever catching a trout on the Juniata River. My camp sits on the Juniata at the confluence of the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River and the main stem of the Juniatia River. I'm talking about the gorge/Barree section of the Little Juniatia River. Green Hills/Rothrock State Park area and up through the first trussel. Those that doubt about huge stream bred Browns in that water more than likely have never fished it or haven't fished it very much. Sure you'll catch some that escape the upstream stocked area every now and then. You want a large brown? Bring your meat streamer, sculpin box or just terrestrial box this time of year and give it a go from the dead end parking lot up to at least the first trussel and a little beyond. You'll be shocked at what you tie into. I don't post this **** look'n for a hard time. I post because I hope it entices somebody to get out there on these waters and see for themselves. I've been fishing the two waters for just a short time now, I guess it's come'n up on 30 years now. Give it a shot. See what the LJ holds. And this is why I don't post here that often anymore. It's always the hassle and the bullshit. Oh, I've got rhino skin and can take it but, I just don't have the time for it. The page has proven again that regardless of what gets posted. Somebody is going to throw negativity at ya. I'll give it another shot in six months or so.

 

[FiveWeight]

afishinado wrote:

Swattie87 wrote:

FiveWeight wrote:
I don't post here much anymore. You've got some strange posters here that talk in a cryptic language that makes no sense and yet people keep responding. Life is to short to deal with know it alls and those that think they know it all. Just thought I'd promote the two waters that I call home. Just get out there and go fishing. It's way better than talking about it.

I am rejoiced that you have sustainable the enlightenment to forthright release your catches upon the river world whilst holding a rod of the gods, and not capturing their souls via your spectacle machine of death. Spread your memoir of virtues upon the hills and valleys!

I agree with Swattie ^


Thanks
I rarely ever have a camera with me fishing and my phone is usually tucked in somewhere in a pocket under my waders in a zip-lock baggie. At times a regret not getting pics, but c'est la vie.....

I also agree that big browns come down from the private waters on Spruce all the time.

Nice catch FiveWeight!

 

[Canoetripper]

maxima12,

I always read your posts and am a fan of them.

 

[Swattie87]

“Lighten up Francis.”

We all knew where you were fishing.

 

[PennKev]

There are fish far bigger than 27" in Spruce thanks to feeding/stocking. The Indian Caverns property had multiple such fish when it was still a commercial tourist spot and they sold fish food to throw in the water. In fact, I once saw a brookie that was easily 15"+ there too. And that was just one such spot on spruce. It is not unreasonable to think that a giant fish winds up in the LJR from time to time. Fairly large bows are common below Spruce and I suspect most come from Spruce.

On the other hand I've seen so many overestimated fish pictures online that I no longer believe anyone's estimates on fish size. There's a lot of 18" trout masquerading as 22" fish out there.

I guess what I'm saying is that I believe it is very possible but would need to see a pic to believe that particular fish was actually that big, if that makes any kind of sense.

 

[dryflyguy]

Getting back to the spirit of the original post, I also enjoy being on the little j in fall.
And really looking forward to it this year. With all the rain and high water this spring, I had very little chance to fish the little j as much as I like to.

I also catch lots of fish there on terrestrials in the fall. Along with slate drakes and BWO's