Fly Fishing Stripers on the Susquehanna River

I took a vacation day off on Friday to head to the Susquehanna River below the dam my grandfather helped construct to try for stripers.  The season is winding down as the water temperatures rise, and the regulations allow one fish between a narrow slot limit of 17-24 inches.  My goal was to hook up a striper on the fly.  Luckily my brother is a local to the river and knows all the deep holes where these fish hang out.  This was his first trip of the year for him as well, due to the amount of upstream rain and water conditions that have kept the river high and chocolate for most of the spring.

I arrived at my brother's house at 7am and planned to launch canoes and float and fish downstream. My brother and I were in one canoe and only used fly fishing gear, while Chris's friend Dave was solo in a second canoe using spinning equipment.   I had my 8 wt rod with sinking line, about a 4-foot tapered leader ending in a 10-pound test mono tippet as the water was still a tinge off color.  I was mainly using unweighted Lefty Deceiver patterns in a chartreuse green large variation approximately 5 inches long with a 1/0 long shanked hook I tied.  Here are some replacements I tied after the trip as I lost 3 flies to snags.  Lefty used to joke on a few videos I saw of him striper fishing, "If it aint chartreuse, it aint no use" and that was true again today.

The weather started out overcast as we began fishing and I missed a hit that swirled the top not long after I started casting.  Chris was doing all of the paddling leaving me to fish.  We rounded the bottom side of an island and I was casting slightly upstream and across when I got a hit.  Having a bit of upstream slack in the line I didn't get the Hook set I wanted but I was fighting a good-sized fish for about 10 or 12 seconds ending in the fly pulling out.  

I was bummed, but excited as I was getting the action on the fly.  Our spin fishing friend missed one as well by this point I believe.

Chris was using a smaller clouser and was hooking up on rocks a good bit, but shortly he had landed the first fish.  It was a keeper at 17 inches so we put it in the cooler.  

We were taking our time picking our way along the bottom of rapids where Chris knew there were deeper holes.  I snatched up a decent sized smallmouth that hit the big fly.

We caught up with Dave, who was not having any luck besides a couple pound catfish he caught on a spinner when Chris put us in a known hotspot he knew.  He was paddling us up in while I was casting across until the canoe speed pulled the fly.  I was dragging my deceiver just about to lift for another cast when it was sucked down in a swirl.  I set the hook and the fight was on.  I landed it in short order, and the tape said just above 17 inches.  We could have kept it but already had a keeper in the cooler and this would be it, so we decided to release it in the hopes of a bigger one.

I was thrilled!  

We decided to go back up and float that hole again.  Shortly I was hooked up again!  This one gelt a little bigger and had bigger shoulders.  It was a battle but I had him in to net.  This one taped out to 20 inches and we put him in the cooler.  We were now fishing for fun as everything from then on must be released.

As the morning moved to afternoon, the sun came out and the fishing slowed.  Still Chris managed to wrestle another undersized striper before we hit the pickup point.  

We came out pretty well and had a blast.  This was one of the few trips where the flyrods out fished the spinning gear as we had 4 stripers to one blue catfish landed.  

Kayaking Bass in Deep Creek Lake and Side Trip to the Youghiogheny River

New lake. Different kind of bass.

This year for my annual family vacation to the Deep Creek Lake area, we switched and got a house lakeside.  I was excited I could not launch and fish at will from the lake instead of being a 20-minute drive from the water.

It would be fly fishing only this year I decided, and I would bring my kayak. Getting there on a Saturday, I found the edge of the lake muddy and choppy from the wake of all the weekend boaters.  I tried a few casts from the dock but mainly decided to hit it early in the morning with the boat. 

I got up at 5:10am with first light and fished along the docks and edge structure for several hours.  I was on the sunny Western side in a back cove when I finally had a largemouth streak in from the weedy bank and take my foam bodied popper fly.  He was a good-sized fish just an inch shy of the 21-inch trophy status for Maryland.  I decided to bring this one back and eat it.  I also decided to fish the shadier side of the lake from now on.  There was about a 3-hour window before all the water-skiers and watercraft churned the lake murky again.

The bass was filleted and served with some grilled shrimp.  I had dredged the fillets in seasoned flour and them an egg wash before being coated in panko breadcrumbs to fry.  It was a hit!

By the third day I had settled on my pattern here.  Get up around 5am and paddle the double ocean kayak out and try to find some structure to fish.  Usually no one is on the lake at that hour.  Then by 9 am the traffic starts.... more like a regatta.  The power boaters and water skiers roar up and down.  The banks get muddy with the wakes of all the boat traffic and fishing is useless.

I come in and cook breakfast for the families, then lunch, maybe a short cat nap if I am lucky.  Then, I have about 30 minutes in the evening to fish, but the water is churned up along the shores by then.

