Another trout season starts

Saturday, here in the southern half of PA, marked the start of the
official trout season. For a pleasant change, the weather was pretty
nice, despite Friday bringing snow showers all day. The weekend weather
got into the upper 50's, but water temps were topping out at around 41
degrees on the freestone streams. I went to the local creek I favor and
parked near the upper end. This section is a nice area to fish, and
usually brings with the experience solitude as well. Sunday(I never fish
the actual first day most years), when I arrived at 11 am, found a total
of 50 people flogging a series of 6 pools and interspersed runs.
This stream is fed by limestone springs and was showing a temperature of
around 48 degrees, and there were hatches of small gray caddis around
and a LOT of black stoneflies. A walk of around a mile got me downstream
of the throng working the areas near the parking spots, and I fished a
small pool and the 100 yard run below it. This yielded two browns(one
stocked, one native) to a small black wet fly. An upstream cast to a
pool above which had a couple rising trout seemed a good idea, so on
went a #16 Coyote Ugly. I noticed, whilst plucking this one from the
box, that it was the only Ugly I owned that was that small. Off it
sailed, attached to a 5x tippet, and promptly snagged on a bit of
overhanging lumber and then I had no #16 Uglies. #14's were ignored, and
I finally found a slower student willing to take a #16 Snowshoe Caddis,
black with a gray wing. Having promised to cook out for the family, I
had to head back by that point, but the day was pleasant, the stream
beautiful, solitude available with a bit of effort and life was good.
Another season starts!
Tom

On Apr 4, 5:27*pm, Tom Littleton wrote:

Another season starts!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Tom
Very nice start Tom. Good luck on the future forays this year....

Wally

On Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:27:51 -0400, Tom Littleton
wrote:

Saturday, here in the southern half of PA, marked the start of the
official trout season. For a pleasant change, the weather was pretty
nice, despite Friday bringing snow showers all day. The weekend weather
got into the upper 50's, but water temps were topping out at around 41
degrees on the freestone streams. I went to the local creek I favor and
parked near the upper end. This section is a nice area to fish, and
usually brings with the experience solitude as well. Sunday(I never fish
the actual first day most years), when I arrived at 11 am, found a total
of 50 people flogging a series of 6 pools and interspersed runs.
This stream is fed by limestone springs and was showing a temperature of
around 48 degrees, and there were hatches of small gray caddis around
and a LOT of black stoneflies. A walk of around a mile got me downstream
of the throng working the areas near the parking spots, and I fished a
small pool and the 100 yard run below it. This yielded two browns(one
stocked, one native) to a small black wet fly. An upstream cast to a
pool above which had a couple rising trout seemed a good idea, so on
went a #16 Coyote Ugly. I noticed, whilst plucking this one from the
box, that it was the only Ugly I owned that was that small. Off it
sailed, attached to a 5x tippet, and promptly snagged on a bit of
overhanging lumber and then I had no #16 Uglies. #14's were ignored, and
I finally found a slower student willing to take a #16 Snowshoe Caddis,
black with a gray wing. Having promised to cook out for the family, I
had to head back by that point, but the day was pleasant, the stream
beautiful, solitude available with a bit of effort and life was good.
Another season starts!
Tom

Nice TR Thanks.

It just makes me a bit more nuts as its still cold and snowy here
But
I did get my 2011 license
only $8.00

Fishing
soon...

Fred

On 2011-04-04 17:27:51 -0400, Tom Littleton said:

Another season starts!

Indeed! It started here on March 29th, but there are a few late
harvest streams where you can fish. Nothing as nice as in your neck of
the wood (or Maine!), but it is fly fishing.

Great report, Tom. Tks.

Dave

On Apr 4, 4:27*pm, Tom Littleton wrote:
Saturday, here in the southern half of PA, marked the start of the
official trout season. For a pleasant change, the weather was pretty
nice, despite Friday bringing snow showers all day. The weekend weather
got into the upper 50's, but water temps were topping out at around 41
degrees on the freestone streams. I went to the local creek I favor and
parked near the upper end. This section is a nice area to fish, and
usually brings with the experience solitude as well. Sunday(I never fish
the actual first day most years), when I arrived at 11 am, found a total
of 50 people flogging a series of 6 pools and interspersed runs.
This stream is fed by limestone springs and was showing a temperature of
around 48 degrees, and there were hatches of small gray caddis around
and a LOT of black stoneflies. A walk of around a mile got me downstream
of the throng working the areas near the parking spots, and I fished a
small pool and the 100 yard run below it. This yielded two browns(one
stocked, one native) to a small black wet fly. An upstream cast to a
pool above which had a couple rising trout seemed a good idea, so on
went a #16 Coyote Ugly. I noticed, whilst plucking this one from the
box, that it was the only Ugly I owned that was that small. Off it
sailed, attached to a 5x tippet, and promptly snagged on a bit of
overhanging lumber and then I had no #16 Uglies. #14's were ignored, and
I finally found a slower student willing to take a #16 Snowshoe Caddis,
black with a gray wing. Having promised to cook out for the family, I
had to head back by that point, but the day was pleasant, the stream
beautiful, solitude available with a bit of effort and life was good.
Another season starts!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Tom

ONE COYOTE UGLY? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? I got more than that snagged
in my suit jacket that's never been near a stream! These young kids
these days, unprepared and unawares. Guess I'm just going to have to
come to PA next month and school you.
Frank Reid
Nice TR