Tulpehocken Creek is a medium sized tailwater in southeastern Pennsylvania located just minutes outside of Reading and approximately one hour from Philadelphia.  The Tully offers some fantastic fishing for stocked and holdover trout.  The Tully fishes best between the months of April and July and September and November. 

 

The river suffers from thermal releases that get too warm in the summer but during average or good years many fish hold over.  During the warmer summer months the trico hatch draws some crowds.  Getting to the river early for this hatch and off the water by 10:00 am is suggested so as not to stress the fish too much due to the stress trout face by being caught in water that is too warm.  If the water temps are hitting 68 degrees in the morning it would be a good idea to leave the fish alone and go elsewhere.  I remember fishing the Tully as a kid and it seemed to fish much better through the summer back then, than it does now.

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I never fish the Tully without carrying a box full of pheasant tails, gold ribbed hares ear nymphs, caddis pupa, caddis dries and an assortment of soft hackles and wet flies.  Aside from having one of the best east coast trico hatches, the Tully has incredible caddis hatches that bring lots of fish up to surface feed.  It also helps to have a box full of midges and terrestrials.  

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The river is stocked by Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission as well as a smaller stocking of fingerling rainbows planted by TCO Fly Shop.  There is a 3.8 Mile delayed harvest section below the dam that is managed as a Keystone Select Fishery.  Keystone Select means that the PFBC stocks more large fish compared to other streams around the state.  The Tulpehocken Creek is one of Wild East Outfitters favorite streams to guide and fish on.  We have been fishing here since the 80s and early 90s and have seen the stream go through many ups and downs. The rivers overall recent trend seems to be that it is improving.

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