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I turned 60 a couple weeks ago, and I've been retired 5 years. Those two
numbers seem to invite a little introspection and suggest it's time for a new 5 year plan. Please list the places you like to fly fish for trout. No, I don't want GPS or real secret spots. But, as I think about how to spend the next 5 summers "trout bumming" I don't want to miss a great place simply because I havent' heard about it. |
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one summer for snake river, yellowstone area....
imho..... On Dec 11, 4:03 pm, "Larry L" wrote: I turned 60 a couple weeks ago, and I've been retired 5 years. Those two numbers seem to invite a little introspection and suggest it's time for a new 5 year plan. Please list the places you like to fly fish for trout. No, I don't want GPS or real secret spots. But, as I think about how to spend the next 5 summers "trout bumming" I don't want to miss a great place simply because I havent' heard about it. |
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Larry L wrote:
I turned 60 a couple weeks ago, and I've been retired 5 years. Those two numbers seem to invite a little introspection and suggest it's time for a new 5 year plan. Please list the places you like to fly fish for trout. No, I don't want GPS or real secret spots. But, as I think about how to spend the next 5 summers "trout bumming" I don't want to miss a great place simply because I havent' heard about it. My wish list includes Labrador, Argentina, Alaska, Ireland and far northern Ontario by canoe. -- Ken Fortenberry |
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![]() "Larry L" wrote in message ... I turned 60 a couple weeks ago, and I've been retired 5 years. Those two numbers seem to invite a little introspection and suggest it's time for a new 5 year plan. Please list the places you like to fly fish for trout. No, I don't want GPS or real secret spots. But, as I think about how to spend the next 5 summers "trout bumming" I don't want to miss a great place simply because I havent' heard about it. move to Centre County, Pennsylvania. Fish a quarter mile per day on(at various times): Penn's Creek, Elk Creek, Spring Creek, Little Junianta Creek, Spruce Creek and Big Fishing Creek. This should provide variety, as well as a chance to catch some damned fine brown trout in pleasant scenery, in a spot you can pretty well fish all year around. Tom p.s. You can use bad weather stretches, when they occur to restock all the flies you lost and concoct new things to appeal to some of the fussiest fish on the planet. |
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move to Centre County, Pennsylvania. Fish a quarter mile per day on(at
various times): Penn's Creek, Elk Creek, Spring Creek, Little Junianta Creek, Spruce Creek and Big Fishing Creek. This should provide variety, as well as a chance to catch some damned fine brown trout in pleasant scenery, in a spot you can pretty well fish all year around. Okay, selling off all my belongings (minus the fly tackle) as we speak. p.s. You can use bad weather stretches, when they occur to restock all the flies you lost and concoct new things to appeal to some of the fussiest fish on the planet. Or you can run down to Tom's place and raid his stash. Take that whatever way you want. Frank Reid |
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![]() "Tom Littleton" wrote move to Centre County, Pennsylvania. Fish a quarter mile per day on(at various times): Penn's Creek, Elk Creek, Spring Creek, Little Junianta Creek, Spruce Creek and Big Fishing Creek. This should provide variety, as well as a chance to catch some damned fine brown trout in pleasant scenery, in a spot you can pretty well fish all year around. Tom p.s. You can use bad weather stretches, when they occur to restock all the flies you lost and concoct new things to appeal to some of the fussiest fish on the planet. Tom, I've read enough of your posts to know you truly love your home waters and that you enjoy fishing that would appeal to me. A week at a clave doesn't sound like my style and it's one hell of a long drive to Pennsylvania, but I DO have it in the back of my mind as a wannadosomeday. If I make it, I hope you can take a day to show me around a bit, you strike me as a person I'd like to meet. Honestly, if I drive to Pa towing my trailer can I expect to make most of a summer out of it, at least a month or more? I only fish a couple hours a day, trying to pick the best hours, of course, and I enjoy getting to really know a place so I don't need a lot of water. I'd need a place(s) to park the rig without severely breaking the bank or being in a Walmart parking lot G a basic forest service style campground is just fine. Is access relatively available? When I fished the Letort, 8 years ago, I often expected people to come out of their homes and shoot me G although the only person that came out was Charlie Fox's daughter, I was told !! ( Lawson has a picture of the 'picnic table' behind that house, in his Spring Creek book ) Anyway, I spent much of my time wondering where I could be legally, not something I enjoy. |
