S7, Ep 43: Hatches and High Waters: The Central PA Fishing Scene with George Costa
In this episode of The Articulate Fly, host Marvin Cash catches up with George Costa for the latest Central PA Fishing Report, and it’s a wet one! With rain forecasted to hit the region, George shares insights on how the weather will affect fishing conditions and what anglers can expect in the days ahead. As the waters rise and visibility decreases, he emphasizes the importance of adaptability in your fishing strategy.
The duo dives into the current insect activity, discussing the various hatches, including drakes and sulphurs, that are enticing trout. George highlights the significance of observation when targeting selective fish, offering tips on how to identify what the fish are feeding on and the importance of having a diverse selection of flies at the ready.
As they navigate the challenges posed by the impending weather, George shares his thoughts on the upcoming cicada emergence and how it might influence fishing in the coming weeks. He also touches on exciting classes and sales happening at TCO Fly Shop, encouraging listeners to check out their offerings.
This episode is packed with valuable insights and practical advice for anglers looking to make the most of their time on the water, even when the weather doesn’t cooperate.
All Things Social Media
Follow TCO on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter .
Follow us on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and YouTube .
Support the Show
Subscribe to the Podcast
Subscribe to the podcast in the podcatcher of your choice.
Advertise on the Podcas t
Is our community a good fit for your brand? Advertise with us.
In the Industry and Need Help Getting Unstuck?
Check out our consulting options !
Marvin Cash
Hey, folks, it's Marvin Cash, the host of the Articulate Fly. And we're back with another Central PA Fishing report with George Costa.George, how are you?
George Costa
I'm amazing as always. Marvin, how are you?
Marvin Cash
And as always, I'm just trying to stay out of trouble. And rumor has it you may need to build an ark this weekend.
George Costa
I think we're gonna need arcs, canoes, drift boats, and maybe even the tugboat and the steamboat. It's going to be nice.
Marvin Cash
Sounds ominous. What's the forecast?
George Costa
Well, the forecast is starting tonight and going into Wednesday and Thursday, we're going to get over an inch of rain again. Our water's already been pretty high. It's coming back into fishable shape and we're about to get another big blast of rain.So everything's going to get up and blown out off color and dirty again going into this weekend. You know, everything's just coming here. We know everything's been underway, but we've had, you know, drakes are starting pretty much everywhere.Solar sulphurs, march browns. Everything under the sun is going right now. But this big blast of water is definitely going to put a damper on this weekend.It's going to be tough fishing the next three, four days up here in Central pa, That's for sure.
Marvin Cash
Got it. So we kind of come on the other side of that.And obviously, right, you fish streamers on the drop, but when things settle out and the hatches come back, I know one thing that you guys are known for is that you have such an abundance of insect activity in your spring creeks that the fish are pretty selective. You have some tips for folks.
George Costa
Yeah, observation is the best tip you can get with selective trout. You know, look and see how those fish are eating. You know, big splash abs on the surface.That's going to be an indication that a fish is grabbing something that's about to fly off the surface of the water like a dun or a caddis emerging.You know, if you see more subtle dimples, that's your indication that those because you're eating spinners or something that is stuck on the surface of the water like a cripple. So observation really is key. And we've definitely been where I've had fish on river left, eating sulfurs, fish on river right, or eating olives.So, you know, each individual fish is going to be a little different. They're all going to key. And when there's, you know, different stages of a hatch going on or different species coming up at the same time.So sometimes you really gotta just look. That's the key. And you know, this time of year it's tough to make that decision.So carrying a good array of patterns, sizes, colors, profiles, you know, you don't need to carry a million flies, but you know, sometimes this time of year carrying 30 dry flies, you know what you can expect. You know, because every fish is different. They all want something a little different.You know, there's going to be things that are going to consistently work, but sometimes you get a nice big fish that's getting real selective on a specific type of bug and it pays to come prepared.
Marvin Cash
And so any kind of tips for kind of dialing in that selectivity, you know, when the, you know, the kind of the five iron fly doesn't work.
George Costa
Dynamite sometimes will do the trick. But dialing it in, no, just, you know, take your time and be patient with it.I think that's really the key is just, just watch to see what the fish is doing, you know, and I usually will run a fly over a fish, you know, four or five times.If you're getting a good drift over a rising fish and you presented the fly well, you know, four or five times and the fish is refusing and you think you should, you had a hit on it, that's your cue to change. So change up your pattern, change your presentation, change up angle, all those really small little differences.You know, small little changes can make a big difference in how fish eats.
Marvin Cash
And of course, visit your local fly shop for advice and flies. Right?
George Costa
100%. 100%.
Marvin Cash
Well, you know folks, we love questions on the articulate fly. You can email me or DM me, whatever's easiest for you.And if we use your question, I will send you some articulate fly swag and you know, drawing for something cool from the shop. And then the season.And George, as we head into a soggy holiday weekend, you know, anything interesting either from on the sales side or class side, you want to kind of promote in the shop?
George Costa
Well, one thing I did want to mention is that our cicadas are coming. Now. I wanted to bring this up, that there are some cicadas just starting to pop up right now in central Pennsylvania.We're seeing the nymphs come out of the ground.We are seeing some adults here and there with this cold rainy weather we're going to next four or five days, it's really going to kind of slow them down. So guys that are paying attention to that, you know, you might see some cicadas up in the trees now, but the fish are not on them quite yet.It's going to be another week to two weeks until these bugs start flying around, hitting the water and actually making noise. So just be aware, just because you're seeing cicadas in the trees right now, those fish are not quite on them yet.We're going to be another week and a half to two weeks until that happens on the sale front. Yeah, we've always got a bunch of stuff on our website. Classes. Right now there's a handful of classes being offered on some of our other locations.You know, we're in the thick of it right now here in Central PA, so check out our website PCO fly fishing.com for sales and classes and hope to see you guys out on the water soon.
Marvin Cash
There you go. And so normal hours for the holiday weekend.
George Costa
Yep. Memorial Day Monday. We're nine to three most of our locations, but moral hours otherwise.
Marvin Cash
Got it. Sunday on Monday. Yeah. Well, listen, folks, as I always say, this time of year, yo it yourself to get out there and catch a few.Tight lines, everybody. Tight lines. George.
