3/22 KLG Skunk

[sstasiak]

I hit the KLG yesterday from 10:30am to 3pm and got :skunked:. This was my third visit to KLG and my third skunking. It's very frustrating since I made sure to pay attention to my casting, approach, properly reading the water, and still not a hit. The water temp was 40, olives were coming off at around 11(and a good amount of them too) as well as black stones. I didn't see any rises even though the stones were getting blown all over the water by the unfavorable windy conditions.

I saw a few other anglers, one of which I believe posts here that drives a white chevy with a sage sticker on it?? I'm curious as to how anyone else did.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong here, but it seems I'm cursed at the KLG. I was using caddis larva and stonefly nymphs. I actually hooked a caddis larva on my wooly bugger while fishing a run and my imitations were almost a perfect match(must give thanks to jcstikfish for the simple recipe for these larva) and still couldn't hook up.

I do well on other streams, but the pocket water here has proven to be difficult for me to fish properly. If there are any out there willing to give some onstream advice, I'd gladly provide the transportation as well as lunch. I NEED KLG HELP!!!

 

[Fly Tier]

SSTasiak,
What you probably saw was the Paraleps (common name - blue quill) Its a little early for Olives and just the beginning of what is usually the first mayfly of the season.

Dont get discouraged. Water is still a little cold for risers even with bugs on the surface. Fish will still be a bit sluggish unless their stockers. A few more degrees and they may get active on the top. What I have noticed over the years on the D is that you need about 6 bugs to pass over a fish in a feeding lane every minute for the fish to set up and feed. This doesnt mean the occasional riser, it means actively feeding in a pattern. Have you had that same experience on the KLG?

 

[McAwful]

SSTASIK,

The olives you saw yesterday were in fact Baetis tricaudatus (formerly called Baetis Vagans) common name Little Iron Blue Quill. The fish on the SBRR are not looking up yet. They will start to rise in two or three weeks depending on weather etc. The trout may not be taking the duns, but they have been all over the emerger stage. The tricky thing about these is that they split the shuck on the bottom and swim to the surface as an adult (lots of "BWO" emergers got the shuck). 16 and 18 flashback Pt and Olive nymphs have been working the past two weeks. The fish have been taking them on the end of the drift when the fly starts to swing up off the bottom. I may have talked to you I had a hat on that said DEADGUY. I was not fishing, just collecting some bugs and looking at the water levels etc.

McAwful

 

[Fly Tier]

Sstasiak,
McAwful is correct, they were baetis species, not the blue quills. (joe T corrected me as well) The baetis will come earlier than the blue quills, blue quills will come around when temps reach the upper 40's. You will see the baetis activity in the low 40's, as the first mayfly, not the blue quill as I stated in my previous post.
Thanks for pointing that out McAwful, I totally forgot about those little ones.

 

[mannix]

Thats me with the white Chevy, but i wast out yesterday. Ive been there the last few weekends and the water temp has been the determining factor for me, got skunked last weekend when the temp was around 40, but the weekend before when the temps were approaching 50 i caught fish both days, one being a 22' rainbow Ive yet to see a single fish rise this year, even when there were good amounts of black stones coming off
I too am still just learning how to fish there, and its proven challenging. Im just trying to figure out a little more each time Ill probably be there one day this weekend, hope to see you out

 

[sstasiak]

Thanks to all for the insect clarification

McAwful

I thought you looked familiar from pics posted here....I was in the silver Explorer. You were there with another guy that posts here right.....Gilbo??

With all the stones and caddis larva around I thought I'd be able to pick something up. What do you guys find is the most effective way to fish the gorge(i.e. high stick nymphing, with a dropper/without???) I'm not used to fishing a river like this that's mostly all pocket water.

Oh, and I did see a HUGE breeder brown and a few large brookies, but they weren't looking at anything I threw at them. As McAwful said when we spoke, they were probably freshly stocked and still used to looking for pellets.

 

[McAwful]

SSTASIAK,

This is a tough time of year for KLG. The wild & hold-over fish have left their winter haunts. They have not yet moved to their spring and summer feeding lies and patterns. They have just stocked a ton of fish that have no idea how to be a trout yet. On top of all of that, the water is way to low and clear for this time of year. I hate to say (and I kind of refuse to fish this rig/it works but you learn nothing doing it)it but your best bet will probably be a small (#10 or so) non-bead brown or olive bugger on 5x fluro with a #18 flshbk Pt 16in behind the bugger. Throw a streamer. Until the fish get settled/start acting like fish, you should cover as much water as you can.

McA

 

[NJstomp]

Aren't the rivers closed till April 8th? Or does this not apply to KLG?
McAwful, Deadguy as in the band?

 

[McAwful]

NJstomp,

KLG and all stretches classified as TCA are open. YES Deadguy the band. Tom Yak (Guitarist)tattooed about 25% of me. So, Stomp as in GI Joe HeadStomp. I was thought that was a SOIA reference. Nice.

