Valley Creek Stoneflies

[salmo]

Does Valley Creek in Chester County have any stoneflies? If so what species and when do they hatch?

 

[Dave_W]

I don't know if VC has stoneflies however this question generated significant debate awhile back. If you do a search of some of the old VC threads you can probably find the discussion.

 

[Anthony]

I see them couple years ago. Late February and March.

 

[vcregular]

No.

 

[AndyP]

Jake is correct. No.

 

[fadeaway263]

Walt's Worm. Did I happen to mention Walt's Worm?

 

[Anthony]

I'm sorry I meant little black stone flies in February and March.

 

[vcregular]

No. It does not have them either.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

 

[foxtrapper1972]

Does Valley Creek have any Pink Cahills?

 

[Swattie87]

foxtrapper1972 wrote:
Does Valley Creek have any Pink Cahills?

Yes. But they're usually after the Yellow Humpy's, which are after the Royal Wulff's. I saw a few rogue Royals starting to pop last week but I don't think even they've started in full yet.

As far as stoneflies, as I recall, Valley has them. They are BIG and always downstream of you.

 

[afishinado]

Valley has a very limited amount of insect hatches with none, besides midges, being very prolific:

Baetis (BWO's) in the spring and fall (winter? sometimes)

Caddis species here and there, now and then - usually heaviest in the spring

Craneflies

Sulpurs? - a while back, but not many/any hatches in recent years.

Midges - all year round

Terrestrials (not a hatch) - in the warm season

 

[fadeaway263]

Did I mention Walt's Worm?

 

[Wildbrowntrout]

Did he mention Walt's worm? ^

 

[fadeaway263]

Prof caught six this last Sunday without having to change his fly which was? PS The easiest fly in the world to tie and if you no longer tie get them from Fly Fishers Paradise in State College.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

Swattie- I think you might be seeing rogue Lime Sallies.

 

[SurfCowboyXX]

Yes, Valley Creek does have little black stoneflies, particularly in one stretch about 200 yards long. They are probably already done for the spring. For whatever reason, the fish rarely eat them. I have no idea why not, as I've seen hundreds hatch while the trout keep midging. They're only in the one stretch (that I've seen), and they're only there for a week or so (that week would have been about 2-3 weeks ago), which may explain why they haven't become a regular part of the Valley Creek diet.

 

[moon1284]

Valley historically has had have large populations of native stoneflies. Unfortunately PFBC began stocking genetically inferior stoneflies and the competition as well as genetic intermixing eradicated all of the wild stoneflies. During the budget crises of '88, the PFBC cut all stonefly stockings.

Today, the hatches and the fishery in general are a shell of what they used to be. Many biologists (myself included) know it is because of the PFBC stocking bugs over native bug populations. Sad situation.

 

[afishinado]

...forget to mention...a huge walts worm hatch...

 

[Alnitak]

I fished Little Valley and Valley two weeks ago and there were some small black stoneflies on both, and a few little BWO's on the stretch of Valley I was on. At least one brown was snacking on midges.

Of course, my pink San Jeff was the dinner of choice for the eight I caught. Its my own version of a San Juan, with a little red copper wire on the hook shank to add some weight and contrast. They're always hatching and the fish love to eat them.

Jeff