In fly fishing, traditions run deep. For some, it’s spending time with a best friend on the same water year after year. For others, it’s filling the box with that perfect dry fly (an X-Caddis, of course!). In Pennsylvania, our tradition falls heavily on the opening day of trout, in my case, a family affair!
Heather with a beautiful wild brown trout caught while fly fishing in Central Pennsylvania. After a quick pic, this fish was released to continue feeding on caddisflies!
Our season tends to open on two dates, based on various regions of the state. To limit travel this year (related to the pandemic) one date was selected: Saturday, April 3. For my family, that meant a road trip to Central Pennsylvania to continue our tradition of fishing the opener together. Heather, Angelo, Fina and I packed the truck and started out with thoughts of wild brown trout in our heads.
First days aren’t necessarily true “first days” because Pennsylvania allows fishing in other waterways year round. Being that we tend to practice catch-and-release, this is a more symbolic date for us, but one that brings me back to my childhood and fishing with my dad on tiny streams.
The Pennsylvania state fish is a Brook Trout, but when I think of dry fly fishing in Central Pennsylvania, the brown trout is at the top of my list. This wild one fell victim to a well-placed dry fly.
A favorite memory involves my dad and me walking far into the wilderness to the PERFECT fishing spot. I perched atop a tree stump leaning into the water, waiting for 8:00am, the opening time to make our first cast. Being that I was around ten years old, this was an early morning; I watched the water run by and got lost following the current seams endlessly flow along, my eyes grew heavy…and I fell straight in! Onto my dad’s shoulders I went, as we (well, he!) trudged back to the car to warm up, missing the opening bell that year. Maybe it’s a fonder memory for me than my dad! ;-)
Fast-forward to 2021 and it’s my turn to lead the family into wilderness. So which direction to take YOU? The gear, flies, and adjustments made? Traditions we’ve added as a family? GPS coordinates of our secret fishing locations? Fish caught? Yes, yes, NO, and yes…let’s go!
Early April in Pennsylvania normally means sporadic hatches, thus Euro nymphing gear was packed. We expected the water to be slightly higher than average and possibly a bit off-color after some recent rain. You know I love to load up LOTS of flies, and some that made the cut were:
Confidence flies make all of the difference, and the Sneak Attack tops my list. The contrast grabs the attention of trout…then they have trouble letting go. Tying tip: Vary the thorax color based on hot spots that you know trout love in your local waters.
Walt’s Worm - This is a generic fly that works EVERYWHERE around the world. Vary this in both light and dark colors and the fish will be happy.
Sneak Attack - A good Euro nymph checks off multiple boxes. This one is slender, has contrast, and fish can’t resist.
Tim Cammisa with a beautiful rainbow trout he landed opening weekend in Pennsylvania.
Beach Body - Josh Miller’s slender stonefly imitation is perfect for faster water!
So we had the flies ready but needed the matching rods and lines. For Euro lines, I prefer to keep it simple, opting for a Cortland Nymph Mono Core. Like many of you, Heather and I like having multiple rods at the ready, and those thrown into the Orvis Safe Passage were:
Orvis Helio H3 (10'6" 3 weight) - Ready for Euro nymphing and to throw dry flies, this is an AWESOME all around rod.
Moonshine Vesper (9' 6 weight)- Able to throw streamers and longer casts; also my favorite for lakes.
Orvis Recon (10' 3 weight) - Backup rod for streams/rivers, the Recon has been part of my arsenal for a few seasons.
Hanak Superb XP (10’ 3 weight) - This is my first year fishing this stick…and nearly every fish you see me holding was landed by it.
We felt ready to battle and those wild brown trout didn’t stand a chance! Arriving at the water, it was slightly green and a touch high…PERFECT for Euro nymphing. This being Fina’s first time on my back while fly fishing, some extra time was spent securing her into the spot. Angelo had some child waders (prepared for mud!) and was interested in reeling in a few trout, too.
The first few fish came fast, but were caught on the dropper fly, a clear signal that the fish were eating higher up in the water column than we had anticipated. Within minutes, fish started chasing caddisflies on the surface; we had hit the beginnings of the Grannom Caddis hatch. Now to the important question, were we prepared?!?
Yes and no! Our leaders were geared more towards nymphs, but I was able to turn mine into a dry-dropper setup by placing an emerger on the point and a dry off the dropper. tag This turned my dropper into both a dry fly and indicator while allowing the point to drift higher in the water column, imitating an emerging caddisfly.
Heather prefers a single-fly setup and I wanted to make sure her leader was able to turnover while casting, thus I built a slight taper into it with an additional strand of tippet. All we needed for her rig was the perfect fly: X-Caddis coming up!
Fina and I always enjoy meeting up with “Uncle” Chuck Furimsky, a good friend who manages to be one the water nearly every day of the year. Yes, you can guess the first fly he threw: Chuck Nymph!
After getting the casts dialed in, the fish were willing to eat dry flies on the first day of the season; all was right with the world! Eventually, my good friend Chuck Furimsky (creator of The Fly Fishing Show and International Fly Tying Symposium) showed up and joined in on the fun. I believe that I saved the jokes about his “Arby’s Hat” for later. Ha!
Reflecting on this memorable opening day, things went right. That was because we came prepared for high water and hatches…but it doesn’t work out that way. Before taking any trip, I like to make sure I’m bringing both the correct gear for the situation AND some for when conditions go awry. Here are a few additional thoughts to help you prepare in the future:
The X-Caddis has been a favorite guide fly for years. The simple tie creates a perfect silhouette on the water, while the CDC underwing ensures movement on the water. This is my favorite dry fly to fish during caddisfly hatches, varying the body color to match the naturals.
Fly fishing with friend Joe Nash, who always plays it cool when landing fish. This rainbow trout was no match for Joe’s skills. Be sure to ask him about that one brown trout, thought. Ha!
Backup plan - Mother Nature has a funny way of rearing up before a trip. Sometimes this can help, whereas other times high water causes the fish to stop feeding. I also have a few backup locations in mind, i.e. smaller streams that are less likely to flood. There are many lakes through the Commonwealth that house trout, bass, and more…take advantage of this, too! Pennsylvania Stocked Trout Waters
The Right Fly Line - Now that I’m invested in Euro nymphing, my fly line of choice is the Cortland Nymph Line, as it’s thin diameter is perfectly aligned with my fishing preferences. What about those who want more flexibility? Rio has solved this problem for you! The Rio Nymph Shorty attaches to the end of your fly line, making it PERFECT for Euro nymphing. Dry flies show up? Remove the tip, attach a floating leader, then catch those fish!
Fish with CONFIDENCE - When trying out new spots or after a weather change, be aware of your surroundings and the potential protein sources for trout. But when in doubt, fall back on those confidence flies. For me, these are patterns that fish happily eat and are easy to tie. Check out my “Guide Flies” page to learn about a few favorites.
As the opening day came to a close, the smiles told the story…success! Angelo was covered in mud, Fina had taken a nap on my back, and Heather caught some wild brown trout on a dry fly. There is LOTS more to come this season, yet my family’s first day tradition will remain a highlight for years to come.
In a prior post, I discussed ways to layer clothing when fishing in the early spring. Read that post HERE.
So this may not be a wild brown trout, but it was a hungry one! Notice the water slightly off-color…which didn’t prevent this fish from taking a midge off of the surface!
