Page 6 - Fishing Report | 12-13-17

VENANGO COUNTY

Sugar Creek
Angler Al (Franklin); filed 11-25: My brother-in-law Doc Das from Hender-
sonville, NC and I had a two-day friendly fly fishing competition on Sugar
Creek. On Day One we started at Cooperstown and fished down to Sleepy

Hollow Golf Course. He caught 11 rainbows and I caught three. On Day Two,
we started where we had stopped and finished up at Red Bridge in Sug-
arcreek. I caught 13 and he got 5. So our annual meet ended in a tie. A #10
Girdle Bug and #12 Price Nymph were my go-to flies; Doc primarily use an
orange salmon egg. (See photo)

Allegheny River
Steve Udick (Oil City); filed 12-10: It looks like river fishing will be on hold for a
while. I saw some shore ice on Saturday and three days of low teens temps are
coming. Pat Murray of Oil City and I got out on Dec 4. We fished upper Rock-
mere where we set up along a current line. We picked up three plump walleye
in a couple hours, missing several more. I downsized to a Shad Rap SR5 to
catch a few bass last week…but the bite bass is gone for me now since water
temperature dropped from 42 to 33 degrees this week. (See photos)

Jeff Knapp @ Keystone Connection Guide Service; filed 12-9: My boat partners and I – during
both guide trips and fun trips with friends – have enjoyed excel-
lent fishing on the middle Allegheny since the last Report. The
river receded after a period of high flow, and warmed up a few
degrees during the warm spell after Thanksgiving Weekend. We
caught lots and lots of smallmouth bass and walleyes, with plen-

ty of quality-size fish; northerns and muskies, too. Most bass
came on tube jigs; most walleyes on hair jigs. The period around
the full moon (though I’m reluctant to say it was due to the full
moon…seen slow fishing on full moons, too) was particularly good for walleyes, with a good bite
in all areas of the river I fished. Plus I heard great walleye reports from friends fishing other river
sections. With the onset of more seasonable temperatures, smallmouths will be tougher to
come by. But the other three species will be available as long as the river and boat ramps re-
main open. Since sub-freezing air temps are now reality, I switch from braided Gamma Torque

to Gamma Copolymer. In addition to river trips on the middle Allegheny, I also run walleye trips
on the lower Allegheny (which is dammed) where we really rack up the numbers most days. Vis-
it my Facebook page for more info and updates. (See photos here and in Livewell)