Cape Charles Fishing Report, First Reds 21 May 2023

Potter County Fishing Report, 26-27 May: Bugapalooza

 I was a couple of weeks off on my prediction of the start of hatch season.  It's been unseasonably cool here (highs in the 50s and low 60s, and we had temps in the high 20s a couple of nights this week), and water levels have been high.

Unfortunately, water levels have dropped significantly.  But, since the temps have been cooler than normal, the water temp remains (or at least it was Friday and Saturday) in the upper 50s.  So I figured even fishing skinny water wouldn't stress the trout too much.

And the trout are still there, though bunched up in the deeper holes.  I spent Friday afternoon hanging out at the Pavilion Hole to see if we might see some bug action.  Up to now it's been sporadic at best; some March Browns and a few Sulphurs.  Friday afternoon started out much the same, a few Sulphurs (big ... size 10) coming off, but not particularly impressive numbers.  Fish were not rising, but they were looking up.  My fishing technique, however, was a bit off.  I managed to hook five trout, the biggest an 18 incher (who was surpsingly in a small pool just below the Pavilion Hole, or so I thought it was.  More later), but only landed a 10 inch stockie Rainbow.

I headed back to the PH after dinner, around 7 or so.  And when I got there a huge (for the West Branch) hatch party was going on.  Big March Browns, Sulphurs, and more Green Drakes than I've seen on this creek, were coming off the water.  Interestingly, the fish weren't really rising to them (perhaps waiting for the spinner fall after dark).  A few trout showed some interest in a Sulphur I tossed around the hole, but no fish to the net.

The next morning we watched Robin chicks leave the nest built on our lower deck, then decided to make it a day down at the PH.  Again, nothing much going on in the afternoon until about 4 or so when the shadows started covering the holes. Anticipating another big hatch, I came well armed with "Trout Whisperer"-tied Green Drakes.

                     

 I managed to coax a small Rainbow up to a size 12 Sulphur that I had tied on the night before.

But that was it, at least for the Pavilion Hole.  So around 5 I moved down to a small pool just below the PH to see if I might get another shot at the big Rainbow.  

I tied on one of Bob's Drakes (which exactly matched the Drakes coming off), and cast it up to the right corner of the pool where there was flow and would move the fly into the trout's feeding lane.  It only took one cast.  The trout slowly rose and without hesitating took the fly.

There wasn't much of a battle, as there was nowhere for the trout to run.  But it still took me a few minutes to get him/her to the net on my 3 wt.  When I got the fish into the net, it was clear that my estimate from the pervious day was off.  It was an easy 20 inch fish; amazing that something that big is swimming around in such a small stream.

I was too intent on getting the shot and getting the fish back in the water to notice the marks on its side.  But you can see from the photo that this bruiser had a run in with some kind of predator.

The rest of the evening was spent having a great streamside dinner

Followed by a campfire, accentiated with a little bourbon and a cigar

The hatch Saturday night was completely different than the night before.  A good number of Drakes, but only a few March Browns and Sulphurs.  I fished until dark, but couldn't elicit a strike.  So we sat by the fire, sipped brown liquor, and I resisted the temptation to run for the rod when we heard a splash.

About as good as it gets in God's Country.  Now we could use a little rain.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Potter County Fishing Report, May 12: First Fish on a Dry

On Friday I was joined by neighbor and fellow fly angler Frank Weeks on an outing to the Class A section of Lyman Run.  While we had a decent slug of rain in early May, dry conditions have been the norm for the last couple of weeks.  Good when you're trying to get the lawn cut.  Maybe not for the streams.

We got to Lyman Run about 11:00 AM.  Temps were in the 70s, and would climb into the low-80s by the time we left at 3:00 PM.  The water was lower than my previous outing, but still fishable.  Stream temps were in the high-50s to low-60s.

Fly of choice was a size 12 March Brown dry.  There was little in the way of bug activity, but the trout didn't seem to mind.  As long as you found good holding water...

And kept enough distance to avoid spooking the fish, you had a good chance of landing...

In all we landed three fish, but missed/lost a good number of native Brookies and wild Browns.  Didn't matter.  Just being in the woods, wet-wading a small stream, and catching my first fish on dries this season, made for a great day.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Addendum:  I've spent the last two evenings hanging down at the Pavilion Hole on the WB, just to see what bug activity was going on.  With warm temps this weekend, I figured we'd see a flyapolooza of hatches.  Turned out not to be the case.  Nothing on Friday, although around 8:05 PM a few fish rose to something.  I did manage a scrawny stocked Rainbow Friday night, and also missed a couple on a  March Brown.  Saturday was pretty much the same, with one exception. There's a small pool just down from the Pavilion Friday evening.  It's nice-looking water, with a cut bank on the far side, and probably 4-4 1/2 feet deep in the center of the pool.  

On Friday I heard a splashy noise, went down and did a little casting, and had a fish flash at the fly a few times.  Last evening I returned and tossed the MB in the far corner of the pool, and as it was drifting down the trout slowly rose, inspected the fly for a second, then made the fateful decision.

A chunky 12-incher came to the net.  Guess the lesson is even though there may not be a hatch on, doesn't mean the fish won't look up and try for a tasty meal on the surface.

Wachapreague Flounder Report May 7

 Determined to land keeper flounder, I met son Joe at the flounder capital of the world, Wachapreague VA at the peak of the incoming tide on a perfect spring Sunday.  Wachapreague is a true fisherman's village.  Almost like the set of a Popeye movie, shanties line the waterfront overlooking marsh and shallow bays protected by barrier islands.  There is an Inn across the street tailor made for anglers and the Island House restaurant features solid pub fare on the water.  But we were here to find the flatties.

Joe had fished the area a few times and we chose one of the more well-known spots a few miles from the ramp.  There were several boats following the same pattern of drifting with the tide and the wind while dragging flounder rigs tipped with a variety of gulp colors across the bottom.  With the wind pushing the tide, the water was a more turbid than we would have liked but we were optimistic as we drifted in 2' - 4' of water.

It wasn't long before Joe felt the first tug of the day.  A 14" gave us hope that more would be soon to follow.  The other fishing parties around us didn't seem to fare much better than we, however; another couple of drifts produced our first keeper that Joe promptly secured in the net.  A nice 17" flounder for the table.  

There was one party of locals that seemed to be far more consistent with lines going tight every 5 minutes or so.  They had managed to slow their drift with a sea anchor and when they came across a hole, the captain slowed their drift to a crawl.  Flounder are notoriously opportunistic and will chase a bait, but only so far.  The key is slow movement to entice a strike.  Mikey D Fishing also believes that color matters and the darker the water the brighter the gulp needed.  After all, why would the good Lord put two eyes on one side of a fish unless it was meant to pursue prey it can see.  

Joe and I slowed the drift by putting reverse turns on the motor.  Soon after I landed a nice flattie that measured 20".  With 2 in the cooler and a couple of throwbacks on the board, it was time to head back to the ramp, filet the fish, and head home.   A great day on the water together!  With air and water temps on the rise, the fishing promises to only get better in the days to come.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing