Pine Creek at Cedar Run

echuck66

echuck66

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May 31, 2013
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I will be camping and fishing for a week this year in and near Cedar Run, PA for the first time ever. I've never been to this part of PA (grew up in Virginia).

I'm looking at all the information I can find online about the area and have noted some likely suspects for where I want to fish (Cedar Run, Slate Run, Pine Creek between the mouth of Cedar Run and downstream from there, but was wondering if those of you who are familiar with the area could point out some other places I should try as well.

I'll be there the week of April 20-26. Any tips on what flies I should prepare or bring along, which shops I should visit while there to get some of the local favorites, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Also, historically, at that time of year, how are the stream flows and how wade-able is Pine Creek in April. I also plan to go back for a long weekend in May once I've found a few spots I want to re-visit.

Thanks,

Charlie
 
Wonderful area - you should have a blast. There are too many places to fish up there (not to mention hiking etc).
Pine is mainly a stocked fishery and should fish well if conditions are good. By late May, it can get warm and usually isn't a good trout river after about mid June. April and May however are prime time. Slate and Cedar are similar streams: small/medium freestoners (fishable with hip boots - you'll want waders for Pine). Slate and Cedar are wild fish, mostly browns, and have a reputation as "technical" streams. If you have health or mobility issues, Slate can be tough and is probably better avoided in its mid to upper sections. Slate and Cedar both fish best after a rain. If Pine is blown, you'll want to head to the "runs." As for flies, I'd have the generic stuff including lots of stone fly nymphs. As for fly shops, Big Meadows is not too far away (just contact forum member Sandfly via PM and he can set you up with all the stuff and info you'll need).

Also tons of brookie streams and other places that are a bit more off the beaten path. You'll love the area. Take some time to visit the "grand canyon" while you're up there too.
 
Here are some links to get you started:





At that time of year the water levels of Pine Creek can be anywhere from easily wadeable to unwadeable. Barring a major blowout you should always be able to get around on the tribs. A bigger concern for that time of year is water temp. You can have perfect water levels and a wonderful hatch but the water is too cold so the fish are very sluggish.
 
Get the state forest maps for the area. You can use these to get oriented before you go there, and use the maps to find your way around when you are there.

Just Google the names of the state forests, get the phone numbers, and call them and ask for the maps. They will mail them to you for free.

The most important ones for that area are: Tiadaghton State Forest, Tioga State Forest, and Susquehannock State Forest.

There are hundreds of small streams with brookies and wild browns in that region. Don't spend all of your time on the "famous" streams.

 
Yep I agree with the above poster. I am now guiding on Pine Creek as well as the pine creek watershed and I must admit. Most of my fishing is dealing with the lesser named tribs and not the cedar, slate or little slate....

talk to Glenn at McConnels country store or Tom at Slate Run

good luck
 
Great feedback! Thanks.

I'm really looking forward to my week there. I just got an Orvis Clearwater 7'6" 3wt rod with an Orvis Batenkill II reel that I'm anxious to use while there. I'll have my trusty 9' 5wt with me too as a backup, but I'm anxious to use my new Orvis setup.

I plan to camp in Cedar Run at the Pettecote Junction campground. Looking forward to a week of great fishing and relaxation.

Thanks again,

Charlie
 
The hatches that time of the year are hendricksons, quill gordons, and several species of caddis, primarily the green egg sack caddis. Slate Run Takcle Shop will have the flies you need if you don't tie.
Once you get some state forest maps, which you can either have sent to you or download from PA DCNR web site, take a look any any tributary to Pine creek, Slate Run or Cedar Run, and of those creeks will have wild trout and plenty of them. It is also helpful to have a Delorme Gazetteer of PA. And the PA recreation map, available at the welcome centers along the interstates.
 
Contact Sandfly at Big Meadows Fly Shop. He has the lowdown on that area.

