My trip to Kettle Creek

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Terry R
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2009/05/16 18:09:45 (permalink)

My trip to Kettle Creek

Got back from Ole Bull/Kettle yesterday evening (5/15). Five days in Gods country. Left wishing I had planned a longer stay.

Stream level was perfect. Never know what you're gonna find in that respect. Just enough color to the water to make fishing nice.

Caught a few, but not a ton. That's nothing new for me. Guys were hookin' em on live bait. I'm a nymph fisherman. Best success on pheasant tails, hares ears, even small black stone flies. (Nothing secret or spectacular there) Late for stones, but the pellet heads liked 'em. Fished behind Ole Bull Monday. Practically had the stream to ourselves. Didn't see as many fish as I expected though, as they stocked on 5/8.

Fished the improved pools along the highway just below the FFO project on Tuesday. Spotted more fish there. Had the place to ourselves in the morning. Had a blast in those deep pools with a white bugger, followed be a nymph and/or midge. Bugger worked like a deep water strike indicator. Great fun.

Fished at the mouth of Little Cross Creek and the riffles below on Wednesday. Best success there. I like fishing riffles. Kettle is broad and shallow enough there that you can wade the center of the creek and cast to all areas as you wade down stream. Probably wouldn't have selected that area to fish, but we saw the white truck there on Tuesday. I'd go back there again.

Fished the improved pools and riffles below Cross Creek at Deb's old location. First time fishing there. Very nice area.

Didn't get to the FFO project. Plenty of other spots holding lots of fish. Besides, one of our bunch was fishing w/ bait.

Had dinner at the Manor Hotel over in Slate Run Wednesday evening. (More then you needed/wanted to know) Anyway, dinner/service was very good. The Slate Run store/fly shop is still for sale. The proprietors there are very nice. It's a 16 mile trek from Ole Bull, but a beautiful drive that took us past Robinson Road/The Dyer Farm where my dad and uncles had their CCC cabin. They have done a lot of logging on top of the mountain since the last time I was up there, but fortunately the didn't clear cut. Doesn't look too bad. Actually saw a few deer too.

Didn't see much in the way of hatches, but I'm not that into the entomology. Did see a few fish come right out of the water for bugs when fishing behind the Ole Bull campground at dusk. The guy that was after them was using a tannish mayfly pattern.

Now for my rant. In the past I've seen the entrails of fish left in the creek after guys gut their catch. This year there were also heads, skeletons and skin flaps in the stream too, as someone filleted their catch there and left the remainder of the fish. What were they thinking? Leaving the carcass for the raccoons and birds of prey? Just careless/inconsiderate? What would you think if/when you came across this? Beautiful Kettle Creek is for all to share. I have the greatest respect for Kettle and all of the outdoors. I'm on my soapbox, I realize. And I hate to read nasty stuff on this and other forums. I'd be interested to read your opinions.

Anyway, we had a wonderful time bonding w/ buddies and enjoying beautiful Potter County. Can't wait to get back up there. But for now, it's time to gas up the Merc and chase those PI smallies. LOL to all.
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    doubletaper
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    RE: My trip to Kettle Creek 2009/05/18 10:44:49 (permalink)
    i was up there sat. and sunday. from the dry fly guy standpoint. sat. around 3:00 hooked up with brooks on gray foxes. after that blue quills and olives with a few beetles (caught a couple nice browns on one) mixed in. from rain during the eve and night sunday the creek was muddy and high in the morn. by noon it cleared up some but the wind was a challenge and nothing would take dry.
    hello youngwomens creek. smacked them on gray foxes and tan hendricksons till it was time to go!!
    if i would have stayed at ole' bull i definatly would have fished behind there and downstream.
    the the project area on the kettle was packed on sat. didn't even fish it 'till sunday but it was high and darkish. ~dt
    post edited by doubletaper - 2009/05/18 11:05:14

    http://streamsidetales.bl...015/05/helles-yea.html
    it's not luck
    if success is consistent 