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![]() "Larry L" wrote in message ... Honestly, if I drive to Pa towing my trailer can I expect to make most of a summer out of it, at least a month or more? I only fish a couple hours a day, trying to pick the best hours, of course, and I enjoy getting to really know a place so I don't need a lot of water. I'd need a place(s) to park the rig without severely breaking the bank or being in a Walmart parking lot G a basic forest service style campground is just fine. Is access relatively available? When I fished the Letort, 8 years ago, I often expected people to come out of their homes and shoot me G although the only person that came out was Charlie Fox's daughter, I was told !! ( Lawson has a picture of the 'picnic table' behind that house, in his Spring Creek book ) Anyway, I spent much of my time wondering where I could be legally, not something I enjoy. If you wanted to see the place at it's best, May and June are when you would ideally wish to be there. As for limiting your fishing day, you could(if you wish) wait all day, find a spot and fish from 7 until dark-thirty and see prime time. Cheap camping could be had in a few places, but the state campground at Poe Paddy is dead in the middle of the prime water. Check with Bruce Fisher at www.pennscreekangler.com for more info than you could possibly even digest in one sitting. Should you decide to come, get in touch with me beforehand, and I'll find you there..... Tom |
#8
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Larry L wrote:
"Tom Littleton" wrote move to Centre County, Pennsylvania. Fish a quarter mile per day on(at various times): Penn's Creek, Elk Creek, Spring Creek, Little Junianta Creek, Spruce Creek and Big Fishing Creek. This should provide variety, as well as a chance to catch some damned fine brown trout in pleasant scenery, in a spot you can pretty well fish all year around. Tom p.s. You can use bad weather stretches, when they occur to restock all the flies you lost and concoct new things to appeal to some of the fussiest fish on the planet. Tom, I've read enough of your posts to know you truly love your home waters and that you enjoy fishing that would appeal to me. A week at a clave doesn't sound like my style and it's one hell of a long drive to Pennsylvania, but I DO have it in the back of my mind as a wannadosomeday. If I make it, I hope you can take a day to show me around a bit, you strike me as a person I'd like to meet. Honestly, if I drive to Pa towing my trailer can I expect to make most of a summer out of it, at least a month or more? I only fish a couple hours a day, trying to pick the best hours, of course, and I enjoy getting to really know a place so I don't need a lot of water. I'd need a place(s) to park the rig without severely breaking the bank or being in a Walmart parking lot G a basic forest service style campground is just fine. Is access relatively available? When I fished the Letort, 8 years ago, I often expected people to come out of their homes and shoot me G although the only person that came out was Charlie Fox's daughter, I was told !! ( Lawson has a picture of the 'picnic table' behind that house, in his Spring Creek book ) Anyway, I spent much of my time wondering where I could be legally, not something I enjoy. Larry - I'll certainly defer to tom l., vince norris, davePA, and mike makela (also bruce who owns the new flyshop on lower penns), but thought i'd give you my own perspective. of all the creeks mentioned by tom, in my opinion, penns creek offers the most variety of water and is a phenomenal bug factory with big wild fish that are very discriminating. it would be the place i'd recommend for you. second...is the little juniata, but i've only fished it once. i did not care for spruce creek...only a small stretch is open to the public...or spring creek...which is in the midst of houses and roads and peopled stuff (at least in the spots i was shown). fishing creek is ok for a day tryst, but penns is a month-long creek that will never disappoint. solely from your writings and photos, i perceive you as one who enjoys a more remote, solitary approach...with the ability to control your intermingling with others. penns will accommodate that approach nicely. my first suggestion would be to find one of the camping spots along old mingle road in the national forest. no hook-ups or showers...just a few