Potter County Fishing Report (Delayed) - Three Times Almost Wasn't a Charm

Last Friday offered another great opportunity to do some small stream fishing.  Fellow TU "God's Country" chapter members Bob Volkmar and Frank Weeks and I decided to try Kettle Creek again.  This time, however, we decided to fish a section a few miles south from the town of Germania.

Weather was great for hanging out at the beach, but probably not the optimum to entice Brookies to take a dry.  Skies were clear, and temps moved into the mid to upper 70s as the day went on.  We parked at a bridge overlooking the creek along Rousch Road, rigged up, and got on the water around 8:30 or so.  Since three would have definitely been a crowd on this stream, Frank and Bob decided to fish upstream from the bridge, I would make my way downstream, and we'd return to the truck for lunch.  While my section of the stream showed potential in spots, it just didn't show the same characteristics as the upstream sections we fished a few weeks ago.  There were a few decent lies, but for the most part the creek consisted of long straightaways and flat bottoms, not particularly conducive to a meaningful Brook Trout experience.  I did manage one 6 incher, but that was it for nearly three hours.

I made my way back to the bridge, and since it was an hour or so before lunch, I headed upstream to see if I could intercept Bob and Frank.  When I caught up to them they had less to report.  Again, their section had some holding water, but no fish.  They didn't even see or spook a fish.

Over lunch we dwelled on the mystery, but decided that further exploration would be fruitless.  So we made a command decision to head upstream and fish some of the same water that was highlighted in the earlier two posts.  This time Frank and Bob started a little above the point where Slider Run (a very small tributary of Kettle) runs into Kettle Creek.  I decided to check out Slider Run.  As I started walking to the stream, though, I heard the recognizable sound of Bob yelling, and then loud voices between Bob and Frank.  Turns out that the vegetation on the banks was very high, concealing a big hole into which Bob inadvertently found himself.  For a moment I thought I might have to head back.  But the yelling stopped, so I assumed that all was well and continued to check out Slider Run.

Perhaps a couple of weeks ago the trib would have been worth fishing.  But not this day.  So I made my way back to the bridge, and decided to fish behind Frank and Bob.  Fortunately, this section of Kettle Creek bailed us out.  While the water was much lower in this stretch, there were plenty of lies for Brookies.  Better yet, there were trout in those lies.  Not big fish, mind you, probably 4-6 inches (although Bob got a nice fish that went about 10 inches), but trout that aggressively went after our hopper and hopper/dropper patterns, even gracing us with another chance or two when we missed the hookup.

A couple of hours leap-frogging the stream provided us a few fish to the hand and several misses, enough action to call the day a success.  For now we'll let the Brookies have a rest.  But with October and cooler weather just around the corner, I'm looking forward to a return to take another crack at these Kettle Creek gems.

Tight lines,
Mikey D Fishing

Chunking for Stripers in Mid August

Three weeks have passed since Capt Felker and Capt DiPaola witnessed tons of garbage and debris flowing south from the opening of several floodgates on the Conowingo Dam  record rainfall in July.  Mikey D Fishing can report that water clarity has mercifully improved.  While due caution is still the prudent way to cruise to the fishing spots, it was finally safe enough to wet some lines.

Accompanied by Bery Edmonston, Mikey D Fishing left the dock at 0730.  Although the sun was well above the horizon, we couldn't resist an opportunity to cast topwater plugs into the shallows along Hackett's Point in hopes of enticing a lurking striper.  Dozens of casts produced little so it was off to Podickery Point to set up for chunking.  Normally, chumming or chunking for stripers is futile by early August.  August is typically a transitional month, too early for topwater fishing and too late for bottom fishing.  Live lining and jigging are usually the only viable options this time of year.  But 2018 has not been a typical Chesapeake summer.

We set up amongst a small fleet of recreational and charter fishing boats in 32 feet of water.  Air temps were in the mid to upper 80s.  Surface water temps were in the low 80s.  Lines were in the water baited with soft crab and fresh alewife just prior to the start of the incoming tide.  Before the bait was soaked, we began to see the telltale tapping of the rod tips just before the baitrunner reels released line.  Bery landed the first of almost a dozen channel catfish.  The largest was over 24 inches and weighed in excess of 15 pounds.  The abundance of catfish is another consequence of the immense flush of freshwater in the mid Chesapeake Bay.  Fortunately, we managed to boat two stripers (22" and 19") mixed in with the catfish.

A great day on the water culminated with fillets in the bag!

One additional note about safety in light of a charter boat / sailboat collision a few days ago (See "The Capital", Aug 18).  Even in the best of conditions, captains and crew should always be vigilant when underway or at anchor.  Case in point, Bery Edmonston and Capt DiPaola watched with curiosity as a crew of two (grandfather and grandson) became fixated on weighing anchor and securing their gear as the tide steadily drew our vessels closer.  When it became apparent that action was necessary to avoid collision, Capt. DiPaola hailed the other boat before Mikey D Fishing came into contact.  The other vessel wanted to talk about their anchor struggles when Capt. DiPaola strongly recommended that they make way.  Fortunately, a bird nest of braided line and terminal tackle was the only casualty.  Situational Awareness is all to often a rare commodity!

