Penns Creek Angler
Bruce Fisher
Article Sept 2007
August wasn’t too bad! For the most part the water level in Penns was very low this year but the air temperatures at night were cool. We didn’t have the scorching summer of 2005 and that helped the native trout of Penns Creek survive another year.
I haven’t fished for trout since mid July and I’m starting to get the itch. But I’ll wait a few more weeks for the water to cool down and wait for the Slate Drakes and Blue Winged Olives to hatch in full force. All of the flies will be much smaller then the ones that hatch in the spring and summer. In some cases the Slate Drake will be a size 14 and the BWO will be a size 20 or 22. These flies will also hatch later in the afternoon because the weather will turn cooler and the warmer part of the day is in the afternoon.
I’m sure a good amount of trout made it through this past summer. It will all happen suddenly the air will turn cool and the creek will become new once again. But during September it seems everyone’s mind turns to the woods and scouting for game. This is a special time for the anglers that want more peace and solitude. The woods may hold more people but the water will have less fishermen.
Late September is my favorite time of year to be in the woods or on the water. There’s something special about crisp air, the smell of the woods and a good flannel shirt. I love the thick old Woolrich shirts and still have a few that were made in America. Each year I pull out a few different ones for the season. But it’s too soon for that! As I write this its late August and we have a few more hot weeks ahead so I’ll fish for small mouth bass in Penns and the Susquehanna.
The water on Penns is still too warm for good trout fishing. Recently I fished below several dams along the Susquehanna River and some rocky areas even farther downriver and did very well fishing with my fly rod and hellgrammite imitations. I was surprised at the size of the fish and how powerful they were. They put up a tremendous fight and didn’t ever seem to give up. I even caught a Channel Catfish that I would have bet was a walleye or musky until I got it to my feet. The Catfish fought great in the fast water and the disappointment only lasted a moment when I realized what it was. I should not have felt bad about catching that fish it was a good fighting fish. As the nights get cooler the Musky and Walleye will start to bite and I’ll be down on the river trying my luck. When I was younger I fished for Musky and Large Mouth Bass on the Delaware River and always had good luck with huge wood plugs, I still have a few and will give them a shot.
“Catch you later”
Bruce Fisher
© 2008