S7, Ep 57: Cicada Mania: Central PA Fishing Insights with George Costa

Join Marvin Cash on The Articulate Fly fishing podcast for another Central PA Fishing Report with George Costa from TCO Fly Shop in State College.

George delivers exciting news about the ongoing cicada emergence that's creating once-in-17-years fishing opportunities throughout central Pennsylvania. Despite recent hot weather in the 90s, stream temperatures remain ideal thanks to water levels running 2-3 times above normal seasonal flows, keeping most waters around 63-64 degrees.

The cicada fishing continues to dominate with fish heavily keyed in on cicada patterns, and George expects at least another week of active emergence with cicada patterns remaining effective for weeks afterward as fish stay focused on these massive insects. While other hatches like Cahills, Isos and golden stones are present, virtually every angler is capitalizing on this rare cicada phenomenon.

For fly fishers within driving distance of central Pennsylvania, this represents a fleeting opportunity to experience some of the most exciting topwater fly fishing available.

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S7, Ep36 - Central PA Fishing Report with George Costa of TCO Fly Shop

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S6, Ep30 - Central Pennsylvania Fishing Report with TCO Fly Shop

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Episode Transcript

(00:04):
Hey folks, it's Marvin Cash,the host of the Articulate Fly. We're
back with another Central PAFishing report with George Costa
of TCO Fly Shop in StateCollege. George, how are you?
I am amazing as always,Marvin. Absolutely amazing.
Wow. Maybe you had an extraespresso this morning.
I did actually have an extraone this morning. You called me out

(00:24):
on that 100%.
Coked up, but not in anillegal way exactly.
Just heavily caffeinated.
Yeah, so you were telling me.I looked at your weather before we
started recording. We've beenroasting in the mid Atlantic. It
sounds like maybe you got someof that, but you've got kind of significantly
cooler temperatures like inthe 80s and rain. So things are probably
pretty good in your neck ofthe woods.

(00:45):
Well, the past three, fourdays it has been hot. It's been in
the 90s here in central PA, soit's been a little roasty toasty
out there. It's cooled off alittle bit today. So as far as the
weather goes, we've got someshowers here and there. And even
with the heat, the streamtemps have been on the good side
because we've got so muchwater still. Everything is two to

(01:06):
three times above what wenormally have here seasonally for
water. So we're still dealingwith a lot of high water, a lot of
off color water. We got asplash of rain last night, but the
stream temps have been holdingtheir own. Haven't seen anything
really creep up much more than63, 64 when it was really hot the
other day. But most of thestreams, the temps have been good
just because the flows havebeen so high. Um, and on the fishing

(01:30):
front it has been nothing butcicadas. I mean the cicadas are holding
strong still. I think we willget another week out of them and
then I expect cicada patternsto fish for at least a few more weeks
because the fish are so keyedin on them. So the cicada mania is
still going strong. You gottaget out, you gotta find them. They
are starting to wind down insome areas, but there's still plenty

(01:51):
around and fish are stilleating them. Other bugs, Cahills,
ISOs, golden stones are aroundon top. And literally I've heard
of nobody else fishinganything other than cicadas lately
because you know, why wouldn'tyou once every 17 years. So if you
can make it up here and catchthe tail end of the cicadas, I would
definitely do that in the nextweek because it's still fishing really,

(02:13):
really well. And we've had alot of good fish, a lot of big numbers
days. Guys are loving it.
Well, there you go. And Iwould imagine probably, you know,
heading into the fourth ofJuly weekend, you might have some
special things going on at theshop you want to let folks know about.
Nothing crazy special as faras the fourth goes. You know, we've
got a bunch of stuff on saleright now on our website, TCO Fly

(02:33):
fishing dot com. We got acouple new classes put up for the
summer. We got a good basstying class going on here at the
end of July with Caleb, one ofour shop guys. He's going to be doing
some small mouth patterns. Socheck out our website for all the
deals and all the classes. Andyeah, that's pretty much all we got
going on up here. We're justtrying to get through busy, busy

(02:54):
season and, you know, maybewind down a little bit in the next
few weeks.
Yeah, so you're not doinglike, you know, get a free broad
if you buy a pair of waitersor get a box of Roman candles if
you buy a vice or saddlehackle or something like that.
I'm. We literally have afireworks store right next door to
us. So maybe we will do thatRoman candle deal. I like this.
I see.
How to get us how to get aspot on the water when it's busy

(03:15):
as a pack of Roman candles.You just kind of scare everybody
off.
There you go. Well, you know.
Love it.
Yeah, exactly. And you knowfolks, we love questions on the articulate
fly. We didn't get one thistime. And you know, if George wasn't
hyper caffeinated, he'd besad. So that'd be a bad thing, right?
It's true.
Yeah. But you know, as Ialways say, email me or DM me on
social media, whatever iseasiest for you. And if we use your

(03:36):
question, I will send you somearticulate fly swag, which these
days includes a sticker or twoabout the butcher shop, our new podcast
on predator flies and all thatkind of good stuff. And then we enter
into drawing for some coolstuff from the shop at the end of
the season. So, you know,George, you want to let us know shop
hours, location and all thatgood stuff. And also too, since I
won't speak to you againbefore the 4th of July if you guys
are closed or have any special hours.

(03:58):
Oh yeah, for sure. So ournormal shop hours are Monday through
Saturday here in StateCollege, 9 to 6, Sundays, 9 to 3,
4th of July, we will be open 9to 3 all of our stores except I believe
for Muncie will be open 9 to 3on the 4th. And, yeah, get us on
the web@tcofly fishing.com.
Yeah. Well, there you go.Well, folks, as I always say, yo,
it's yourself to get out thereand catch a few tight lines, everybody.

(04:20):
Tight lines. George.
Take it easy, Mark.