Fourth Quarter Summary For Eastern Spring Creeks****
OCTOBER
Early October brings water temperatures in the mid 50's. Successful patterns include Midges, Blue Winged Olives, (BWO), Terrestrials, Craneflies, Sculpins, and Honeybug Inchworms. The trico fishing can be excellent. They’ll show up in late morning.
On Columbus Day water temperatures will start dropping toward the low 50's. Fish terrestrials, Midges, Craneflies, Sculpins, Honeybugs, Honeybug Inchworms, BWO Emergers and tricos @ mid day.
The end of the month will provide water temperatures around 52 degrees
tricos, terrestrials, Midges, craneflies, Honeybugs, Honeybug Inchworms,
Sculpins and BWO Emergers will be productive.
NOVEMBER
Early November brings water temperatures in the high 40's low 50's, 8x clear.
Try midges, Bivisibles, Soft Hackles, Sculpins and Wooley Buggers. Air temperatures will be in the high 50's
In mid November we will find water temperatures in the low 40's. Air temperatures in the high 40's and low 50's. We will be fishing Sculpins, Midges, Terrestrials and Blue Winged Olives.
. While some folks are shopping on Black Friday, Trout bums will be fishing Midges, Hares Ears, Sculpins,
Soft hackles, and ants.
On the first day of buck season, Fly fishermen will be tempting trout with Al's Rats, Sculpins, Griffith Gnats, Wooley worms, Blue Winged Olives and Wooley Buggers.
Try one of our three November Selections.
November Selection
Sz 18 Adams
Sz 24 Gr. Gnat
Honeybug Inchworm
#24 Black Ant
#20 Al’s Rat
DECEMBER
Early December brings Christmas shopping (How about private fly-fishing lessons by appointment?
Knowledgeable fishermen will have Midges patterns, Honeybug Inchworms and Blue Winged Olive Emergers.
Mid December will find Blue Winged Olive Emergers, Beadheads, Al's Rat, Griffith Gnats, Wooley worms, Inchworms, Hares Ears & Wonder Nymphs being cast upon the waters of our beloved streams. In some years we will start to see Snowflies.
Water temperatures in the low forties.
Christmas day we will find some lucky folks humming Christmas carols as they admire the workbooks they received with their Private Fly Tying Lesssons.
Trout will be sipping Midges in water of 41 degrees.
Successful patterns will include Honeybugs, Al's Rat, Bivisibles, Wooley Buggers and Snowflies.
December
Cressbug
M=morning; A=afternoon; E=evening
H=major hatch; S=sporadic; P=present
Red=important
PATTERN SCIENTIFIC NAME TIME OCT NOV DEC
Behavior Location
MAYFLIES
Little Yellow Dun heptogenia hebe AE H
Clinger Emerge in pools & flats. Present in riffles and runs
PATTERN SCIENTIFIC NAME TIME OCT NOV DEC
Behavior Location
CADDIS FLIES
Spotted Sedge Hydropsche alternan AE S
Net Spin riffles and runs
Little Black Caddis Dolophiloides MAE S nigrata
Net Chimarra atterima AE S
Finger net riffles, runs
flats, riffles
PATTERN SCIENTIFIC NAME TIME OCT NOV DEC
Behavior Location
Olive Sedge Rhyacophila abosalis MAE S
free riffles, runs
DIPTERA
PATTERN SCIENTIFIC NAME TIME OCT NOV DEC
Behavior Location
Mosquito MA H pools, flats
LLFS Crane Fly Tipulla bucois AE P
pools, flats, runs
Waterboatman Hemiptera P
TERRESTRIALS
Ants Hymenoptera P drift, swimmer pools, flats,riffles, runs
PATTERN SCIENTIFIC NAME TIME OCT NOV DEC
Behavior Location
Bees, Hornets Hymenoptera P
wasps
Grasshoppers Orthoptera P
drift, swimmer pools, flats,riffles, runs
Crickets Orthoptera P
drift, swimmer pools, flats,riffles, runs
Worms Oligochhaeta P
drift, struggler pools, flats,riffles, runs
Leeches Hirudimea P P P
Scuds Amphipoda isopoda P P P
swimmer, crawler pools, flats,riffles, runs
Crawfish Crustacea P P P
crawler, floater pools,flats
Snails Gastropoda mollusca P P P
crawler, floater pools, flats,riffles, runs
PATTERN SCIENTIFIC NAME TIME OCT NOV DEC
Behavior Location
FISHES
Sculpin Cotidae P P P
crawler, swimmer pools, flats, run, riffles
Dace, shiners etc. Cypinidae P P P
swimmer pools
Suckers Gatostomidae P P P
swimmer, rester pools, flats, runs
Trouts and Chars Salmondae P P P
swimmer pools, flats, runs, riffles
****When The Little Lehigh Fly Shop opened I met Terry Donaldson, Ph.D.
Terry, a laid back friendly asset to the cadre' associated with my shop was a practical, friendly, cerebral Doctor Of Bugs.
Being associated with him was a privilege.
Terry was kind enough to provide the fly data and emergence charts for my use.
With the exception of a few additions and comments, this is the work of Terry Donaldson.
The last I heard of Terry he was heading for a career in Asia.
I hope he is hooking fish and checking out the bugs where ever he is.