Stripers not strippers

All smiles boating around Mount Desert Island

Scott and I dedicated this blog to Brookies and Bronzebacks, but we're not opposed to other manner of outdoor fun and fishing variety; salmon and brown trout, bonefish to buckemouths we're open to adventure.  

did I say adventure?

Lately Henry and I have been plying our craft (ok learning alot) about fishing the Maine coast.   We explored York Harbor and York River in our kayaks in search of Stripers (stripers not strippers...an important point when one is telling ones spouse where they are going late at night on a full moon tide) and even though they hadn't made their way into York in force we picked up 10 or so schoolie striper in the 16-18 inch range.  

Matt Fish on in York River

Real bait fish and striper soft plastic for interesting comparison

The sound of the drag screaming out from the reel jolts adrenaline through your veins.  

 During phase two of the Maine outing we explored Mount Desert Island (Acadia Nat Park) looking for Striper.   We didn't find any (too early to far north) but to our thankful amusement ran into clouds of aggressive mackerel.   We found them survey casting likely water with striper spinning rigs then moved to ocean wt fly rods with kitchen sink-type clouser minnows... 3-4 strikes per cast when you were in the fish.  We both plan to get more experience with inshore boat-based fishing in adventurers to come.   Enjoy these pics and be sure to get out on the water soon.  

Conor = zonked out // Jenny = very happy

Fish on for Henry in the fog bank

Mackerel were slamming clousers we just need to find a seamount amid deeper water and they were there

Pole snapped I real in a mackerel (I got him)

Thanks for taking a look

Fish Camp

Matt, Jack and Bryan

When Bryan and I first started talking fishing he spoke with reverence about Potter County.  At the time Emma spent have her time at Hogwarts and it took me a few seconds to understand that Potter County is a real place.

Fish Camp very comfortable

The Davis’ don’t hand out accolades lightly so I knew this place must be special. I wasn’t disappointed.   Potter county is largely uninhabited forest, at least by people, in north-central Pennsylvania and very trouty.

We hoped in here on this Davis Favorite stream

Nicely marked brookie

Parachute Adams worked most anywhere

It’s so dark at night in Potter County there’s an astrological observatory in the in a field as there’s no so little light pollution.  

Bryan brought this tiger of a brookie to hand

The population in Potter swells x5 in deer hunting season and 4/5 structures are hunting camps uninhabited but for a month a year. As Jack, Bryan’s dad, likes as to say, “the biggest fishing question is, where”?

Handsome big brown caught on Jack's Coffin fly

As the story goes, and recounting tales while eating 4-star meals is part of the fun, Jack was asked by a friend to take him fishing decided to hit the waters of Potter to introduce this friend to fly fishing.  

Bryan and Jack reminisce over french toast

Jack w handsome brookie

Everything has its season and after years Bryan began to join the annual outing around 2000 a few years later the friend bowed out. For Jack it’s been nearly 30 years of planning the outing and when I asked what I could do to help was politely (and pleasantly for me as I’m usually the planner) to just show up with a cot and sleeping bag….Jack would take care of the rest…and he did.

Another Coffin fly caught chunky brown...look at them spots!

Fat rainbow soon to be slipped back into the water

Like Bill Pfeiffer at Salmon River, Jack has caught enough fish that the familiar-nostalgic rhythms and camaraderie of fish-camp are as rewarding as the actual fishing.  

The waters here at temples

As a motored north on Sunday I reviewed my plan to fish Mon, Tuesday and Wens morning and traced running for water North for 330 miles passing the Potomac, Juanita, Frankstown Branch of the Juniata, West Branch Susquehanna, Sinnamahoning, First Fork of the Sinnamahoning, Freemans Run, Wycoff Run, West Branch Pine until I made a left hand turn along Lyman Run to our camp site.

Brookie and my PA fishing button!

After setting camp and catching onto familiar routines we’d head out after a full breakfast to question small stream each filled with trout and memories. Deer jumped in front of us every hour as we surprised them from their grassy riverbank beds and made and startled us so that we looked forward to as shower.

Rainbow caught at night when I couldn't see the fly

We fished together for several days generally stalking brookies in the morning on smaller streams and then looking for the hatch in the evening on somewhat bigger waters.

Massive Green Drake -- a nice meal 

We saw gnats, caddis, stoneflies, sulphurs and then found a smattering of green drakes, the king of flies in these waters. With its heavy and long abdomen and large wing span if they're in the air you can't miss their fluttering presence....and if they're on the water the trout don't miss them.

Jack's version of the Green Drake 'Coffin Fly'

Night 2 Jack and Bryan scouted a large pool and fended off the downward stream progress of an angler on some larger water and armed with one of Jack's special drake ties...his own version of a coffin fly... I headed downstream to the next pool and in 10 casts brought 2 good sized browns and a plucky bow to hand with a long 2wt as darkness ended another amazing day.

Grand Canyon on PA featuring Pine Creek as she continues to carve the canyon walls taken from West Rim Overlook

Bow from Bryan

Both Jack and this Brookie are smiling

Thanks for looking through this adventure -- get out on the river -- it'll do you good :-)

Moonlight Browns on the Little J

Evening Brown

Last Springs' trip to the trouty waters of the Keystone State left an
indelible impression ... Henry and I couldn't wait to get back...Sulphur hatch
anyone?   Our trip was built around hitting the Little Juanita just west of
Spruce Creek, PA. but like so many of our trips we tried to sneak in a few
other waters while we were in the area.  

