5 year plan

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.

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.

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

"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.

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

"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 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

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

"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

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