Yesterday I scored that big largemouth.  Today I got a 17 inch largemouth and a 17inch smallmouth.  The tale of two fish there.  That largemouth was probably half the age of that small mouth but fought twice as hard.  It pulled my kayak around!

 I was tempted to keep both today but decided the little guy and the old salt needed to go back.

I am glad I am here.  The feels like temps at home are 106 right now back home.  It is 86 right here lakeside.  

All fish have been caught on topwater bugs and flies so far.  Nothing has touched the deceiver or clouser.

Today the fish were hitting well.  I got up at 530am and paddled across the lake and fished the far shadier bank.  I am starting to figure out where these fish like to hang out.  They like the mixed weed beds near 2 points I found.  I caught about 7 total fish this morning.  All but one were smallmouth. Caught another good sized one that pulled my kayak around a bit.  Mabe 17-17 ½ inches.  I took a picture with the tape but it apparently didn't take.  The other fish was a largemouth 17.5 inches.  

Fly fishing from the kayak is a frustrating thing!  As soon as you put the paddle down and pick up the rod you drift.  Then, you have to try to adjust.  So hard.  The struggle is real!  The inlaws got the same house next year so I will be back.  I may bring my small flat bottomed boat and a electric trolling motor next year!  I need one of those new high tech lithium lightweight marine batteries but they are expensive.

I picked up two more of each bass species this morning. 

Tomorrow morning I’m heading to a top catch and release trout stream. Water is drawn off the bottom of the lake and keeps the river cold.  I’m excited for a change of pace and casting a lighter rod. 

Got 4 trout and w bunch of small smallies this morning. 

Those trout were hitting the sculpin micro jig streamer mostly.

Another decent smallmouth fell to the white Lefty deceiver. 

Cold front today no there wasn’t as much action but had some casting practice in the wind. 

Here are the flies I’ve been using here mostly:

Trout Holiday - Fishing the Leftovers

Seeing how the Federal Gov. Was closed yesterday I had planned on taking a trout day and putting a few more in the freezer.  I wanted to go back to the larger Antietam creek where I could keep my limit of trout and get some more casting experience on a larger body of water.  My plans however were dashed as a series of severe storms put down probably 6 inches of rain over 3 days.  The big river was blown out again.  So back to the mountains I went, stopping first at the medium sized creek that is now catch and release for the leftovers.  The creek was also about 2 feet high, but the water was clear enough to fish with a bit of cloudiness.  My plan was to fish here for a few hours before looking for the put-and-take stream a little closer to the PA border in the mountains.  I figured there would be less action there and had no idea where to go.  I wanted some experience catching a few first.  

Getting there around 9:30 I fished until noon and caught 7 nice rainbows to about 14 inches.  Most were caught on a micro jigged streamer olive with a squirrel zonker tail size 12 long shank hook, or a cream-colored mop fly.  The streamer kinda looks like this with some flashabou though I don't have a specific photo of what I tied. 

Didn't catch any browns which kind of surprised me as they tend to have an affinity for the streamer and I know there are some in there.  The rainbows however where active.

I drove a lot of back mountain roads until I got to the next creek.  I stopped at a bridge with the first state put-and-take signage I came to.   Even with the rains the stream was very skinny and I saw no fish.  I hiked up and then down in this area and fished for about 30 minutes even after finding a deep stretch that looked like it should hold trout, but nothing but a creek chub hit my flies.

I drove a few miles downstream and passed a few smaller tributaries that added to the water flow.  Finally, I found a pull off with a deep pool and started fishing.  This stream was dotted with huge boulders with deep fast pools.  I had no luck for a while until a 13-inch rainbow popped out of a deep pool and grabbed my streamer jig.  Finally some lunch!  There was definitely less fish in this stream but there were a few hold outs.  

About a quarter mile downstream I found a very large deep pool after a set of long rock almost like a dam.  I was fishing this fairly well with no action when the sky started to get very dark.  The torrents of rain started not long after.  I was soaked in no time which didn't bother me; however I could watch the run off make the creek muddy within a period of 10 minutes.  I sloshed back to the truck.  Totally soaked, but enjoyed my fishing holiday.  I am now up to almost 60 fish this trout season, way more than I ever caught with spin gear or bait.

Saturday, I leave for a week at deep creek lake for more pike and bass action with the kayaks. My timing is impeccable, as a heat wave is due here for 3 days with temps near 100 and high humidity.  Temps out where I am heading should only be in the mid-eighties.   There are also a few good trout streams out that way, but my attention may be filled with fishing the lake and I may not want to drive around to explore.  Will see as I have a week, so I will bring both my 8wt and 3 wt rods.

I have not made my elk hunting arrows yet, but have a few prototypes and I have been trying to shoot at least one shot with a broadhead a day.  Really concentrating on that one first shot.  I am agreeing with the set up well and have some confidence building. 