We agreed to meet late in the 
Afternoon in the crossroads town of Reedsville to hit one of
three streams which converge in town; Tea Creek, Honey Creek and 
Kishacoquilla Creek. Arriving after a long drive we found waters which while
just fishable (maybe) were still recovering from recent rain and were quite swollen. 

Fishing Caravan

East Branch Standing Stone Creek

In these situations it's wise to seek higher ground so after some
map study and a quick blog dive we decided to try the East Branch of
Standing Stone Creek as it tumbles out of Greenwood Furnace State Park
Reservoir. This is a smallish tailwater freestoner with good access tucked
just off Greenwood Road which along with East Branch Road parallels the
creek for miles.   The water was at a nice pool and all seemed lined up for
a fishy evening accept me!   

Hen's Brown at S Stone Creek

The drive and early morning had tuckered me out and in the dwindling light I was stuck in my own twilight haze of wind knots and limbs.   Henry fared better and was able to salvage the evening with a
small brown....and as you know any trout is infinitely better than no trout at all!   Sweat-drained and hiked back to truck and jeep and made our way southwest to Huntington, PA.    Huntington, its' main street decimated by progress (Walmart) is the most substantial community in the mountainous 90 miles between  Harrisburg and State College/Altoona.  The mountain ridgesrun generally north-south and are bisected by the Juanita River, which joins the Susquehanna 12 miles north of Harrisburg.  Just west of Huntington several forks of the Juniata converge to form the main stem.  

Spruce Creek small Brown

Our target was the Little Juanita once a mine-polluted dead river now a thriving
ecosystem with a high density of self-sustaining brown trout.  After good
steaks at Mimi's Café in Huntington and avoiding the glare from the flood
lights illuminating SCI Huntington we settled down for a well-deserved rest
at a friendly and clean Fairfield Inn.  Thoughts of the day ahead didn't
allow for deep sleep and we were up again at 0445 with coffee and sugar
coursing through our veins and headed for Spruce Creek where we intended to
fish the bottom .5 mile Penn State College Easement on this famed water.
The conditions seemed ideal but after a quick brown on the third cast the
trout didn't cooperate and after 3 hours of running dual droppers under an
indicators we were ready to check out the Little J.   

We stopped by Performance Flies in Spruce Creek and chatted with Kevin 

who'd steered us to success last year.   Kevin let us know that the Sulphur 

hatch was running later in the day than last year and he didn't expect to see 

them on the surface till 1930 or later!  Heck last year the hatch was in the late afternoon and I'd planned on the same, but we'd traveled far enough thatthere was no question we'd wait out the hatch. 

Typical size 14 Sulphur Fly

Sulphur caught in flight

Kevin validated some good

water we'd researched downstream and around a mountain in Barree, PA.   5

left turns from his fly shop later we were parked and looking at the Little

J running at about 590 cfs.   

The norm for this time of year is 390 cfs so

it was cookin and a bit stained.   We were both happy to note that our

target pool for the hatch was upstream of Spruce Creek's 100 cfs

contribution to the Little J and would be that much slower/lower.

Initially we didn't have a lot of luck and found ourselves expending a lot

of energy to hold our thigh-deep positions in the heavy water but soon

copied an angler upstream who'd unlocked the code....find the run/channel

w/in the expansive flow and high stick nymphs through the deeper channels

and seams.  Henry figured it out first and then put me on a run which put a

smile on my face as each of us took multiple browns from a deep trough.

Weird for me I then took three spills in loaded with water trudged back to

the jeep to strip down and dry out.  Henry continued fishing for a bit and

pulled another couple from the a lake section downstream from our parking

spot. 

Sulphur Nymph in size 14 was very effective

At about 1500, exhausted but looking forward to the evening hatch we drove

to our target pool just off  Pemberton Road and prepared for the evening.

With time to spare and few other anglers in the area yet (we were prepared

to throw elbows) we worked up and down the river for a few hundred yards

picking up 9-11" browns in the deeper holes on Sulphur nymphs.  

Henry was

itching to head downstream to check out what we'll call the trestle-bend in

the river, Kevin had recommended it and soon enough Henry was beyond the far

curve, out of sight and I hoped faring well.   I caught another two browns

and marked our below the bridge preferred positions as anglers arrived

preceding the hatch.    

By 1930 there was still no hatch and Henry, a

slow-charging water buffalo began his upstream assault on the river shedding

equal parts liquid from his waders and brow.   He was exhausted but far from

conquered by the walk and deep "swim" he'd taken at the trestle pool having

found some great water and meaty browns.   I vouch for two water smeared

pictures that didn't make the blog but the fish were there.  

By 2000 a light

Sulphur hatch had appeared and the swallows were plucking them off the

water...still few rising trout.   I was rigged with a size 14 parachute

Sulphur waiting for the hatch to strengthen  and at about 2030 with darkness

dropping like a stage curtain I cut off my dry and tied on our final sulphur

dropper as Henry nearly thwarted by the darkness managed to tie on a dry.

This turned out to be my best move of the trip as the hatch never got thick

and but the browns were obviously feeding subsurface on sulphurs rising in

the water column and I caught 4 browns two in the 13-14 inch range in the

space of the final 15 minutes until darkness enveloped us completely.  

 

Last Brown of the Day ..camera was fighting for light (moonlight)