McA

 

[sstasiak]

Aren't the rivers closed till April 8th? Or does this not apply to KLG?
McAwful, Deadguy as in the band?

KLG is a Year Round TCA(trout concervation area). I believe all TCA's are open year round, even during the closed stocking period.

 

[NJstomp]

Good stuff, always thought it was closed during stocking, Thx guys.
I used to follow Deadguy all around jersey when ever they played. Nope, not a SOIT reference but thats another band I use to listen to religously. One of my favorite shows was them at City Gardens back in like 92.

 

[Johnw]

Just a reminder - TCA's are open but catch and release only until April 8.

 

[davethetrout]

The KLG is open for catch and release only with gear restrictions in place till April 8th..

 

[jcstikfish]

The KLG is open for catch and release only with gear restrictions in place till April 8th..

There are still gear restrictions after the 8th. No bait now, no bait then. The only difference between now and then is that now EVERY fish must be released. After opening day, back to one fish 15" or greater. Also being a TCA, it is not fly only like it used to be. :thumbsdow So, you can use spinning tackle all year round.


~James

 

[rford]

More TCA Info

I git this wrong once this year..so here it is from the book...( check the book for TCA specific locations on these rivers). Outside the TCA's is closed from March 20 thtill April 8th at 8 am

Year Round TCA's Always Artificial Only. You can fish on Stocking days in the YRTCA but it is C&R on that Day

Paulinskill ( Limecrest )
SB Raritan ( KLG )
SB Raritan ( Claremont )
Toms
Jan 1 - March 19th 1 Fish 15 inches or bigger
March 20 - April 8 @ 8 am C&R only
After and including April 8th 1 FISH 15 Inches or Larger.


Seasonal TCA's - N
No Fishing on Stocking days , but last stocking day May 26 but that day is C&R
From April 8th - May 21st you can Drown worms. The rest of the year it is Artificial Only

Pequannock River
Pequest
Musconetcong
Jan 1 - March 19th 1 Fish 15 inches or bigger
March 20 - April 7th - C&R
April 8th 12 am - 8 am NO FISHING PERIOD!
April 8th 8 am - May 21 6 Fish, 7 inches or better
May 22 - Dec 31st 1 fish 15 inches or better


I dont like the rules..but the rules is the rules....
The artificial Only cracks me up.... 9 hooks on a Rapala..HAHAHAHHA. I have no problem with spin fishing by the way, this is just a Hypocritical Reg, if they want to make it C&R ( 1 fish over 15 may as well be C&R ) and Artificial only then restrict number of hooks on a lure to 1...!

Time to throw out last years frozen trout and make room for this years...

 

[C&R]

I forget...do they stock KLG at all?

 

[rford]

Yes, however they have backed off over the past couple of years because the thought is that since it is 1 fish only over 15 inches added to the gear restrictions are there are some wild fish they could cut back.

However, I have heard that there were many complaints that it fished poorly over the past couple of years that they are putting more in again this year re-alocated from some other waters.

I still believe they only stock it pre-season then every other week instead of every week.

rf

 

[Johnw]

TCA's are usually stocked pre-season, week 3, and week 6 and 7

 

[Bill Sell]

They just stocked KLG on march 20th :applaudit

 

[davethetrout]

Without sounding like a retard..What does TCA mean?

 

[NJstomp]

Trout conservation area

 

[hondo]

imp: :indian: imp:

Regarding stocking, it happened Monday....unfortunately all brookies....but there we a lot of real nice healthy fish. :stupid: :stupid: :bootyshak :bootyshak :stupid: :stupid:

 

[Lucci]

One of my favorite shows was them at City Gardens back in like 92.

City Gardens, I saw my first show there in the Summer of 92, Rollins Band--way before he started playing that :shit: he had on his last couple of albums.

 

[NJstomp]

City Gardens, I saw my first show there in the Summer of 92, Rollins Band--way before he started playing that :shit: he had on his last couple of albums.

I was most likely there! Never missed a Rolins show back in the day. A piece of Hardcore died when they shut down City Gardens.

 

[theartoflee]

City Gardens, I saw my first show there in the Summer of 92, Rollins Band--way before he started playing that :shit: he had on his last couple of albums.

Best part of the Rollins band was Andrew Weiss... as for Henry Rollins he was alright back when he played in black flag.... now back to talking about TCA.

 

[Bluefish94]

I'm thinking heading up there on Weds. mid morning, anyone going to be there?

 

[GARYB]

I think 40f water temp is a little cold for the trout to move much. I guarantee you'll
catch fish at KLG when the water hits 50F. If you can find a decent spot to fish
without another FF'er in it.

 

[AKSkim]

Using a Wet Fly

Just wondering if you Lad's would ever consider using a wet fly in those conditions? It has been my experience to at least give it a try and you may surprise yourself with a nice healthy trout or two.

 

[NJstomp]

Caught about half a dozen or so on Sunday with a Adams Wet.