Penns Creek angler
Bruce Fisher
Article July 2007
Well, the summer sure came too fast and the water level is dropping on Penns Creek. It looks like we’ve seen the best hatches of the year pass and we should start to look forward to the fall and better water conditions.
The Pink Ladies Slipper flowered just as the Green Drakes and Light Cahills were in their full glory around Memorial Day. The Mountain laurel bloomed on June 1st the start of the Slate Drakes. Chicory is a tall weedy plant with sky-blue dandelion type flowers and I understand the root can be roasted to make a coffee substitute. This plant marks the start of the Blue Wing Olives around June 10th but this year the Olives came off very early to everyone’s surprise. Goats Beard grows along the stream bank and has large panicles of small cream or greenish white flowers but I have yet to see it. I’ll keep my eyes open and look for it near the end June. Goats Beard flowers around June 30th about the time the Yellow Drakes start to hatch.
The good folks that run the Outdoor Education Program at Mifflinburg School District provided all the information about the flowers that bloom during the different hatches. When I first became aware of the program I was very excited that it existed and I’m still excited. You know the old saying give a kid a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a kid to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. I think this age-old adage holds true here.
Starting in July I’m looking forward to spending more time walking the trails along Penns Creek and Bald Eagle Sate Forest. I’ve found some new spots this month with the help of a friend. One I’d like to share is Hobo Overlook or Hobo View. It’s a spectacular view that most people will never see. It is without doubt one of the finest scenic vistas in the state of Pennsylvania. Do some research and find Hobo View (Overlook) and you will find a slice of heaven especially in October when the leaves change.
I guess I better put in some words about the creek and the fish that we all love to catch. This year I have never seen more fish or better conditions than this past spring. The river is healthy and got a good scouring with the huge chucks of ice that crashed down the creek in the winter. New pools were created and old pools and runs were changed forever. The river is an ever-changing environment and that’s why I like it so much. One year a big old tree will mark a good hole and the next year it will be gone without a trace.
We are so lucky to have Penns Creek and Bald Eagle State Forest as our back yard.
“Catch you later”
Bruce Fisher
© 2008