Spring trout fishing is back in full swing
Spring trout fishing is back in full swing
By Tyler Frantz
Finding time to fish is typically the hard part. With work schedules, yard cleanup, spring sports and family commitments, precious time on the water can be scarce for many who’d love to fish more often. When an opportunity does present itself, anglers need to make the most of it.
Despite this winter’s vicious weather, the school district for which I teach miraculously scraped by without having too many snow cancellations- leaving the majority of our spring break (which otherwise would’ve been makeup days) fully intact.
With the Easter holiday falling on the same weekend as the Southeast PA trout opener this year, the aptly-timed break afforded me the perfect opportunity to log plenty of hours on the water, and I took full advantage of it.
I am thankful to have had a few days to recharge my batteries, taking in the fragrances of the fresh spring air- the sights, the sounds and the warming beauty of nature from the cool, clear sanctity of local trout waters.
While still getting plenty done around the house, enjoying the holiday with my family, coaching soccer and keeping up with work emails, I carefully balanced my five days off to ensure I saved time for fishing.
Craving some variety this year, I ended up trying four different locations with an assortment of tackle and techniques. Each attempt of the long weekend was fun in its own right, and my methods were met with varying degrees of success.
On Thursday, since the official trout season had not yet opened, I traveled to Manada Creek’s “Delayed Harvest- Artificial Lures Only” section with my fly rod. Designated stretches such as these are a nice preseason option, since anglers are legally permitted to fish using limited tackle on a catch and release basis, while most other streams are off limits until opening day. With temps rising into the high 60s, it was the first day all year that I could really draw in a deep breath and say, “spring has finally arrived.”
I spent about three hours casting and drifting to isolated concentrations of fish, which had likely already been harassed by other fishermen since they were stocked a few weeks ago. They weren’t the most eager feeders, but as the day progressed and the water warmed, I was productive at landing nine good-looking rainbows; most of which took egg patterns.
On opening Saturday, I was situated among the masses on the lower end of Quittapahilla Creek near my home. Bright and early, the cars lined the roadways, while chattering anglers lined the stream banks, eager to catch their limits. I kept my distance from the chaos at the best holes, instead trying my luck at a sunken logjam no one else wanted to negotiate.
While the feeding frenzy ensued downstream, I pulled one little rainbow from the submerged cluster below me using a butter worm on my lightweight spinning rod combo. I tossed it back into the water and headed for home to spread 15-ton of stone delivered to my barn that morning. The creek was too crowded for my taste anyway, and the fishing could wait.
With the barn project completed by early evening, my expecting wife (at a full 9-months pregnant) accompanied me back down to the Quittie where we predictably found the angler competition greatly diminished. Being this very day Erin’s anticipated due date, we thought we’d give junior a head start on his angling career (and perhaps lure him out of hibernation). We put in a solid two hours, and I landed three trout on some artificial pinched crawler bait I bought on a whim and wanted to try. Erin gave it her best with mealworms, butter worms and crawlers but came up empty handed. She really enjoyed herself though, which is far more important than catching fish.
After dinner on Easter Sunday, my nephew Mitchell and I gave the Lower Little Swatara Creek, which flows past my parent’s house, a quick try with spinners before getting back to our holiday festivities.
Sadly, only the bridges were bucket stocked on this once prominent fishery, despite volunteers eagerly offering to float stock this year. We each caught one fish from beneath the covered bridge, but also spoke to several disappointed anglers who didn’t experience a single hit from any of the creek’s most popular holes that fished so great in the past. Spurred by Monday’s gorgeous weather, my johnboat’s inaugural launch for the year took place on Stoever’s Dam under crystal blue skies. It seemed many had the same idea, as I witnessed scores of anglers out enjoying the sunshine with carefree casting from both boat and shore.
Everywhere I looked, people were catching fish, and the lake appeared to have been well stocked with decent sized trout. I struggled with live bait and spinners for about an hour or more before a friendly stranger named Chin waved me over to his boat to offer some sage advice.
“Try this,” he said, tossing me a marabou jig he tied himself. “I’m just trolling around- lazy way, but I’m catching fish. Go slow. It works.”
Half embarrassed that this thoughtful man took pity on me, and half curious to try his magic lure, I heeded his instruction and began trolling. I had a few hits but no takers. He waved me back over and threw me a different color to try.
“Keep it,” he said with a warm smile. “Think of it as a souvenir. Now take off the swivel and go slower!” Again, I followed Chin’s suggestion and promptly began hammering them. Over the course of the next hour-and-a-half, I landed five nice trout and four crappies. There were others I missed too; it was amazing! “Chin’s jig” has officially been added as a go-to staple in my fishing arsenal and is destined for duplication on my tying vice. I greatly appreciate his generosity.
As work recommences and the joyous birth of our first child (and all that comes with it) unfolds, time is certain to be even more precious than ever. But I’m hopeful that these have not been the last of my fishing excursions for the year- even if finding time is the hardest part.
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