April 20 and 21, 2017 – Swinging Wet Flies for a Couple Stolen Hours – Wissahickon Creek

Just me and the waterfowl to start the morning on Friday

This week was a long one on the work front.  I had to come to campus for four out of five days this week for training on a new course management platform, so I only had an hour or ninety minutes on Thursday and Friday morning to get in a little fishing.  I stayed close to home both days to maximize fishing time.  Luckily, the creek had been stocked for the last time on April 18^th, so there were some fish (and fishermen) around in the rapidly warming water.  

Swinging tandem wet flies was fun and effective.

I got gently mugged by two separate guys on Thursday morning, like the hole I was fishing was the only place they could fish in a mile long stretch of creek in a public park, but it was my birthday, so I smiled and waved, smiled and waved.  I stuck one on a streamer in a deep hole before letting a forksticker have at it in, apparently, the only hole he could fish…

A fat 15 inch fish from the riffles on soft hackle pt nymph.

Friday, the park was alive with caddies and golfers, so I am glad I got a parking spot early because the Cricket Club uses the public lot like it’s their own valet lot, even delivering club bags via cart across the street.  All the lower level employees had to walk through the woods from a distant, also public parking lot on the other side of the state park.  I hope they take care of the township monetarily, or I will start parking in their lot!  Despite all the traffic on foot, there was only one other fisherman out.  I had a lot of fun in a short while.  I landed a big, fat 15-inch bow on a nymph before switching to a pair of wet flies.  There was a sparse caddis hatch happening, although the water was a bit stained for the dry fly, but about 5 nice fish hit the wets on the swing before I had to call it a morning.  

A half a dozen decent sized fish, but no browns.

I started out as a kid dry fly fishing, like most fly fishermen begin:  See fish rising, ask the shop what is hatching, buy that fly in a couple different sizes, catch a couple fish.  But I really got good swinging wets after that, and I still enjoy that jolt you get on a tight, swinging line.  The hook up rate is not the best, as hooking a fish downstream from you is always harder than upstream, but it is exciting fishing.  With all the bugs in the water now, it is a good time to swing soft hackles and wets.  The most effective on Friday was a soft hackle pheasant tail with a hare’s ear behind it, but I may dig in the boxes and try to find some even more classic patterns to try next week.  Royal Coachman, anyone?  Hornberg?

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