winter scouting

joereese

joereese

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Jun 23, 2010
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For the beginners out there or anyone new to an area they are now fishing, a good thing to do during the winter (well may be not today as the high is supposed to be at 12 here in central PA) is to scout the water you fish. This time in the winter is perfect for two reasons.
First, the water is low and clear. you can locate the structure and holes better and learn where to fish later in the year- and know what snags and structure to avoid
Second, the lack of foliage makes it a lot easier to see the river/stream. You can see more and even locate new areas and access points from the road that are normally obscured.

if hunting is ongoing in the area, watch out and dress in bright clothes
 
3. Limestone and spring-influenced streams will be relatively ice-free this time of year, so they are very easy to identify from the road. Freestone streams are mostly frozen.

Temperature stability is a good sign.
 
Yes, just not today...said -16 out back this morning....Brrrr
 
Same in the west-if you haven't been out there this time of year you wouldn't believe how clear a big river like the Yellowstone can be-cold water seems to kill off most of the micro-organisms.
 
"cold crashing" is a way to clarify liquids. I'm mainly familiar with the term in brewing, but I can see how it works for any liquid with living microorganisms in it.

A few days around freezing, and everything drops out of suspension.
 
thanks-the water was so pretty-miss it-not the icebergs-
 
planning on scouting areas of Spring Creek this weekend. I live in State College and looking for a few starting areas...any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
jradan3 wrote:
planning on scouting areas of Spring Creek this weekend. I live in State College and looking for a few starting areas...any help would be greatly appreciated!

This question is asked a lot, and the answer is almost always the same. Please don't take it as a snide response, because it's honestly as close to the truth as you can get.

The best place to start on spring creek is in the water. Headwaters to mouth. There are tons of fish throughout, and access is ample and well marked. There is no wrong place to look. Any decision you make, or any suggestion you follow will result in the same probability of success, so you may as well pick a starting point and enjoy the adventure. Most roads that go within site of the stream will have access, and you can drive the entire length of the stream in an afternoon.
 
Thank you, i did not take that as a "snide response", although i see that there a lot of members on this website who do not understand what it is to be courteous. I plan on starting near the Benner research area. Thanks again and for all of those snobs out there...just because I am a beginner at fly fishing does not make you better than me. True story.
 
Benner would be a good place to start. There is posted land as you walk downstream (unless someone wants to correct me, I think it's still posted). Not sure how far you can go up. Good water throughout.

Another good starting point would be driving downstream from the paradise, but the entire stream is worth exploring.
 
Starting at the mouth.

Most of the distance from the mouth up to Bellefonte is open. There might be a bit of posted water, I'm not sure, but most of it is definitely open.

The stream is closed in Bellefonte.

From Bellefonte to 550, not sure, I know there's some posted water, but I don't know %.

From 550 to Paradise is completely open to fishing except for a very short stretch right below the Paradise, and is all paralleled by Spring Creek Road.

From Paradise you can walk upstream several miles, but you do eventually run into a short posted stretch. Signs are not far downstream from Rockview Rd on the map.

You can get to the upper boundary of this posted stretch from Benner (Shiloh Rd) and walking downstream, I dunno, no more than a mile. Signs are just upstream of Rockview Rd. on the map. You can also walk upstream from Benner beyond the next access.

Which is Rock Road. Much of the area along Rock Road is open, though I'm not sure, I think there are a few posted patches.

In around Houserville, there are more posted areas than open areas, but both exist. Spring Creek Park definitely gives good access but there are others.

Upstram from Spring Creek Park, through Lemont, to the Quarry is largely posted, but there are a few spots you can get on it I think.
 
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