April 2007 Report
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Reports
^^Please check out our archives^^
Be sure to check out our Penns
Overnight!
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****PLEASE
READ****
For the 2007
season - specifically the Lehigh - we can not stress the importance
of booking early.
We have had considerable interest and open dates are being crossed
off quickly.
It is also worth
mentioning that our time on the water is limited compared to
previous years.
If interested in a trip - email
now! We will do our best to accommodate.
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April 30, 2007 - Lehigh River Report - Bowmanstown/Palmerton/Walnutport Area
The Lehigh season is underway. Over the weekend while on the water bug life was very active, but not what we would call heavy. Caddis was the most plentiful – tan bodied - #12-14s. There were also some hendrickons, blue quills and some small black caddis. By far the best hatching took place during the heat of the day into the late afternoon. This is the norm for this time of year. Water temps were in the low-50s, and may have bumped up a degree or two during the day - which stimulated the bugs some. Flows are still on the high side. In fact the 2,200cfs at Lehighton is on the extreme upper end of productive fly fishing. Slow and deep is the key! Flows of this magnitude are not conducive for good numbers of rising fish. This is just too much water, except for only the best dry fly water or possibly the bank feeders. The nice choppy water will not see rising fish. Fish caught included a few nice rainbows – mid-teens, browns and brookies. Throw in one chunky smallie as well. All fish were caught on spin…as this was the choice of technique by the clients we had out. Overall it was a great way to start the season, and to also see what is swimming in the Lehigh. By the way, no walleyes were caught, despite nearly 15,000,000 being stocked in this stretch over the years.
This coming up weekend we have our annual Penns trip. |
Tom with a healthy looking brookie. |
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April
22, 2007
- Valley Creek, SE PA
Well fed! That is what the VC brownies are looking
like. The fish photoed to the right is a pig! Big nitros
- #14 have been giving up the best fish. There has not been
much in the way of dry fly action, although the fish are looking
up. It is that time of year afterall. In the short few outings
throughout the week, very little caddis activity has been observed.
The olives are probably done. By far, the crane fly is the top
bug as far as numbers go. Can't really say that the trout feed
on the dry version, but they must chow on the subsurface. The
flows
right now are perfect, and there is a lot of color to the water.
This makes it really easy to sneak up on the fish. Trip scheduled
next week on the Lehigh, flows pending! The eastern half of
the state is perculating with water!
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April
15, 2007
- Valley Creek, SE PA
FFPA finally hit the local waters. An afternoon
outing with Greg on Valley was the deal. Recent high water,
the high winds that we've been having for what seems forever,
along with the cold air and water temps were definitely working
against us. But, depite all that, the fishing was pretty damn
good. Actually, the numbers of rising fish in all of the fishy
looking locations we hit up was great to see. With Valley you
never know what might be in store when you hit the water. Bugs
in the film included caddis, olives, cranes
and midges. What
was really interesting was how the feed varied depending on
the location/hole we were fishing as we worked our way upstream.
One spot it was caddis. Next it was midges...then olives. Talk
about localized feeding! Patterns that worked - cdc caddis,
elk har caddis, cdc
olive, parachute olive, and of course the nitro.
Our caddis worm pattern
would have probably worked as well - we did not try it. The
caddis were the apple colored ones that we see this time of
year! Olives
were 18-20s. Overall it was a great outing. Greg fooled some
fish, really honed his skills, and learned some of the intricacies
of small stream fishing.
We had a Tully trip scheduled for Sunday...not
happening.
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April
12, 2007
- Update
Yes, we are approaching mid-April, but it certainly
does not feel like it. I guess with winter not getting going
until almost two months late, Mother Nature is going to keep
it around a tad bit longer. The forsythia erupted about two
weeks ago here in SE PA, but since then, all has been on hold.
Even the marsh marigolds appeared to be about ready to pop in
the bottomlands, but they to are lying, and waiting for warmer
and brighter days. And by the looks of the forecast, those marsh
marigolds might be under some water in the near future. There
is talk of some pretty impressive rainfall amounts through early
next week, along with some of the white stuff in the higher
terrain. Water and white is going to be everywhere in the Pokies
and the Catskills.
Hopefully, you've had a chance to get out and
wet a line, despite the chilly air temps. Water temps though
are not doing much better either, and probably not stimulating
much in the way of bug hatching. Streams flows have been really
nice so far this month, with Penns
for instance running limestone green, and extremely fishable.
In fact for the past 20 days it has been steadily dropping,
so she could use some precip.
If all goes well we plan on getting in some on-the-water-time
in the next handful of days, weather permitting. It has been
a while.
We are booking trips fast and furiously, so don't dawdle or
you'll be out of luck.
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April
10, 2007
- Lehigh Update
Try to make it
if you can. Should be interesting to see what the PFBC has in
mind for the river.
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INFORMATIONAL
MEETING ON LEHIGH RIVER
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT SLATED
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
(PFBC) will host a public information meeting on fisheries
management for the Lehigh River on April 12 from 7-9 p.m.
at Lehighton
High School.
The PFBC will present an update on the development
of a fisheries management plan for the river, with a special
emphasis on the portion of the river from FE Walter Reservoir
to the mouth. The plan will be a “living document”
that will be modified as needed and regularly updated
on a five-year basis. At the meeting, the public will
be given an opportunity to ask questions regarding the
plan development and contribute to it through comments.
Among the items being considered is the potential for
special fishing regulations in the area of the river immediately
downstream of the dam.
For those unable to attend the meeting and offer oral
comment, written comments will be accepted when the draft
document is published.
The meeting site is located at 1 Indian Lane in Lehighton.
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April
1, 2007
- Lehigh Update
What a difference a year makes! Last
year at this time we were bone dry. The whole state had
waters that were running considerably lower than normal flows.
FE Walter, last year, did not fill to the desired level until
we got a late-April, basin-wide 2' rainfall. This year, the
Corps can't keep Walter from not filling. It looks as
if they have decided to let it fill early and will most-likely
maintain a 1,365'-ish level from here on out. The lake is scheduled
to be at 1,365' for the first whitewater weekend in early-May.
It is highly unlikely that the Corps will squander the water
that they currently have stored, but, if at anytime the Corps
feels they are carrying too much risk, by using 15% of flood
storage for recreational purposes, then you can better believe
it, they will be dumping ASAP!
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