primitive camp sites. the closest to the creek is about 300 yards up the road from the creek as i recall, but i was there several years ago. i'm sure there are other locales. i like poking about all day, so i'm not one of the morning and evening hatch guys. penns has so much water to explore, and it has such variety, you can find about anything you want. i have always been amazed at the numbers who stake out certain pools and runs...just park themselves...waiting for a rise or hatch. the trails/paths along the creek are well-worn and easy walking. it's a popular place, but you can usually find a spot. crowds and muddying from rain are the main down-side. i have fished long stretches in the trophy trout c&r section without running into another person. in most of the popular and easy access spots like the blue rock hole you'll almost always have company. i use those times to observe and learn...but, there are some huge trout in that hole that are fun to tempt...and a tough drift over by the big rock that not many can master (i never have). lots of challenges. lots of excellent, old time flyfishermen too. i've met men in their late 70s on the stream...one old guy in rubber hip boots, flannel shirt, two flies in his pocket. penns creek valley is a beautiful place. i think western fishermen, especially those attuned to details like you, will enjoy penns. the bug life is incredible. i've never experienced anything like it out west, but i understand some of the silver creek hatches (trico?) might rival penns. however, standing in penns in the evening as dark is beginning to cover the stream and the hatch wallops you like the devil's own locust hurricane...it's unnerving and phenomenal. and so many different kinds of bugs. if you go...i'd suggest the end of april through the second week in june. you'll see the best of grannoms, march browns, sulphurs, green drakes...and everything else. the transition from one hatch to the next is fascinating...esp. the fish's behavior to it. i watched huge green drakes float down the stream beside small sulphurs. the fish ignored the big meal and took the bite-size sulphur instead. penns is something every fisherman ought to experience at least once. i think it will satisfy you...though you probably won't feel a need to return. i seem to be able to avoid it, while i can't cure my addiction to the carolina waters or your haunts out west. still, i hope to return to penns this year. as a bonus...you will discover many photo opps and i'd like to see how your eye captures the place. anyway...i know you'll receive numerous responses and opinions, but ultimately it's your own experience that's the true test. it's a worthy adventure...esp. for a retired old fart who loves flyfishing, wild fish, and beautiful places. hellfire man, the mysteries abound and the time for solution is running away from all of us. ....and, the clave thing ain't a bother. almost all of the folks i've met are tolerable...and easy to avoid. g they sure don't force themselves on anyone, nor are they critical of those who choose to wander off and not engage in the frequent gatherings for meals or drinks or lie-tellings. ultimately though, i think you'll discover new friends of the angle. one of the positive aspects of this place. jeff |
#9
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![]() "Larry L" wrote in message ... I turned 60 a couple weeks ago, and I've been retired 5 years. Those two numbers seem to invite a little introspection and suggest it's time for a new 5 year plan. Please list the places you like to fly fish for trout. No, I don't want GPS or real secret spots. But, as I think about how to spend the next 5 summers "trout bumming" I don't want to miss a great place simply because I havent' heard about it. Voelker country. More modest and unassuming than any of the other suggestions you've gotten thus far.....or are likely to get.....but possessed of a unique charm all its own. It has the advantage of being "away" and downright unpopular by the standards applicable to most well known fly fishing venues today......an advantage which, if your overt statements and projected persona here are to be given any credence, should be of great interest not only to you, but also to those few brothers of the angle you are likely to encounter. Wolfgang |
#10
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On Dec 12, 8:57 am, "Wolfgang" wrote:
Voelker country. I disagree with your recommendation. Little tiny fish, tag alder everywhere you look, very few amenities nearby, downright rotten weather, black flies that will eat as much of you as they can find leaving only a few bare spots for their friends the mosquitos to feast upon. Nope. No sir. Can't recommend Voelker country. Wm |
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