What's Happening in North Central / Central Pennsylvania?

[Ard]

Many of you know that I grew up with the fishing in Pennsylvania. I miss the trout and my little mountain streams and was wondering if the rains have let up and you folks living down there are doing any good. I lived in Lycoming County and fished most in Lycoming, Tioga, Potter, Clinton, Center and Union counties. I would love to hear from any one fishing the area just for some chit chat.

Ard

 

[peen9305]

Hardy - I am from Blair County (south of Centre). Fishing this spring has been rough. Most of the bigger streams have been blown out more than not. It seems like everytime they would start to drop we would get another big rain that would put things through the roof. Forced me to fish some smaller streams since they would come down faster. The hatches seem to be on schedule for the most part, although the Grannoms seemed to come and go pretty quickly. What part of Alaska are you from? I have a cousin that lives in Chugiak (sp?).

 

[Ard]

The last time I spoke to anyone from back there they were talking about the same conditions, too bad. I live 6 miles out of Wasilla and Chugiak is about 30 miles away. We are in desperate need of rain here although the warm weather over the past week has the snow & glaciers melting and most of the rivers in this area are high and muddy.

The runoff makes king fishing hard because they stay in deep water and with the numbers down about the only way to find them is by sight. When the water isn't muddy you have a chance to spot the flash of a bright fish even in the deep stuff. Once it's turbid you have no idea whether you are casting to fish or just a lot of water, muddy water. I hope things straiten out for you and that the rain gives you a break, thanks for the reply.

Ard

 

[peen9305]

Sounds like bad fishing all around this spring. We have finally hit a little bit of a dry spell so things are improving. My cousin keeps telling me that I need to come up there to fish. Maybe someday. Well I hope things turn around up there for you too. Tight Lines!

 

[Ard]

Having someone here so that you can receive real time intelligence regarding runs, weather, and river conditions is priceless. What I can tell you about coming here to fish is a short story. Do not plan and book travel 6 months in advance. You may get a better price on an airfare but you must take what you get when you get here. Some people will be lucky and find great weather, good water levels and plentiful salmon. Sadly, many arrive to find less than optimum conditions on all fronts.

Being able to drop everything on a weeks notice and come here to fish is an option open for a select few but for many this is a once in a lifetime trip and being so you need to try to get everything right. I have had people come for as many as three weeks on one stay and during that time it never quit raining and they did not see the mountains because of the low ceiling. The rain made almost all rivers and creeks too high to fish and the trips were less than perfect. Even if you could only come for a 5 day turn around trip it would be better to come on short notice and have great weather and fishing for those days than to plan in advance, come for 2 weeks and get the shaft.

 

[ausablebrown]

Hey Ard,

I live across the border in Ohio, but "usually" get over to western PA often and central some every year. The rain has been so bad in this region that I havn't tried any streams with the exception of my one little honey hole creek in Shenango County. It doesn' drain too much area and only takes 2-3 days to clear out. It has been fine when we get a few days clearing, but that hasn't happened much at all this whole spring. Where I'm at just across the border in OH we had rain for 44 out of 56 days; 27 days of rain in April. We passed our April precipitation record by the 21st of April and then had 7 more days of rain.

Which makes me wonder...I've never had too awful much luck fishing blown out streams, but trout have to eat even when the waters up don't they? Or maybe there's a bunch of skinny trout to catch this summer!

Like Peen said, we have had a dry spell. It's been HOT (near records for 4 days straight) and everything is drying out. I live right on the very upper skinny waters of the Cuyahoga. It is still running a little high, but our small streams are close to normal for the first time in I can't remember how long. I'm headed to Ausable next week to find some Drake eating trout; I haven't planned on Central PA yet but I've still got the list you gave me a while back. I'll get there a couple times if the monsoon season is finally over.