The Little J

Just a general question about this river! No need to give up any secrets! What kind of hatches can you expect this time of year? Also, how has the river been fishing? thank you for your replies!

the little J just had a nice write up about it in Fly Fisherman magazine. July 2008 issue. Big browns is what it says....

ORIGINAL: kyler16

the little J just had a nice write up about it in Fly Fisherman magazine. July 2008 issue. Big browns is what it says....

Yeah, it wasn't the train wreck I thought it would be, nonetheless, it had some misinformation in it.

It said the grannoms (brachycentrus) last 2 weeks. They do not. The grannoms last only a few days. They are followed by the little black caddis (chimarra). They look somewhat alike, but are different bugs. Someone who calls themselves a guide should know that.

Also, he says the green drakes bring the big fish to the surface. We have so few green drakes on the Little J, that nearly no fish rise to them. It is not a fishable hatch.

He mentions the two best caddis hatches are the grannoms and the Ryachophilla. The Ryachophilla are a fishable hatch, but are way out numbered by the Chimarra which hatch at the same time. He doesn't even mention the Chimarra.
 
When he talks about why he wrote the article, he essentially says that he wants to bring more people to the river so the river has more friends. Yes, I agree with him that the river could use as many friends as it can get, but does he realize that the Little Juniata Association which he talks highly of, is trying to eliminate a lot of those friends because they carry spinning rods and not fly rods? The people that article will bring in, will fish for a weekend, and likely never come back. They are not friends of the river. The true friends of the river are the fishermen who pick up litter, keep a watchfull eye out for threats, and dont try to close a section of river on behalf of the SRC. Plenty of the people who do this carry spinning rods, and not fly rods like the rest of us. If we eliminate them, we eliminate watchfull eyes.

is this the same stream that eveyone coplained about donny beaver putting big fish in and feeding them dog food....now everyone hones in on it and fishes it?   just curious?

ORIGINAL: tommybanzai

is this the same stream that eveyone coplained about donny beaver putting big fish in and feeding them dog food....now everyone hones in on it and fishes it?   just curious?

 
People do not "hone in on it" because of beaver's hatcherytards. It is moreso popular because it has great hatches and plenty of wild and fingerling stocked browns. I'm sure a few people do fish the little J because of beavers fish, but not many.

Yea and you def can tell a one of those tard from a native. 2 of the tards I caught fought like a waleye... one simi good pull then seemed like they died while the one brown I caught that was half their size put up the best fight of its life. Id like to try to get up there during prime hatch time, never really got to ever fish with sulphers during a heavy hatch. Im guess thats a hell of a site when there is a good hatch coming off. 

Thanks for the clarification guys. I have 2 friends that have fished up around there a few times before, but never went with them. I do remember the post from the past where everyone was complaining about the stocked fish and ruining the hatches or whatever...just couldn't remember if it was the J or Spruce. Oh well, maybe one of these days I will see first hand how well this fishing real estate s there.

Fish
On!