I was in that area late last April. Pine was up a bit but was still quite wadable. The water in pine was still on the cold side. I saw some caddis but not too many mayflies. I did well lower in the water column with bead heads and other weighted flies. Good luck!
 
Yeah I was just going to point out that at that point in April, you may be dealing with cold water still. We have an annual "Jam" up in that area and it was in late April for the first 2 years. This year we're moving it to October because the fish just haven't been turned on in the small streams yet in April. Pine fished great both years, though, with lots of hatches, lots of fish, and unfortunately lots of fishermen!
 
Sasquatch, I saw the Quill Gordon Summit video on youtube. Nice!

I am taking three separate trips this year for fishing, each a week long, and due to work schedules, I need to go to Pine Creek in April.

We're going to the Smoky Mountains in TN in July and then I'm going for a week in October up to Elk Creek in Erie.

You guys looked like you had a blast in the video. The scenery looks amazing and I can't wait to go there. Hopefully we'll get out of this cold spell early enough to have great conditions in late April this year.

Charlie

 
There are some of us who claim the Pine Creek valley as our back yard...
 
It certainly looks like a very nice area. I was raised in a small town (about 2,500 people), so you might imaging how much I'm looking forward to getting away from Pittsburgh, if even for only a week.

By the way, for anyone that was at the Quill Gordon Summit last year, how well did the yellow fly on the jig hook work and how well did the size 10 QG's work?
 
haha I don't think anyone tried the size 10 jig hook (sorry Sandfly!). Csoult and Wetfly01 had an epic day on the Pine with hendricksons and quill gordons, so I'd say it worked very well. The rest of us hiked up small creeks getting skunked!

Hope your trip to the Smokies isn't schedule around a government budget battle...mine was cancelled in October due to the government shutdown.
 
I read that... even if it does happen, we're not staying in the park and there's plenty to do in the area. That's near where I grew up (except I grew up in Virginia, not Tennessee), and with the wife and kids (8 and 5 yo), I'll be lucky to get much quality fishing in at all. My boy and I plan to fish as much as we can, but I'm pretty sure the wife and our daughter have other plans.

I'll have to get a couple of the big flies then. I plan to fish the Pine a bit and venture up into the feeder creeks some too, but mainly hit the big creek if it's wadable and fishable.
 
Pine is absolutely stunning that time of year. Great hatches, the scenery can't be beat, yeah it's stockers but it's beautiful. The fish that Slate Run Tackle stocks in the Pine are not like your normal PA hatchery crappers, either. The browns have nice colors and a great fighting spirit.

I just love that whole region of the state, though. Even getting the skunk, when you're in those hills, doesn't seem to matter much.
 
I'm curious how one would cast that jig head on a fly rod... seems like the weight might be too much and that you'd just end up snagging rocks.

I have a friend that tried fishing small senko's on a fly rod this summer too. Much the same effect... very poor casting because of the weight.
 
The guy in the video w/ the jighead was Sandfly. He knows that stream very well. His shop is in Ansonia and could be of some help to you!
 
I agree 100% with Sasquach, Sandfly has been very helpful when I have been up that way.
 
I'm sure... and I'll definitely stop by if he's open. His web site seems to indicate odd hours Mondays - Thursdays though.

I plan to arrive on Sunday afternoon and leave on the following Saturday. Hopefully the crowds won't be so bad mid-week.

I've only been fly fishing now for a little more than a year, so I'm still happy with catching stockies. Last spring I spent a lot of time fishing Nashannock creek in Lawrence Co. There's a really nice DH section of the stream between the mill dam and the covered bridge.

That said, I'm really looking forward to branching out and trying new waters. I had my eye on Pine last year, but due to several factors, was unable to go. This is the year though!
 
I was fishing Cedar the day the tornado came up Pine creek. It was on of my best outings that I had on the stream. I ended up being stranded at the Cedar Run Inn. Do yourself a favor and have dinner there one evening. It was fantastic!
 
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