9/19 Fishing Report
Cole Kramer with a beautiful colored up Fall Brown Trout.
The days are becoming shorter and the nights much cooler than in the weeks past. Our favorite time of year is fast approaching and the number of guests reaching out to book trips is a sure sign of this. That being said, The Allegheny River is discouragingly still holding around 70 degrees, a temperature much too warm to successfully catch and release trout. Local cold-water fisheries such as the East Branch of the Clarion River are continuing to see added pressure from the trout anglers due to the low flows and high-water temperatures of so many of the surrounding streams. As we impatiently wait for the fall trout season, not all is lost.
Smallmouth Bass In preparation for the winter months when food becomes scarce and their metabolism slows down, tend to feed quite aggressively when the water temperatures fall below 70 degrees. If you love explosive topwater eats on both fly and conventional gear, your opportunity is now. Top water Frog and Mice lures seem to be producing quite well for the conventional gear anglers, while the tried-and-true Boogle Bug remains atop the list for the fly anglers. Last but definitely not least, live bait has always produced when all else has failed. Make sure to visit our Bait on the Fly bait cooler at Allegheny Outfitters for the freshest bait in town!
The Steelhead are staged at the mouths of many of the Lake Erie tributaries, waiting on the same rain events and increased flows the rest of us are. We’re happy to announce we have a selection of egg patterns and various Steelhead flies available at Allegheny Outfitters; we are also working on having them available on our website in the near future.
Chapman Dam State Park continues to produce above average Largemouth bass. The same tactics we discussed in our most recent fishing report still apply- In short, fish the evening under a setting sun. A Boogle Bug Popper of any color for our fly fisherman while Buzz Baits and Jigs have been the most reliable producers when fishing conventional gear.
The Kinzua Dam Tailwaters on both the Hemlock Rd and Route 59 sides have been seeing a lot of fishing pressure lately. The bait fisherman have been reporting quantities of sizeable fish being caught, quite possibly why the Night Crawlers have been flying out the door at Allegheny Outfitters.
The Allegheny River water temperatures are cooling but still too warm for our liking to safely target trout. That being said the musky, walleye, and smallmouth seem to be eager to feed with the water now under 70 degrees. Plenty of great fishing to be had on the entire river. ** Paying attention to productive water types and finding similar areas seems to be the name of the game. Topwater Frogs and Mice are catching lots of fish in the shallows.
The East Branch of the Clarion River continues to be our first choice when we are looking to fly fish and will continue to be until we have safe water temperatures to safely target trout elsewhere.
Below is a list of must have flies if you’re considering a trip to The East Branch tailwater, all flies listed are available at Allegheny Outfitters in the Hatch Run Fly Fishing fly bin.
Y2k Egg Fly- #12 Frenchie Nymph - #12-18 a variety of both dark and light imitations. Holy Grail Nymph/ Caddis Emerger - #14-18 Olive and Tan. Stimulator Dry Fly - #8-10 Dry Dropper approach for picky trout. Sexy Walts Worm - #12-16 Pheasant Tail Nymph - # 12-18 Dark and Light imitations. Pats Rubber Legs - #6-10 Squirmy Worm - #12 Rainbow Warrior - #12-16
Hatch Run Fly Fishing has the flies, bait, and local knowledge to make your next visit to the area in and around the Allegheny National Forest a success. Text or call for up to date information 814-706-1958.
**The infamous Steelhead season is fast approaching, we will have a selection of flies for your Steelhead Alley needs. l will again be offering guided trips for steelhead as well as migratory browns covering the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario Tributaries.