First trip to the Little J, what do I need?

I hadn't really taken dad seriously when he was talking about going to fish the Little J all winter. I guess I should have.

He's told me stories about the beautiful browns he caught there with a few of his friends years and years ago, and just yesterday, he mentioned that he'd like to fish it as a day trip sometime before the trout opener. While I'm definitely excited to go, my methodic, careful mentality is kind of panicky from the lack of time to prepare!

What kind of tactics should I (we) be trying, and what sorts of patterns should I tie? He's doing all the map-scouting, so I'm content to fish wherever he chooses, but he spins while I fly fish.

To date, I've still not caught a trout on a dry fly, and I'd like to make a Little J trout the first one to fall for one of my ties. I'm thinking BWOs will be about the only thing hatching this time of year but I'm not sure, thats why I'm asking!

don't know if you've ever seen this site.... http://www.flyfishingconnection.com/statepennsy.html

you'll see the little j as well as some other notable pa streams.  the hatch guide is somewhat of a good guide to follow, but you can't go wrong with some local knowledge of people who have been fishing the J recently.

Cold, don't pass by any deep holes!  When fishing the deep stuff use a big "bunny leech" or a black muddler and don't be afraid to get it down to where you can't see it.  Man, I wish I could be there to show you some places.  There's a couple of very productive places where most fishermen pass right by because they think the water is too shallow.   You've got a PM!

Rap,  You will notice that I didn't post pictures, or spot burn or allude to 50 fish days.  Just what he asked for.  Cold is smart enough to do the leg work himself.

Headed up Friday!

Started tying light olive and bright green caddis larvae in 12 & 14, latex caddis in same sizes. Might work on a few #18 BWO dries and comparaduns/sparkle duns too. Also will have EHC and a few grannoms...just in case.

I'll also have my staple collection of woolly buggers in olive, black, and white, with a few other colors for variety in tails & bodies (fluorescents, blues, red, purple, yellow...) as well as a few bucktails.

drake, I'll be sending you a PM soon.

The high water comes as no surprise.  We're about 6 inches behind on precipitation for the year.  Expect a wet spring, hopefully not.. hopefully a wet summer !
 
The j was actually a deep green on the upper yesterday.  Warriors Mark Run was even in good shape.. a stream notorious for thick red mud, so that's good for the lower end.   I don't think the J headwaters got the rain University Park did.  It poured for a while at UP.  The lower end is going to be iffy this weekend.  Probably not going to reach the 250 mark.  Careful down there !
 
Spruce Creek looked about perfect yesterday..  if anyone finds that exciting.  It does doesn't boast anywhere near the caddis like the J does, nor what it once did but it's an option in the future.  I recall a reasonable grannom hatch there last year.  Enough to get the fish on them.  Coming soon.

Cold,
     Spring Creek is just "Over the Hill and Far Away" if the "J" is too high.

Cold, you will be able to find lots of water on spring for your dad to spin fish.