I am making a case to transport my new vintage coleman model 228 and have set the October dates for fall deer camp.  I am using a white bucket with screw top lid as it is a little tall for other types of buckets and the shade is much wider than any commercial lantern nowadays.  The fuel tank and glass shade is also bigger, so I don't want to break it.  I am going to glue some foam board into the bottom of the bucket with a hole cut to fit around the fuel tank.  Together with the top nut fitting into the recess of the screw top lid this should be very secure.

 

Seneca Lake Fly Fishing

 

A parent at my son's school offered up a week stay at their renovated boat house (think tiny house) on Lake Seneca at the finger lakes in upstate NY.   We stayed there last fall but the weather was cold and rainy.  Now we would hit it in June and although the spring trout run is over, there should be some good trout still in the shallows with the cooler water.   

I purchased my 7 day nonresident fishing license for $28 and did a little homework.  

The first day I caught this guy from the dock not long before dinner on a yellow clouser.  They are not kept unfortunately this time if year, so I ate chicken for dinner.  

There was a boat trolling that I saw catch at least 3 that looked like trout.  

The owners son caught a nice brown off the dock last weekend.  Hopefully I get into to trout too.  

Tried my crayfish imitation some without much luck. 

The next morning, I got up at 5am and scampered outside as quietly and quickly as I could get up without coffee. 

The lake was like glass and crystal clear. That may have been my issue because I started seeing northern pike cruising by, but they would not hit.  Then what looked like a large rainbow trout about 3 pounds cruised by.  Then, a wolf pack group of 5 pike with a big guy following. I had my clouser fly right in front of the biggest one, but it only gave a passing glance. I fished for 3 hours with many fly changes and nothing. I was getting frustrated. I could see them!  Finally, I hooked up on a small smallmouth. 

Later I even tried my 3 wt nymphing rod. Nothing.  

We went to Watkins Glen and hiked and I stewed on what I could do differently.  Ate a fine lunch and had some wine.  Back at the house it was time for a family paddle in the canoe , but it was cut short by rain and a rumble of thunder. 

I caught another small smallmouth as I fished in the rain. 

Then I saw another cruiser that wanted nothing to do with my fly. This was getting ridicules. 

Then, finally saw a medium sized pike following my fly. I hesitated and let it sink with a twitch.  Then he hit. I set the hook!  It fought less than the smaller bass and was scooped up in my big landing net from the dock. 

Finally, something to eat!  He was 28 inches long. Probably 3 pounds. I put him on ice water in the cooler and bled him. Glad I watched a video on how to filet them earlier. 

The rain continued and I had another something that threw the hook form a miscued hookset. And another that I missed.  Finally darkness took over and I was cold. 

Tomorrow is another day and the rain is supposed to stop. 

The next day was a busy one.  I got up early again at first light and the water was a bit rougher with some light wind.  I had less visibility, but the water was still clear.  I could still see the occasional cruising large rainbow (I think) and I swear I spotted two larger brown trout off the end of the dock at one point.  I didn't see the cruising pike this morning, but they were probably there.  I spent the first hour or so casting the 8wt for the bigger fish with no luck and my right arm was starting to wear out.  I was getting some good practice casting the double haul out far with a big fly.  Great practice.

Later the chop increased, and I switched to the 3wt and had some hits swinging a mutiple nymph rig with the wind induced lake current.  I managed to land what I think was a small rainbow though its color was very silver and mouth a little more bullet shaped.  I know there are lake trout and landlocked salmon in here and I am not experienced enough for a full identification.

 It was a little guy who I released back.  I also had a bunch of hits and a kept catching these small baitfish.  They kind of look like gobies, but I am unsure what they are or if they are invasive.  They kept me entertained though.

Later the conditions started to deteriorate, and a large system moved in.  We had multiple flash flood warnings and the storms lasted all night so my fishing the evening was cut short.  As the water got murkier things got tougher.  The family and I enjoyed ourselves though grilling shrimp, sipping wine, and enjoying our little lakefront house.  That night we watched a movie, the second hunger games one, and I had to laugh at the archery stuff and how people just keel over dead when hit by an arrow.

The next morning, I got up at dawn and the entire lake was muddy with zero visibility, I went back to sleep.  Did a little paddle boarding and swimming from the dock.  I cant get over how there are no boats out on this lake.   In MD our similar little lake is filled with boats during all the daylight.  I have only seen like 3 boats here and two were on Sunday trolling.  I guess going on the lake here is somehow a common ho hum experience and they only do it when conditions are perfect.  I feel like a king out here the only one on my private finger lake.

I cooked my pike today for lunch and it was delicious!

I did a little more casting as the water started to clear, but alas my time ran out. I will be back at the small mountain stream before I know it... then another week at MD lake for more pike and bass opportunities.  Then, all eyes on the elk!

Dock fishing this lake was a blast!