Trout Fishing on the Tully

On the Tulpehocken Creek, on an late February 2011 morning, for this trout fishing report.

The air temperature was in the mid-40s Fahrenheit, and the water temperature on the Tulpehocken Creek,at a location a few miles upstream from its confluence with the Schuylkill River was 42 degrees. I was here with Catfish Tony, near a historic mill on this creek, which is a major tributary of the Schuykill River.

As we walked up streamside, I saw a young dad with two sons right in the spot where I like to drop my bait. "Jumpin' Jehovah, they're at my spot," I said to Catfish Tony.

So we took up places nearby, giving the young dad and his brood their space. We dropped our lines in the water and started fishing. And then we watched as the young dad and his kinder started hauling in brown trout at a good clip. Meanwhile, we were getting nothing, not even bites. So, Catfish Tony saunters over to the young dad, talks a while, then comes back.

"They are using corn," he says.

"Corn?"

"Corn," he says.

"Did you get any?"

"Yea. Here."

So, we started pitching corn. Again, they are hauling. The kids are hooking trout and losing them left and right. And we keep looking at each other with nothing, not even nibbles.

Finally, dad catches his limit of three. And they depart.

We move in, over to The Spot. We drop corn, nightcrawlers, Power Bait, lures. Nothing.

Then, Catfish Tony, coaxing some bait along the edge of a wall, hooks a brownie and brings it in.

Just goes to show you, don't ever try to out fish a couple kids who are armed with a can of Nibblets.

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