Fly fishing in Central PA

[afishinado]

Article that appeared this morning from NPR Pittsburgh:


http://www.wesa.fm/post/fly-fishing-big-central-pa-can-we-keep-it-way#stream/0

 

[jifigz]

I'm sure glad I live in Central PA. It is indeed trout fishing paradise for the Eastern United States. There are a few things I didn't like about the article. One is they called the stonefly a lure and another is saying they don't stock Penns. They should be more clear about that last statement. None of Penns should be stocked but a lot of it still is.

 

[wbranch]

One is they called the stonefly a lure

Obviously the journalist who wrote the article isn't a fly fisher so maybe you should give him or her a break. Besides a fly is in itself a "lure" to attract a trout to strike it.

 

[Bruno]

I didn't like about the article. One is they called the stonefly a lure

Well consider their audience - the word lure is much better in explaining the concept than fly. This interview was on the morning NPR radio.

lure
lo?or/Submit
verb
1: tempt (a person or an animal) to do something or to go somewhere, especially by offering some form of reward.

 

[rrt]

I agree w/ WB; it's actually a nice article for a general audience.

 

[jifigz]

Maybe I was being too critical but I fully believe that if you are going to be a writer/reporter (or a good one at least) you do some research before you write an article. The best articles are written with accurate and correct knowledge presented to those who are uninformed. That's why the author should have clarified that sections of the stream are stocked, that they are typically called flies, etc.

 

[falcon]

A streamer can technically be referred to as a lure. I see this reference in many areas especially in England.

 

[troutbert]

"In high summer, the water is still cool at about 60 degrees. It stays that temperature because it’s fed by cold springs and mountain creeks."

It's 60F in mid-August this year because of the unusually large amount of rain this year.

In a typical year in August water temps go into the upper 70s, and it's not unusual for it to go over 80F.

 

[Mike]

Troutbert,
I am not in the least questioning your comment above regarding warm water temps in parts of Penns during typical summers. At what geographical location is the upstream limit of those warm temps and are they generally continuous in a downstream direction or is there some major stretch (not minor as in a hundred yds below a trib) in which the stream is cool again before continuing its warming trend?

 

[troutbert]

Mike, I don't have anything close to a thorough temperature profile for Penns Creek. Maybe some Penns Creek "regulars" can provide better info. I think putting temperature monitors in Penns Creek and its tribs would be a good fisheries research project.

Also, it's hard to define thermal categories, since it's an incremental thing. In a drought period one section might reach 81F, another 79F, another 77F, another 75F, another 73F etc.

Where is the "line" between what is a "warm" or "normal" section?

But here's a rough summary. It comes out of the cave cold. From the cave down to Spring Mills is mostly posted, so I haven't fished much there. There is a substantial spring at Spring Mills.

It gets what I consider a pretty warm stream somewhere between Spring Mills and Coburn. I don't think there is a "line" but IMHO, where it's gets pretty warmish is closer to Spring Mills than Coburn.

The influx of Pine/Elk provides substantial thermal refuge. But in hot dry periods, if you go down a little ways from Coburn, where the waters have mixed, it still gets quite warm in droughts. Pine/Elk at its mouth is not ice cold during summer droughts. It goes into the low 70s.

The freestone tributaries further down provide thermal refuge. There has been a lot of discussion on here about closing or not closing the areas where trout stack up during droughts.

In summer drought periods, bass are commonly caught near the PFBC cottage in the C&R area. I have seen them above Poe Paddy, at the railroad bridge at the tunnel. Friends have reported seeing them near Coburn during droughts.

Riparian forested buffers on Penns Creek and its tributaries would help a lot. Some sections are buffered now. But many are not.

 

[JackM]

Do not neglect to account for other factors than temperature that effect dissolved oxygen levels. I believe thermal stress is alleviated somewhat in areas with more agitation of the flowing water. This said, the fish will move to areas of higher dissolved oxygen when the temps rise even if they can't find colder water.