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> > Not Bad for December



Report at a Glance

General RegionSouth Central PA
Time of DayMidday
Fish CaughtOne rainbow and one very nice brown
Conditions & HatchesAir temp 46
Crystal clear water
Sparse Baetis and midge activity

Details and Discussion

Post Reply
JOHNWDecember 24th, 2007, 2:30 pm
Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452


Thanks for the heads up

"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn
GrannomDecember 24th, 2007, 2:59 pm
Northwest PA

Posts: 87

Make the IMG lowercase...Nice fish
"Be calm - you're there..." "...Tell yourself there's no rush, even if there is."

-John Gierach
LamDecember 24th, 2007, 6:46 pm
Lancaster, PA

Posts: 81		Nice fish.

I went out today and in 2 1/2 hours time only got 3 fish (I missed 3 or 4 as well). Two browns and a rainbow on Clark's Creek near Dauphin, outside Harrisburg,PA.

I had tied several pink "sucker spawn" flies the previous night and my 9 year old daughter wanted me to teach her to tie one. I gave her some orange "glo bug yarn" and she tied one up for me. I caught my first fish of the day on it. It made me proud and happy. Unfortunately, I soon lost it in a tree. The other brown and the rainbow were taken on the pink "sucker spawn".
MartinlfDecember 25th, 2007, 11:36 am
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3233		Beautiful fish, John. Lam, I love Clarks and fish it off and on all season. Glad to hear you have a fly tyer in the family. I have some very colorful flies my girls tied up for me, but I haven't fished them yet. Your experience inspires me to try one of the chartreuse and pink streamers next time out. Were you in the Delayed Harvest area?
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
KrachenDecember 25th, 2007, 2:57 pm
good ol P 'AYYY

Posts: 13		John...I think thats a different fish...it does not at all look like the one i dragged out from there... :-) I'll throw a picture your way and you can compare... Happy Holidays!!
LamDecember 26th, 2007, 3:48 pm
Lancaster, PA

Posts: 81		Martinlf,

Yeah, I was in the delayed harvest area. That's usually the only place I fish on Clark's. I was told that there are brookies and native browns above the dam. I have tried above the dam twice but never even saw a fish, let alone caught one.

On Saturday I was between the one pull off, where there is a dirt road (that has a metal pole/gate across it) that goes to the creek where there is a relatively new looking bridge and the shooting range. Where you turn into the parking area is hard to see until you are right on it.

Take care,

Luke
McjamesDecember 27th, 2007, 4:59 am
Cortland Manor, NY

Posts: 139		Is there any place to camp on/near Clark's
I am haunted by waters
LamDecember 27th, 2007, 3:40 pm
Lancaster, PA

Posts: 81		I don't have an answer about the camping. A lot of the land along the stream looks private but is open to walk in fishing. The area just above and below the dam is posted by the water co. Maybe somebody knows of a camp ground near by.

If you wanted to stay in a motel, there are plenty within 20-30 mins of clark's.
MartinlfDecember 27th, 2007, 4:40 pm
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3233		There is a campground in Duncannon, but I'm not very familiar with it, having only taken out there when floating the Juniata for bass several years back.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
McjamesDecember 28th, 2007, 7:32 am
Cortland Manor, NY

Posts: 139		thanks for the info. I would like to do a Clark's/ Susquehanna trip this summer, although from what I have read that section of the Susquehanna has suffered in recent years.
I am haunted by waters
MartinlfDecember 30th, 2007, 10:17 am
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3233		If you fish the Susquehanna, plan to fish above Harrisburg. Clarks is a beautiful stream, and most fish folks the Delayed Harvest area, which is heavily stocked. And heavily fished. It can be tough; a sinking inchworm or honeybug nymph works wonders at times there.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
LittleJDecember 30th, 2007, 4:51 pm
Hollidaysburg Pa

Posts: 251		I'm not sure where you guys are talking on the susquehanna, but we used to fish small mouth in the liverpool area and that was w/o question the best small mouth water i've ever fished. It wasn't uncommon to have 40+ days, the best part for us was that the entire section we fished could be waded.
Jeff
WbranchMarch 16th, 2008, 10:40 pm
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2733		McJames,

Clarks is a fun stream for us locals but it is a long ride from Cortland. It is by no means full of big fish. Most of the fish are stocked browns and brookies between 8" and 11". There are some larger fish but few and far between. I did one year catch a 19" stocked brown but in all the years I've fished it I've caught fewer than half a dozen 14" or bigger fish.

The Susky has suffered below Harrisburg to the point that I've not caught a bass in a couple of years on a fly. I have now been taking my boat, or wade fishing, up above where the Juniata River enters the Susky. Drive upstream a few miles to the Clemson Island park area or go up a few more miles to a new park area and boat ramp.

I consider the last picture, of a brown about 12", to be a good fish for Clarks. I'm quite sure that the fish I'm holding is a pretty wild brown.













Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.

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