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    sugarfuzz12
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    RE: My trip to Kettle Creek 2009/05/18 10:55:55 (permalink)
    fished from thursday till saterday. found one spot on kettle were i got a few on drys, mostly grey fox and a couple on march browns. missed a lot more than caught, could see them come up and hit it set the hook and nothing there. caught a few more on wets and bait. also caught a couple on first fork and east branch over in wharton.  also caught a crap load of natives behind the camp on trout run and got one nicer native, about 8-9 inches in kettle.  was a very fun trip even though we got wet a couple of times
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    sugarfuzz12
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    RE: My trip to Kettle Creek 2009/05/18 10:57:34 (permalink)
    any body ever fish baily run? took a ride up there friday it looked very nice so we gave it a try didn't get any hits or could see any fish.
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    doubletaper
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    RE: My trip to Kettle Creek 2009/05/18 11:11:04 (permalink)
    ORIGINAL: sugarfuzz12

    fished from thursday till saterday. found one spot on kettle were i got a few on drys, mostly grey fox and a couple on march browns. missed a lot more than caught, could see them come up and hit it set the hook and nothing there. caught a few more on wets and bait. also caught a couple on first fork and east branch over in wharton.  also caught a crap load of natives behind the camp on trout run and got one nicer native, about 8-9 inches in kettle.  was a very fun trip even though we got wet a couple of times

    i had that problem some also. the smaller brookies were quick to take and you had to be quicker on the draw than they were. 95% of the fish i caught on dries were just on the tips of the lips. it was fun.
    i had a guy tell me the fish were ONLY taking small midges #20, heck i didn't have any problem with#14 foxes or #18 blue quills. even #14 beetles!!!
     sculpin14, i would have stuck around to play wiffle ball but i had fish to catch

    http://streamsidetales.bl...015/05/helles-yea.html
    it's not luck
    if success is consistent 





    #5
    sugarfuzz12
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    RE: My trip to Kettle Creek 2009/05/19 11:56:51 (permalink)
    i was fishing next to a guy fishing nymphs and he was using a big grasshopper as an indicator and he was getting some nicer fish on the grasshopper that wern't rising at anything else
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    Terry R
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    RE: My trip to Kettle Creek 2009/05/19 21:39:54 (permalink)
    Isn't it amazing how effective a terrestrial can be at seemingly inappropriate times. I've seen it on more then one occasion. We carry all those flies in our boxs and fish the same patterns over and over (pheasant tails, hares ear, prince, zebra midge) . I'm in a similar run w/ bass fishing. One rod will always be set up w/ a Carolina Rig. Only variation will be the plastic bait: worm, craw, lizard.

    We're (me, wife, golden) are off to PI tomorrow for two days of chasin' smallies. Retirement gets better every day! Never chased them before. Been waiting since ice out. Weather should be super. Got my Gotcha tubes, X-Raps, jigging spoons.
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    outfortrout
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    RE: My trip to Kettle Creek 2009/05/20 15:59:47 (permalink)
    sugarfuzz12, I've fished Bailey Run before but it's been quite a while.  It seems to get cleaned out pretty quick.  I used to LOVE fishing the area of First Fork below Bailey Run.  Unfortunately, several years ago they got the bright idea to make it artificial only.  That area is beautiful.  It reminds me of pictures that I've seen from out West.  Others have said the same thing.  I need to get up to Kettle this year.  I think I'll plan a vacation day in early June.  They're stocking it again tomorrow.  That creek is always full of fish.
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    sugarfuzz12
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    RE: My trip to Kettle Creek 2009/05/20 22:18:32 (permalink)
    ya ive fished kettle as late as the first week in july and still did good.  ya the artificial only on first fork looks real good.  i drive by it every time i go to camp but have never fished it as i am always with a bait fisherman unless i go by myself
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