Rock Creek near Tilden

[james kammel]

I can't believe it, but this guy took a hares ear nymph on rock creek.  I also saw the biggest cat fish under the bridge there.  Anyone else fishing rock creek?

[Paul Moinester]

After the series of "steps to catch a fish emails" I took the short walk from Columbia Heights to Rock Creek in search of fish.  I go to the park all of the time with my girlfriend and our black lab and often see a number of decent size fish.  The problem I experienced is that due to the combined sewer overflow system that releases a ton of sewage into the river the NPS prohibits wading (http://www.nps.gov/rocr/parkmgmt/rock-creek-park-superintendent-compendium.htm).  I have no idea if this applies to people in waders but since I usually try to follow the rules, I fished purely from shore.  With such a dense canopy, limited shoreline, and the inability to get into the water, I had a pretty difficult time finding a place to cast.  I don't know if anyone has found some good spots or knows if the park police is fine with people wading in waders, but if you are interested in heading down there and doing some exploring shoot me an email. 

Paul

On Friday, August 17, 2012 4:12:21 AM UTC-4, David Constantine wrote:

I'm interested in fishing Rock Creek, and it's good to know that I'm not alone.  I live in Columbia Heights and the idea of walking to a flyfishing hole is just too tempting not to investigate.   Also good to know that you were successful.  Did you get some weird looks from passersby?
I went running though the park today and saw many fish, mostly small, but a few larger ones I wouldn't mind hooking on my 5 wt.  Water level was low and current slow, but had some nice deeper pools where I saw fish holding.  No rising action though. This was at 10AM, hot and sunny, between the Porter Street and the Calvert Street Bridges.  Curious about what lies south, if anyone knows. 
I'm also curious about what species of fish are in there.  My background is western trout fishing and I can't identify these fish!
Also, Jim, be careful, buddy.  The Parks website says fishing is prohibited above the Porter Street bridge. 
Nice fish,
Dave
On Tuesday, July 31, 2012 6:26:01 PM UTC-4, Jim wrote:

[Todd Kuethe]

My natural question is what are these fish likely eating in Rock Creek?

On Friday, August 24, 2012 9:03:47 AM UTC-4, Lane Smith wrote:

I live in Dupont and have tried a couple times at or around the P St bridge. Not great overhand casting but rollcasts work just fine. Not a bad spot if you can ignore the disturbing number of condom wrappers littering the grounds.

Caught a bunch of bluegill and even a rockfish once (really random) but I've never gotten these guys to take a bite! Would love some fly suggestions. Not sure if you can tell by the picture but these smallmouth were pretty big. Not good about estimating poundage but somewhere between 14-17 inches.

Lane

[Lane Smith]

It's so dirty what with the runoff from the sewer drainage and whatnot, might be better left unknown ...

[FlyTimesDC]

In rock creek I imagine they are eating a combination of native baitfish species (fatheaded minnows, blue-gills/sunfish, white perch, shad), crawdads, and insects. Bass can be picky sometimes, but it's generally about finding the right sized fly and fishing it with a non-offensive presentation. The water in the photo looks crystal clear, meaning these fish would be wary of your presence and thus hard to catch to begin with. My suggestion is to keep using the flies you are using (maybe try a size 6 or 8 grass shrimp or bonefish slider), but try and make longer casts and subtler presentations to these fish.

[Matthew Longley]

I was inspired by this thread and rode my bike down to rock creek tonight, a bit south of Tilden off Beach Drive.  Sighted a school of good-looking smallmouths, but couldn't get them to react to my streamers and they didn't seem interested in anything on the surface.  By "couldn't get them to react" I mean I basically popped one on the nose and it didn't flinch.  Had the same issue as Lane though, casting where the fish were was rough business.  If anyone wants to hit the creek after work one of these days let me know.

[Michael Smith]

Creek Chub?  I find them all over the place in the small runs around the beltway and even on the North Fork of the Shenandoah.  They will hit a #10 black woolly bugger with gusto.

http://www.web1.cnre.vt.edu/efish/families/creekchub.html

From: flytimesDC <remicks...@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com>
Date: Friday, September 21, 2012 9:51 PM
To: <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: Rock Creek near Tilden

Fished rock creek today by the Connecticut Avenue Bridge. Throwing a size 6 white shminnow, I managed to catch two of these cool looking chubs (around 10-12"), 12 sunfish, four largemouth (biggest was 12'), and two smallies in a couple hours. It was an awesome day and the similarities to a trout stream are spot on (albeit it does smell). After living less than a quarter mile away from fishable water for most of my life, I am now kicking myself for not exploring this spot earlier. I waded without interruption and was only stopped by a policeman who was curious to see how the fishing was. I saw several larger bass (about 2-4lbs) in some of the deeper pools. Fish were caught in deep pools beneath riffles or on rip rap in 3-5ft of water. Does anyone know the proper name of the fish in the pic? 

On Tuesday, July 31, 2012 6:26:01 PM UTC-4, Jim wrote:

I can't believe it, but this guy took a hares ear nymph on rock creek.  I also saw the biggest cat fish under the bridge there.  Anyone else fishing rock creek?

