Penns Creek · hatch chart
Green Drake in the last week of May defines the year; autumn olives run to November
By month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
| Month | Insect | Stage | Size | Time | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr | Grannom caddis (Brachycentrus) | Adult | #14 | 12:00-16:00 | |
| May | Green Drake (Ephemera guttulata) | Dun at dusk | #10-12 | 20:00-23:00 | |
| May | March Brown (Stenonema) | Dun | #12 | 11:00-15:00 | |
| Jun | Sulphur (Ephemerella invaria) | Dun | #14-16 | 19:00-21:30 | |
| Jun | Isonychia bicolor | Dun | #10-12 | 17:00-21:00 | |
| Aug | Terrestrials — hoppers and ants | Adult | #12-16 | 10:00-17:00 | |
| Oct | Blue-Winged Olive (Baetis) | Dun | #18-20 | 13:00-16:30 | |
| Nov | October Caddis (Pycnopsyche) | Adult | #10-12 | 17:30-20:30 |
Flow and visibility
Penns is a freestone stream, so the green drake hatch can be destroyed by a single muddy thunderstorm: the fish cannot see the fly and the hatch is over for the year. Locals watch the radar obsessively in the last week of May. Fishable clarity is roughly 60 cm of visibility; below that, switch to a streamer or go home.
The insect plate
