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klingy

klingy

Active member
Joined
Jul 31, 2010
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Every year my dad and I take a fishing trip to a different area. Last year we fished West Virginia, the previous year, Virginia. This year we decided to stay closer to home, and had five incredible days in the Centre County area. We rented a camping cottage at Bald Eagle State Park for our home base. Actually only saw the place during daylight for a few hours the whole trip, since we left early and got back late almost every day. I had fished a few of these streams before, but it was nice to sample a wide range of streams in the area all in the same trip. We fished three of the big four in the area (Penns, Little J, and Spring) and had luck on all of them (along with a few other smaller limestoners). The water was up and off color, and we had the best luck on black sculpins. My dad actually caught his biggest trout ever on the fly with a sculpin on Penns. The day we were going to hit Big Fishing Creek, we had a monster storm in the morning and the creek was blown. So we headed up to Sproul State Forest. Fished six streams in Sproul over a couple of days. Many required hikes down ridiculously steep inclines (a few without trails), but each time it was well worth it. Nothing like fishing a stream four miles in knowing that it might get fished only a few times a year. Eager brookies and browns were laying in most every hole. On one stream, we had fifty brookies between the two of us in a matter of 3 hours! They couldn't resist the parachute Adams! Another highlight was seeing a big bull elk along route 144 on our way home one night (along with about fifty deer that ran in front of us!). Didn't have time to get the camera, but I will always remember that image. It was amazing to see such a majestic creature in its natural environment.

I just got home this morning, but I'm already planning to get back up there. So many streams yet to fish! Here are some highlights from the trip:
 

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Excellent vista pictures, my favorite type of Pa picture.
I gotta be "that guy" and ask you what type of gas development you saw in and around the Sproul State Forest. Did you see the sinking of wells around you and the water truck forces? Sproul 300k acres, or not quite that big? Great pics again.

Pa is a beautiful state!
 
BeastBrown,
We saw a couple condensate tanks and a compressor station on the roads we were on. We noticed a few road entrances that we didn't go on that had drilling signs and cb radio info posted at the entrance. I'm sure if we went down those roads we would have seen more, I just didn't want to be depressed. They do a pretty good job of hiding it from the main roads.
 
Great photos man! Thanks for sharing. What did you think of the cottage/cabin in Bald Eagle? Did it have a kitchen, etc?

 
Raftman,
Loved the location of he park. Good central spot to reach a lot of water easily. They don't have modern cabins here, only camping cottages(beds and electric only, no water). You use the campground toilets and showers. The nature in is there, however if you're looking for a more modern experience. Looked like a nice place. The setting in the campground leaves a lot to be desired however because it's in a forer field that is in the early stages of succession, so there aren't many trees. It worked well for what we wanted though.
 
What a great fishing report!
Nice pics and good stuff. You are indeed lucky that your father can accompany you on steep hikes and physically difficult streams.

Do it as often as you can (as you know).
 
Wow! I love those kind of reports. Great photos too. The opportunities that we have here in PA are virtually endless. It's a shame we won't be able to get to them all, but we can have a heck of a good time trying. Nicely done!
 
I'm also curious which vista you were on, for the photo "West Branch."


 
Great post!!! Beautiful shots, thanks for sharing.
 
Troutbert,
That is the view from the end of pipeline road off of Jews run road.
 
Klingy,
Thanks. You did some exploring!

There is another nice vista of the river at the very end of Fields Run Rd.

I hope we are not "vista burning" here. :-o
 
Beautiful photo's, looks like a great trip. I really love that first brookie pic, the complexity of colors and makeup of them is just amazing.
 
troutbert wrote:
Klingy,
Thanks. You did some exploring!

There is another nice vista of the river at the very end of Fields Run Rd.

I hope we are not "vista burning" here. :-o

Hahaha! Vista burning - the next source of heated debate on PAflyfish forum.
 
Spread out the vista-viewing pressure.
 
JackM wrote:
Spread out the vista-viewing pressure.

Exactly. The vista of Pine Creek Canyon at Leonard Harrison State Park is getting too much pressure.

It is "over-viewed" in my opinion.
 
troutbert wrote:
....

Too much viewing pressure.

Most people do not really appreciate how their viewing impacts other viewers. "Forgive them for they know not...."
 
Great pics and write up Klingy. Love the pattern on the "Close Up" Brookie.

It's funny...I just got back from a trip to NC PA and when combing the maps was intrigued by your "vista stream." Looks like it would be rough to get to the lower end though without some kind of float being involved. We also saw a rattler on our trip...lots of pics of them on the site this year.
 
Very nice write up and awesome pics. I may be heading out that way soon, can't wait!

I hope I don't come across any rattlers, but at the same time I do. Close enough to see, but not within striking distance!lol
 
streamerguy wrote:
Very nice write up and awesome pics. I may be heading out that way soon, can't wait!

Streamerguy, check your PM, and let me know if you need any more tips on CV streams, or any that I fished on this trip.

Swattie87 wrote:
Looks like it would be rough to get to the lower end though without some kind of float being involved

Rough is an understatement! But worth it.
 
klingy, I've been having troutbles with my inbox(haven't been able to access it for a while now). Happened to another board member recently but the problem eventually resolved itself. I appreciate the help, and I think I have my email in my profile, but I currently can't get to my inbox. Sorry for the inconvenience.
 
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