Favorite flies for Minersville?

[happybob91]

I'm going to be trying to fish Minersville this month fly fishing. The first time I went I did terrible, the second time I did better on some nymph and leech patterns, but nothing really consistent. I was curious what some fly patterns you guys feel produce well, especially this time of year?
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[gofish435]

We did okay a couple of weeks ago using a size 6 or 8 green crystal bugger on a medium (#3) sinking line.

The water is a little murky so anything with a little flash in it helps.

Good luck when you go. There are some nice fish in there.
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[kjox21]

I'm also heading there in a week. Is there an end of the lake that fishes better?

Usually early in the year trout are focused on chironimids, scuds, and leeches. Normally more muddy bottoms help.

Any info on where to fish and what to use would be greatly appreciated!
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[gofish435]

We went on February 13th so when you go the water will have warmed up quite a bit. The water clarity was not the greatest when we were there so we fished with streamers with some flash in them. There were some guys fishing from tubes and from shore using chironomids and they were struggling to catch fish. I've attached a picture of where I fished and I picked up fish from a number of different places along my path. I couldn't really point you to a place that might be better than any other.

Good luck when you go. There are some quality fish in there.[]
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[happybob91]

Thanks for all the info so far....I will be going on the 17th, hoping to have some extra luck [] How about nymph patterns? I caught a nice guy on a hare's ear, but that was later in the year.
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[gofish435]

As far as nymph patterns, the hares ear is always a good one. Soft hackles will also produce some fish.

Maybe by the time you get there the water will have cleared up a bit or it could muddy up a bit depending on the volume of runoff. If it's murky I'd stick with streamer patterns with some flash.

Good luck when you go and post up a report.[]
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[kjox21]

Thanks for the information! That helps a ton to know what end of the lake is productive. I'll post a report when we get back letting you know how it was.

Hopefully we tie into some hogs!
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[wormandbobber]

From my experience at Minersville, the far northern end/eastern end of the reservoir is best early in the spring. I usually drive around through Adamsville and fish off the rocky shoreline on the north side of the reservoir. As for flies, I tend to stick to buggers and will use an assortment of colors and styles until I find one that works consistently. With that being said, spring fishing at Minersville has always been very hit and miss for me. I would, though, strongly suggest sticking close to shore and along the rocky areas. These have always worked best for me. And, I would be looking closely for fish sipping midges on the surface.
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[kjox21]

Thank you for the information, that makes deciding where to fish much easier! That looks like the inlet for the stream that flows into the reservoir so maybe the fish like that getting ready for spawning?

Normally midges like muddy/soot bottoms to live in so if that's the area of the lake that has deposits from the incoming stream that makes sense.

I'll keep everyone posted on how the trip goes.
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[kjox21]

Fishing was pretty inconsistent Friday evening and Saturday. It would get hot for 30 minutes then go hours without any action.

Overall it was a great first trip, there are some really nice fish in that reservoir.

We did most of our damage on size 14 or 16 black chironomid, 5 feet below an indicator. The fly was tied very thin with silver ribbing.

Most of the locals have been saying that the reservoir has been fishing very strange since there wasn't ice on the lake very long. It might heat up in a few weeks with warmer weather. Keep your fingers crossed.
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[gofish435]

Thanks for the report.

Were you fishing from shore or in a tube/toon? We're there a lot of people fishing on Saturday?

When we were there a month ago the guys fishing chironmids under an indicator were not doing very well but then we did not do all that well fishing streamers either. The fish we caught were up high in the water column, within 10' of the surface.

Your right, there are some nice fish in there.
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[happybob91]

[quote wormandbobber]From my experience at Minersville, the far northern end/eastern end of the reservoir is best early in the spring. I usually drive around through Adamsville and fish off the rocky shoreline on the north side of the reservoir. As for flies, I tend to stick to buggers and will use an assortment of colors and styles until I find one that works consistently. With that being said, spring fishing at Minersville has always been very hit and miss for me. I would, though, strongly suggest sticking close to shore and along the rocky areas. These have always worked best for me. And, I would be looking closely for fish sipping midges on the surface.[/quote]

So is that part of the park? Would I have to pay to get there? All I know is the state park on the south end by the dam. What other access points are there?
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[wormandbobber]

No. The area on the north side of the lake is not part of the park and you do not have to pay to use those areas. I will be heading to Minersville on Saturday and will fish that side. I am planning on driving through Adamsville near the inlet around the north side of the reservoir and fishing the rocky shoreline on that end.

You can also access that side by driving the dirt road just below the dam. The road circles the big hill north of the dam and comes out just below out it to the east. This is a pretty popular area for people to access the reservoir and avoid the park fees.

Also, just east of the park entrance towards Beaver, there is another dirt road access area where we like to fish. We call it the Beer and Bait store entrance because there used to be a beer and bait store down there.
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[happybob91]

So I went today and had no luck. The lake was very stained and had poor visibility. I talked to a local who also said he didn't have any luck. I was hoping to fish the beaver river (up in the canyon) but it was blown out, and was very high. It was also very warm today. It's almost like May instead of March.
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[brookieguy1]

That sucks! I hate over-stained water. Could be weeks before it gets any clearer. Head to Otter Creek Reservoir. Better fishing and healthier fish, in general.
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[kjox21]

We were fishing from the shore the whole time. You can fish that end of the lake for a while longer I think before the fish start moving deeper. The chironomids we were using were pretty slim and had flash at the gils which I think helped with the murky water.
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