Monday, August 22, 2011

Pennsylvania Freestone fishing.

Well got out this brisk morning for some nymphing with two companions. We met up about mid morning and headed off to one of the best pa freestone streams around. The morning started off very well with my friend getting into two right away, with a #8 rubber legged copper John. I tied this fly for him because we were curious if a huge copper john would work well. It did.

We pressed on up stream going a distance with no fish. Arriving at a spot well known to us to hold a large trout. I cast into the likely area with my golden oldie and improved zug bug. It got near the end of the run and boom fish on. Well 4 shakes of thunder and the monster was off. Darn.

Pressing on up stream I picked up a couple of dinks here and there. A 50/50 split on the zug and the G.O.. My friend had gotten into a couple as well. With a decent piece of water covered, we were a little disappointed at the fish count so far. Normally we catch more through the area, but with "more than four" it wasn't all that bad.

We moved up into a really nice pool section. I opted to take the eddie of the pool. I had a good feeling about that slack back current. My Friend and I both agreed that I would likely pull a rainbow out this spot. The stream has a good wild population but it is stocked. So the occasional hold over is caught. I put about four drifts in and on that fourth drift. I got my flies to sit in the dead of the eddie. I twitched them every so often. I observed my strike indicator begin to move out of the dead water of the eddie and into the current flowing to the tail out. I lifted the road ever so gently, I seen the line start to tighten up as I lifted the rod. I set the hook. And BOOM. The fight was on.

Intrigued by my obvious excitement and bent rod. My friend asked what I had on. I said I'm not sure but it has shoulders. He said did you see it yet, I said nope. Just then the fish made a dart to the top and toward the tail out. It got into some sunlight protruding through the trees, and my one friend and I caught a glimpse at what it was. We both saw the honey brown and spots. The trout dogged back down to the bottom. Typical brown fight. Just then my other friend said well what is it. I quickly said its a sucker. A sucker really he said. I said no its a big brown, and we all laughed.

The brown fought well, and was easily landed. A beautiful 20"+ wild male brown trout. This fellow took the improved zug bug. I will run up a post on the improved zug bug. I made some miner changes to the zug, thus why I call it the improved zug.

We moved up stream picking up trout here and there. All in all it was an okay day. I think the high pressure and sun put the wild browns off there bight. But I was happy if i only caught that hog.

Tight Ties
Johnny U.

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3 comments:

  1. Very nice fish!!!

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  2. Nice Post! And more importantly, nice fish! lol. JW, what is the significance of "more than four?" Looking forward to the zug bug post!

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  3. Again Nice fish Johnny. Even though i got the black badger fishing behind you guys most of the day. Just seeing you hook into that fish made the day.

    Gaeron. "The More The Four" MHO is him saying in kind words that he actually caught like around 8-12 or even more some days and probably lost count of all the ones he did catch.

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