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Potter County Fishing Report: Return to Upper Kettle Creek

A month after "Trout Whisperer" Bob Volkmar guided Captain DiPaola on the upper reaches of Kettle Creek, you'd think the idea of returning in the late summer would be an exercise in futility.  But conditions signaled anything but that, when Bob, Bob's Lab "Blue", and I headed back to take another crack at the native brookies.

The persistent rains this summer have kept these gems of streams in excellent fishing condition. When we stepped in the water around 0830, air temps were in the high 60s under partly cloudy skies, with water temps between 58-60 degrees.  According to Bob, the water was higher than the previous month's outing.

I'll refer you to Capt. DiPaola's blog post a month back for details on this particular stream.  For the 3 1/2 hours that we spent on the water, Bob and I each caught around 8-10 fish.  A few were the 3-4 inch dinks that amazingly will take on a size 8 hopper, but we also caught a decent number of 5-6 inch brookies, with two going an easy 10 inches.  Since there was plenty of water, we fished together, alternating fishy-looking spots.  And for the most part, every spot that looked like good holding water held a fish or two.  As for flies, Bob fished with a hopper pattern, while I was using a foam hopper with a Rainbow Warrior dropper.  Interestingly, most of my hookups, including the two 10 inchers, were caught on the dropper.

Small stream fishing at its best; Potter County at its finest!

Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing

Potter County Fishing Report: Trout and the Dog Days of Summer

Catching a trout on the first cast usually means one of two things.  Either you're going to have a banner day, or your luck ran out with the first fish.

While the Allegheny is still high and moving fast (although showing good color), the tribs have benefited greatly from the recent rain events over the last two weeks.  So with clear skies this morning, the small streams beckoned.  I decided to broaden my Potter County portfolio by fishing Dingman Run, a small stream that empties into the Allegheny in Coudersport.  Access was fairly easy; a bridge just a short run up Dingman Run Road provided parking and easy access to the stream.

Like a fly-fishing "Minute Man," I normally keep the 3 wt. rigged with a hopper/pheasant tail dropper tandem.  Having broken my share of rods, it's probably not the smartest thing to do.  But then again it shortens the delay getting on the water; a decent trade off in my mind.

When  I got to the bridge around 9:30, air temps were creeping into the 70s.  The stream looked great; plenty of water and good flows.  The darkness under the bridge seemed like a place that a trout or two would be hanging out.

So with a short side cast I flung the tandem just under the bridge, and then fed line as the current took the flies further under the bridge.  Although it was hard seeing the hopper, I did see the splash, and a minute later brought a beautiful 12 inch Brookie to hand.  The trout had all the appearance of a native fish; colored up, perfect fins, and even a slightly kiped jaw.  Unfortunately, while fumbling for the camera, Mr. Brookie slipped off the hook and back under the bridge he went.

After a few more casts, I moved on downstream.  Dingman Run is classic small stream fishing.  No more than 15-20 feet wide, the stream has the characteristics of a mountain brook trout stream; narrow, with alternating riffles and pockets, undercut banks.  Water temps were in the low-60s, the stream kept cool by the canopy.  While these kinds of streams can be frustrating from a casting perspective, you really don't need to spend much time in any one spot.  Just move down (or up) stream, casting in likely holding areas.  If there's a fish holding, it'll more the likely eat the fly.  If not, just move to the next spot.

I moved about 100 yards down from the bridge, hitting some spot with no takers.  So it was looking like the first fish would be my last.  But then I got to a pool that just looked too fishy.

By this time I had somehow lost my dropper (probably on a tree branch), and my hopper was waterlogged, so I tied on a size 14 Humpy Adams.  I figured that if there were more Brookies, then an attractor should bring them to the surface.  Turned out to be the right call.  The next four casts all brought Brookies to the hand; three in the 4-5 inch range, and another dandy that went 10-11 inches.

Hindsight being 20-20, I should have just taken a break and let the hole relax, as I'm sure there were a few more fish in there.  But the stream beckoned, and so I fished down for the next hour and a half.  Despite finding a lot of great holding water, I couldn't manage a hit, let alone move a fish.  I probably covered a half mile of stream; the further downstream I went, the narrower it got.  By noon it was getting kind of hot, and it was a hike back to the truck.  And, since I hadn't seen a fish, it seemed like a good time to turn around.

On the way back home I stopped at the covered bridge in Coudersport, but three steps into the water and it was obvious that the current was just to fast for comfortable fishing.  A few more dry days and the big river will be in great shape.  Until then, though, the small streams beckon.

Tight Lines,
Mike D Fishing