Breeches Bashing

[greenghost]

In the "Overrated Streams" thread, Yellow Breeches took a beating. Many think it's nothing more than an overrated, mediocre fishery. It's been my experience that the Breeches is more than that. Granted, many stretches have been slowed and spoiled with remnants of mill dams, farming and sprawl. But because it flows through limestone country, there are many feeder springs... and where there are feeder springs, there are trout. I used to fish Breeches only in the fall, because if you know where those cool water sources are, you can find some surprisingly large fish that come out to play during pre-spawn. No doubt, the Breeches is a stream with many different personalities, but don't disregard it as an overstocked, marginal waterway; that describes only some sections. If you truly know ALL of the stream, you're in for some BIG surprises.

 

[tomgamber]

We'll all be there tomorrow...ok? We'll all bring at least three friends each...would that be good? :-D

 

[greenghost]

Tom,
Have at it. The Breeches is nearly 70 miles long! It has countless feeders. There's room for everybody to explore and figure it out for themselves. Good luck.

 

[pete41]

I haven't been there since the 60s but really loved the challenge of the slow water above the dam at Allenberry-tough fishing when they were hitting the minutia-read years later that Ed Koch was going through the same gristmill trying to figure it out just about the same time.
Rushed up there from Delaware one Friday evening after work
Got there in time to go up to the dam-a HUGE and I mean HUGE fish rolled on a white marabou streamer-read years later that Ed Shenk lost a HUGE trout right within a day or two of that experience-someone caught a ten pounder a few days later-
Sure glad I didn't catch it-it was an old brood mare put out to pasture and wouldn't have counted since it was only a stocker and not a WILD trout-[grinning and ducking].
Any way I won't disparage the YB-those were memories to treasure.
Went up in the 50s with my father-worm fishing[we were using flyrods]-he took us above Boiling Springs-not good-skunked-went to Bald Eagle Creek near Port Matilda-great names bad fishing or fishermen.

 

[flybop]

Greengohst, I used to live close to the Breeches, but gave up fishing it seriously many years before I moved out of the area. I have since learned that I probably should have spent some time exploring the "other" Breeches that you speak of. Normally I am one of those out there, well off the beaten path seeking those places out. However, where I lived there were plenty of other places closer to home that I explored, and was glad I did.

The Breeches is where I began to seriously target big browns. That is where I began to learn how to seriously fish big streamers for big fish. Looking at the creek from the point of view of the Allenberry stretch I would be on the bashing band wagon. I have friends in the area who agree with what you just said though. Maybe I wrote the Breeches off to soon?

 

[bushwacker]

greenghost wrote:
Tom,
Have at it. The Breeches is nearly 70 miles long! It has countless feeders. There's room for everybody to explore and figure it out for themselves. Good luck.

I'd be more interested in exploring those feeder streams for wild browns.

 

[Maurice]

I always loved the idea of going to the Yellow Breeches, Back when I lived in the burgh and would travel here, I felt it was playing in the big leagues. And then I moved 40 minutes away and even today I still enjoyu the idea of going to the Yellow Breeches. Then I get there and either struggle with the crowded Allenberry stretch or struggle to find fish in the open water. Seldon do I walk away feeling like i made the right choice going there. But it does have that allure....I suck at the Breeches.

So Bash away...I don't care. Oh. I will still go back. I even belong to the YBAC and hope that some of the fish willl remain when I get there. I've found a few of the other places and did OK even in the winter but it does a number on me more often than not....Its not like it is the letort. How dare it work me over like it does. I bash you Breeches of Yellow! Bash you!

 

[Fishidiot]

The YB will always be near and dear to me (and I mentioned as much in my original post about overrated streams). This stream has shown me countless great days and really is a wonderful river. As many of you seem to agree - the best water is outside the SR section. However, for multitudes of FFers YB is synonomous with the SR water - which is often crowded, predominately stocked fish, warm in the summer, and has an inconsistent fish population through the summer and fall. It seems to me that, considering the distance folks drive to fish this section of YB (often 100+ miles), they're missing out on a lot of better fishing.

 

[Acristickid]

FI- think your post descibes my one trip there. I hit it up 2-3 fourth of July's ago- in the Allenberry section. Arrived at 5:30am and there were a few other cars there in the parking lot-even a few cars driven down right by the creek-not sure why when there are signs saying not to do that.

Anyways- I picked the wrong day to go- it was so crowed by 9am I could not move up or down with guys everywhere. I left shortly there after and explored some other streams- and did see at soul at those. Will take greenghost's advice next time and try exploring some other parts of the creek- think I owe that to the stream as it did not get a fair shake my first visit.

 

[spectorfly]

We'll all be there tomorrow...ok? We'll all bring at least three friends each...would that be good?

I'll bring Larry and the popcorn.

 

[osprey]

The YB suffers from multiple personality disorder give it some time and you'll see it's not underated just misunderstood

 

[Squaretail]

3 yrs ago I took more 20+ inch fish outta the SR section than I had almost my entire life. Since then, one.
A guy that used to post on here steered me to some open water with wilds that come out to play after the stockings and I have enjoyed it much better.
Is it overrated? With the way the PFBC promotes it (mostly because of how many fish they dump in) and the guys that come from all over to go to Allenbury and fish it, I would have to say yes. Sorry.
Doesn't mean I'm not glad its there. Its a very comfortable stream to wade and fish.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Thats exactly how i feel about it dan

 

[osprey]

That's pretty good dan.........i'm glad it's there too....HAPPY EASTER