Despite the recent unseasonably warm weather and flurry of activity at my local Ken Sink Chapter of Trout Unlimited, I somehow let the 2026 fishing season sneak up on me. I knew the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission would be stocking my favorite stream, Little Mahoning Creek, on March 9, but somehow forgot about it until about 4 p.m. that afternoon. Instead of standing along the stream with my fly rod in hand, I was getting my gear together and making sure I was prepared to go out at the next opportunity. Two mornings later, I was finally able to go.
With pending thunderstorms and a busy work schedule, I had about a three hour window in the morning to get out. The temperature was near 60 degrees and the winds were still light. I pulled off at my favorite spot, put on my brand new Orvis Clearwater waders that Angela got me for our anniversary I believe, and hurried down to the creek. I opted for my Euro nymphing setup to start, although I had more more traditional option along as well. While I didn’t know for sure where they stocked the stream, this particular spot is never skipped so I felt confident I would be into fish.
It didn’t take long before I had my first strike, but I didn’t get the hook set. This happened a second time a little later, which was a reminder that you can indeed get rusty from the off season. A bit later I finally hooked and landed a nice brookie on a cocoon fly, which is a fly I concocted almost 30 years ago now. I’m not sure what it imitates, but it has always been effective on recently stocked trout.
The water was still a bit angry as I call it, meaning it was high and cold thanks to recent rains and snow melt. It was still very fishable though, and with a little work and persistence I was able to land eight fish with seven of them being brookies and one a small brown. All of them were caught on the cocoon fly, although I had a few misses on a peacock herl Walt’s worm nymph. I was more than satisfied with this brief outing and it turned out to be a great way to start the season. Now that there are trout in the water, I look forward to making similar short excursions part of my regular schedule.
