It has been a long winter up here in NC PA. Temps dropped into the 20s and below in December. Around the middle of the month the snow arrived, and both stuck around for the next two and a half months. Certainly a recipe for cabin fever, which was one reason that Mary and I lit out for Belize in January.
Conditions, though, seem to have started the turn to spring. We've had a couple of weeks of not-so-cold weather, and with temps even rising into the 50s on Monday and Tuesday. So before the melt began and the streams became unfishable, Bob "Trout Whisperer" Volkmar and I headed out to Kinzua Creek, about a 50 minute drive from the West Branch Tavern.
With the stocked trout waters closed to fishing, the special regs streams and the Class A wild trout streams are the only game in town. We decided on Kinzua because it sports a rather generous delayed harvest section, and had been recently stocked.
We got to the stream around 1200 or so. There are plenty of access points along the stream, which was evident by all of the vehicles in the pull offs. Like I said, until April 3, expect to have a lot of company on these streams. That being said, there was room enough, although with a significant amount of snow in the woods, it was tough trekking to spots.
Conditions were excellent. Temps climbed into the upper 50s, the melt had yet to begin, and the stream was low and the water clear. We had set the bar low; the purpose of the outing was simply to get outside and wet a line. The other reason was to try out a pair of Korkers felt-soled boots that I had recently purchased. After cruising along the road next to the creek, we decided to put in near an overpass. The perfect spot for stocking. And we were not disappointed. I moved upstream to a deep hole that was loaded with trout (and three other anglers), while Bob took a position under the bridge, a Golden Rainbow giving away the presence of trout. While Bob fished I hung out on the bank and just watched the other anglers for a bit. Then one had to go to work, the other decided to go back and get his fly rod, and voila, I had the hole virtually to myself.
For this trip I decided to fish my Tenkara, and tied on a tandem rig of a Kebari, kind of a Japanese cross between a nymph and a wet, with a size 16 Rainbow Warrior as a dropper. Tenkara fishing essentially takes one back to kid-fishing days, when all you used was a length of mono tied to the end of a cane pole. Not having a reel presents challenges; your cast is limited to the 10 feet of furled line and a 4 foot leader, and especially tricky when trying to land a fish. But the advantage of the collapsible rod is clearly evident when trying to navigate a fly rod through thick cover.
While I had the hole virtually to myself I managed three hook ups, and got a standard stocked 12-inch Rainbow to the net. The other two fish I lost trying to get them to the net. That's the challenge of Tenkara. Once the fish is on, you have to bend the rod behind you to get the fish close enough to grab the line, then drag the fish to the net.
Bob was also successful in netting his first trout for 2021, so as far as we were concerned, the day was gravy. The Korkers worked great. The boa lacing system, which consists of a wire lace and dial winding device, makes tightening and loosening the boot incredible easy. And the felt soles were far more grippy than the rubber soled boots I've been using (even with metal studs). I realize the potential for transporting little critters and algae microbes associated with felt. But as a senior angler, its worth limiting the risk of slipping and falling in the water.
We scouted a couple of other spots, but as we'd completed the mission, decided to head back to God's Country.
Within a day the melt was on. Except for the tops of the mountains, the snow is gone. Fishing Creek is close to overflowing the bank. But you can tell that the fishing season is upon us. The Roulette Rod and Gun Club began stocking on Fishing Creek on Wednesday, and put some decent fish behind the WBT. The state stocks the stream on March 18, then the rod and gun club returns and empties out the rest of their hatchery two days later. Should be plenty of trout for opening day and beyond.
Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing
Another good day on the water, C.C.
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