Frank Reid wrote:
Well, as evidenced by their graciously putting up the the "mouth from
the
south," Mike and Tom are wonderful hosts.
I got really antsy at work on Wednesday, so my darling bride told me
not to
wait till Thursday night, but go up Wednesday. I did and will
forever
remember it as the best three consecutive days I've ever had fishing.
Not
just on Penns, but fishing in general.
Ingleby was great on Thursday with swarms of grannom caddis coming up
the
river in the almost 80 degree weather. The fly that Tom designed to
match
these may have cost me my first born (Tom, you not only have to pay
for her
plane ticket, but you got her bills too), but it was totally worth
it. I
was in a zone where I caught or stung about 80% of the rising fish I
cast
to.
Friday was grannoms again. This time, it was overcast and drizzley.
Temp
was 60 or less. Instead of the fast water, I found fish rising in
dead
slack water. I was so successful, I believe I was a bit
ungentlemanly in my
comments. Yah gets tons of fish one after another and yah gets
cocky.
Again Tom's super secret fly won the day.
Today, Saturday dawned cold and rainy. We had a very late breakfast
and
Tom, Mike and I parted ways. They to home, and I went to find Gene.
I was
thinking he would be at the pool he likes below the trestle bridge.
I
walked 3/4 to Ingleby (seriously) and said to hell with it and
started
fishing.
Again, in the slow water, the fish were taking the secret fly. In
the fast
water, it was grey or black soft-hackle wets. Occasionally the sun
would
peak through and the caddis would pour off the water. During one of
these
mini-blizzards... Whump! I got a double. I thought it would be fun
but its
like a really bad foul hook because both fish are going in differing
directions and you can't get both of their heads up.
At about three, I was in the slack water above the trestle. I
discovered
the Penns Creek Conundrum. I've got 15 fish rising around me. One
or two
are chasing the grannom, another is chasing the size 16 BWOs floating
by, a
third is only eating hendrickson duns, a fourth is chowing on pink
cahills,
and a fifth is taking on the red quill spinners. They will only eat
the fly
they are keying on and if you cast the wrong thing over them, you
have a
50-50 shot of putting them down. I was able to get about 5 out of
that
pool. Oh, yeah, started to see the little black stone flies come up
too.
All in all, as I said, the best three consecutive days fishing I've
ever
had. Thank you all, Mike, Tom and Gene.

--
Frank Reid
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I too had the best 3 fishing days at Penns. As Tom and Frank reported,
Thursday and Friday were great although Friday a little nippy. Thanks
again to the 3 guides I admire the most... Frank for putting me and
Mike onto fish, Tom for his instructional methods and Mike for his
outright directness ("Get the f%$# out of the water!")

Saturday I fished with a couple of nice guys I met through PA
Flyfishers.com. We fished Ingleby and I made a direct beeline for
"Frank's Pool". I got three underneath including an 18 incher and 4
more on top. In the evening I went to "Mike's Bend" above Stans Pool.
There I got a couple of more on top including one that grabed my Elk
Haired Caddis as I was reeling it in.

I woke Sunday morning to find snow! Another first for me, seeing
Hemlock Acres with snow, even if it was just a dusting.

What a weekend of fishing and what great company!!!!