quick update

[lancer09]

Been doing a bit of fishing now that semester is done and have been doing ok with some small bass in the cold water.

The pesky stocked still water trout are still giving me the fits and was out for three hours today. I threw everything but the kitchen sink at them and one small take on a prince nymph. The bait guys were killing em, really nst too bad, oh well ill be back at it tomorrow.

 

[vitesse304]

On stocked waters, I find that egg patterns and san juans will get some bites, especially when the bait fisherman are doing well. Try brighter colors, pinks, orange, etc...

 

[s fontinalis]

I was out today too. Fished Valley Creek Pa, for about 3 hours from 10-1pm. First two hours i never saw a fish, then as i was walking back to the car along the trail i saw a school of about 50 fish sitting in a deep pool. The water was gin clear so it was easy to see them move. There was some lunkers in there, judging by the shadows and water distortion from the depth of the pool i'd say about 14-18 inches, but not one took anything i threw at them. Pumpkin Head Midges, Zebra midges, Caddis Larva, Wiggle stones - i even threw a dirty big size 8 olive wooly bugger and floated down a Grifiths Gnat as i saw a couple silver bellies roll on the surface, but all to no avail. The weather was -2C, so pretty cold, and some slack pools were frozen over, so i can only imagine the water was pretty cold too. Still, for that last hour or so i had fun trying to entice one of the little suckers to bit.

 

[Guest1]

The pesky stocked still water trout are still giving me the fits .

Just a quick question. How long ago did they stock them and how far is the hatchery?

 

[gatortransplant]

I was fishing stocked rainbows the other day and absolutely tearing them up on a black double bead stone, but they seemed to be quite voracious either way.

 

[vitesse304]

Just a quick question. How long ago did they stock them and how far is the hatchery?

Yes! Match the hatch...
Pellet flies should do well. I fish pellet flies to some huge stocked fish out here in CO, they just seem to remember them from their hatchery days and love an easy meal.

Or just bust the hatch and fish crazy stuff. I've seen recently stocked fish take tiny midges all the way to huge stoneflies. Or if all else fails, swing some streamers and get an instinctual strike.

Weird that stocked fish seem to be some of the hardest to figure out!

 

[lancer09]

They give me the fits mroe than wild trout do, but being a still water it's a diff ball game.

They were stocked a few weeks ago I think, And the hatchery is anywhere from 1-4 hours away depending on which they got it from.

They bait guys were catching them on the bottom in 20 ft. of water, in about the only place it gets that deep in that lake, and I wasn't able to cast to it safely with them around.

I'll give some pellett flies, and eggs more of a chance next time, I didn't want to have to resort to that but I will if need me.

 

[williamhj]

Where I used to live there was a place where they stocked trout every spring. For some reason you'd clean-up with a white wooly bugger within a few weeks of the trout being stocked. Who knows why, perhaps just instinctual, because a stripped white wooly bugger doesn't look much like a pellet.

 

[bhflyfisher]

try a boobie fished on a rocket full sink line, count down till line hit the bottom. And start an aggressive erratic retrieve. Slays stockers. If its cold, casting a scud with an intermediate line or a long leader on a floating line and roly polying it back can be deadly. Super deadly.

 

[thenextlevel]

I have great luck on stockies with a silver and gold kreelex size 4 or 6

 

[tbblom]

Belly Ache minnow. My new favorite. Just caught a 16" rainbow in California (dec 23!) where an older local swore by #20-24 BWO emergers only. It has also nabbed me most of my better fish around Boulder,CO lately. A slump buster for sure, and heavy enough to get to the bottom with the tungsten belly.