Spinners and Duns

With the Hendrickson Hatch taking place the Dun fishing in the afternoons has been fair. With unseasonably warm, bright sunny days in North Western Pennsylvania the big browns on the Clarion River have been hugging the bottom. During the high sun periods we've been catching some very nice fish nymphing the typical trout areas.

As the afternoon Sun begins to dip the hills cast their shadows on the water allowing more comfort to the fish we are in search for. During these low light periods into dark is when we've been finding dry fly fishing the best.

I've been using parachute patterns that I've been spinning together at the vise to imitate the Duns, Spinners and Red Quills. Lately I've been spending more time working on Sulphur patterns to match the Sulphur hatch starting in late May.

Soon I will be adding a fly tying page to post these patterns with tying instructions and illustrations. Check back frequently for more river updates, including the Allegheny Tailwater, and fly patterns

Thank You For Visiting.

The Hendrickson hatch is officially on. After many days floating the Clarion River on sunny days the clouds settled over and let the big browns come out from their hiding spots to rise to some 14 Adams, Light Hendricksons and some of our other favorite patterns. We will be on the river starting tomorrow for another action packed weekend. I'll keep you posted as the river changes and the the hatches turn.

This picture is yet another great Clarion River Brown.

We hope to see you on the river.

Spring Season in North Western Pennsylvania

Fly Fishing the Clarion River System and the Kinzua Dam outflow of the Allegheny River with hundreds of miles of Native Brookie Streams and Pennsylvania Stocked trout streams.
The North Western Region of PA can offer fly anglers endless hours of exploring and casting flies to Brook, Brown & Rainbow trout with the occasional Tiger and Palomino. Not to mention the great steelheading opportunities on the Lake Erie Tributaries. The North Western Region of PA is a year around fly fishing paradise offering great hatches of Mayflies, Caddisflies, Stoneflies, Midges and late summer Terrestrials. During high water times fishing streamers can produce trophy sized Brown Trout for Drift Boat and Raft fly fishers.
With March being the typical run off month float fishing using large streamers on sink tip lines provides early season action and large hungry fish.
Leading into April Blue Quills, Baetis and Hendricksons begin their emergence with the Hendrickson Hatch bringing the large fish to the surface.
With low pressure in this part of Pennsylvania most fish tend not to be pattern selective. A range of flies to match the early hatches may consist of 18-12 Parachute and Standard Adams, 18 Blue Wing Olives and a mix of some Red Quills and other standard "April Greys" patterns.
The best time to fish these early hatches are in the Afternoons when the day is the warmest following a warm night. These insects usually prefer to hatch on over cast days, but once started will emerge most afternoons with spinners from the previous days hatch in the evenings.
More facts and information will follow about fly fishing North Western Pennsylvania as the season continues.