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[Carl Zmola]

On 09/21/2012 09:51 PM, flytimesDC wrote:
> Throwing a size 6 white shminnow, I managed to catch two of these cool
> looking chubs (around 10-12"), 12 sunfish, four largemouth (biggest
> was 12'), and two smallies in a couple hours. It was an awesome day
> and the similarities to a trout stream are spot on (albeit it does
> smell).

If you don't mind catching the local, smallish non-game fish, the
fishing in a lot of local creeks is very much like trout fishing. The
dace, fallfish, chub minnows rise like trout and take small nymphs just
like trout.

If the water was colder and cleaner, it would hold trout.

Carl

[namfos]

After reading this thread, I think I'm going to have to explore Rock Creek upstream of the District Line here in MoCo...

On Tuesday, July 31, 2012 6:26:01 PM UTC-4, Jim wrote:

 

[Lane Smith]

Fished Rock creek again yesterday for most of the afternoon. Was
concentrating on the area just south of the P street bridge. The
recent rain has changed the structure of the creek tremendously even
carving out some new pools. I spent most of my time working on one of
them next to a storm drain run off. As usual, I hooked into a lot of
bluegill but nothing bigger despite trying all kinds of different
flies, techniques, and approaches. Saw reasonable sized bass, suckers,
catfish, and something which I'm not really sure what it was other
than an 'Eel'? It scared the dickens outta me at first because I
thought it was a water snake and I wasn't wearing waders. However. It
moved differently than a snake and had fins along its belly and back.
Thoughts? Do we have eels around here?

[Longley]

Yup, probably was an "American eel". There are a ton of them around here. Never caught one on the fly, but had one demolish a hook when bottom fishing bait for cats once. Was at least 18 inches long, and slimed me up pretty good.


Sent from my mobile device

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[Michael Smith]

Lots of eels. They seriously freak me out. I remember seeing a ton of
3-inch eels climbing the cliffs in the creek that dumps into the Potomac
on the VA side of Chain Bridge.

[Greg Feder]

It could have been a doodie.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPxiXGr9nFM 

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From: Longley <matthew...@gmail.com>
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Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2012 9:43 AM
Subject: Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: Rock Creek near Tilden

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[FlyTimesDC]

Dan, 

I live by Embassy Row, not too far from Dupont. Anytime you want to hit it up or want some friendly advice, let me know! There are significant numbers (or should I say, significant enough numbers to warrant the effort?) of nice largemouth and fiesty smallmouth in RCP. I've even caught schoolie stripers in there too when the tide is right!

Tight lines,

Remick

On Tuesday, July 31, 2012 6:26:01 PM UTC-4, Jim wrote:

[Lane Smith]

Howdy Dan,

I also live in DuPont. Remick, I think I met you and your girlfriend out on 4 mile run a couple weeks back (?)

I'm headed over to P street around 4pm. Water may be crap due to rain, but perhaps not. I'll try and post once I'm down there.

I've had better luck fishing below P St towards the river than I have above towards the Zoo. The pools and structure are better and the fish more numerous and bigger. Those bass are really cagey in there. You gotta sneak up on em and be really careful with fly presentations so they don't spook. I've been having more success fishing nymphs of late. Top water action hasn't attracted much other than bluegill (bleh!)

On Tuesday, October 2, 2012 8:37:52 PM UTC-4, phisherman wrote:

Just joined this group, a lot of great information and advice....wish I would have known about it sooner!

I went to Rock Creek Park last week after work and fished from just above the P Street Bridge up to the Zoo riding my bike between fishy looking runs.

There are a lot of fish in the creek - surprising to me especially since I have tried looking for them before while riding through the park.  Saw a lot of decent size bass, plenty of bluegill and a ton of cruising catfish.  

Fished a variety of different flies - mostly buggers, muddler minnows, hoppers and various dry flies.  Caught one good sized catfish on a muddler and bluegill on everything I threw at them (that they could fit in their mouths).  Couldn't elicit strikes from any of the bass but will return armed with clousers and some other bass patters to see if that helps.

If anyone wants to fish the creek after work next week let me know - I live closeby in Dupont so I can easily make my way over.

Cheers,

Dan

[phisherman]

Going to hit rock creek this evening after work. Will be fishing the area between P street and the Potomac. If anyone would like to join let me know. Always happy to have company.

[Jeff Brach]

I might be able to make it but can't make any promises.  Do you metro in or park someplace?  I have not fished rock creek before so it would be nice to find a good place to park.  What time after work?

On Thu, Oct 4, 2012 at 2:52 PM, phisherman <danw...@gmail.com> wrote:

Going to hit rock creek this evening after work. Will be fishing the area between P street and the Potomac. If anyone would like to join let me know. Always happy to have company.

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[phisherman]

I work near 25th & M so I am going to walk down at 5pm. I will access the creek near where the C&O canal meets the creek via the trail that is right there.

Send me an email if you would like and I we can stay in contact so you can find me. I will likely fish until the sun goes down.

-Dan

[Matthew Longley]

Any luck boys?

[Lane Smith]

Caught my first bass in Rock Creek yesterday in the evening! Only 8 inches but I was ecstatic! Took a black wooly bugger. The light rain cover and longer casting distance seemed to help. The larger fish in Rock Creek are super wary in there. Anyway, got the day off so I'm headed back to just down stream of P street. Great pool in there. If the water's not murky and fast gonna try to improve on my bass record.

 

Lane