SBecker
Active member
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2010
- Messages
- 5,660
Let me first say thank you to Harmans for giving away this trip. Now, Over the past year a couple of us on here have discussed putting together a trip down to Harmans. It has yet to materialize, but I am hoping this report sparks the interest again.
I was supposed to be traveling to the Delaware to fish with DaveS and Andy this week. However, once I won the trip to Harmans, I decided to head south in celebration of my first leg of college complete. The short notice was tough to get friends to head down with me. I decided to bring my family down for a mini vacation.
Tuesday morning we packed my little Neon to the gills and was even able to fit the kids in.
This would be the longest drive I have made with the munchkins and I was kinda freaked out. In the end I think I only had to yell twice at them lol. We only had to stop once, which was not bad. We decided to stop in the first part of W.V.
We pulled into Harmons around 2:00 about an hour later then I wanted, but o well.
We stayed in Cabin 3 and it was amazing. I figured with the free trip they would have stuck me in the broom closet. I was wrong...
Ignore the child watching TV, we were unpacking the car lol
This is the view we had..
The cabin was beautiful, clean, and comfortable. More then you could ever ask for on a "fishing trip" to W.V.
After we unloaded our car and cooked up some hotdogs on the charcoal grill that was provided, I rushed out the door to get on the stream. I decided to head right down to the stretch below our cabins, because i wanted as much time on the water as possible. This is the stretch..
Downstream view
Upstream view
It did not take long before I was hooked up with my first bruiser
Then another...and another...and another, all on a Ken's copperhead.
Around 5:00 the sulphurs took flight. I had fish rising all around me and action up top was fast and furious. I must have landed 30 fish from 5-9:00. O, and the spinner fall...haha it was great. I hooked some beasts that ran me up and down the stream. peeling line and shooting out of the water. You made the hook set and if you had your hand too tight to the line your fingers were burned. I have the wounds to prove it. I lost a few big boys with either them making one to many leaps out of the water and shaking or just trying to get my oldest to reel one in. I did not care it was all very fun. I would get more mad when I would miss a take up top.
These fish were easily some of the hardest fighting fish I have ever encountered. ESPECIALLY for being stockies. Very violent and strong fish. These fish have some good genetics, or maybe I am just used to PA farm fish.
Here is a nice brown from the evening.
The night ended with a nice fire I built with the kids and this....
You know how good that feels after a full day driving and fighting fish? Unbelievable Nothing better then soaking in a hot tub, cigar in one hand, and a cold beer in the other. O and my wife being there was ok too.
I woke up around 7:00am the next day and realized it had rained over night and was raining a little still. I leisurely got my gear on, and meandered all of the 20 seconds it takes to get down to the stream. I was greeted with a massive march brown hatch in the beginning stages and again fish everywhere. I
Morning Calm
Some fishes.......
The breakfast bell was rung (son coming down and telling me it was time to eat). Perfect timing too, because the fish stopped rising. I scarfed down my food and decided to head up stream where the big boys roam. My wife drove me up to cabin 15 and dropped me off. I got a tip from someone else, that I would need to cross the river to access the best stretch. Here is what it looked like....
When I mentioned the big boys roam up in this area, I am not lying. I hooked 8 fish easily over 20 inches and landed 3. The first one I went to take a picture of swam away when I tried to make a placement by the rod in the water. Another jumped out of my hands and then my camera died lol. O well the memories will always live in my mind. The first one took me 15 minutes to land. I ended up landing it about 200 yards down stream from where I hooked it. My arm and hand hurt so bad after that fight, and I was sweating profusely. I never worked so hard for a trout.
I started noticing debris coming down stream and then realized there must have been a storm up river. It was time for me to cross before I got stuck on the wrong side. Crossing was difficult and I was afraid my family was going to watch me drown. I made it across though safely.
Here is a picture of my boys and I before dinner. Yes, that is a Damned Heathens Shirt.
I ate a nice steak dinner and ran back down to the stretch by our cabin. With the stream up, fishing was difficult. The fish took longer to respond to the insect activity but I did end up landing a few.
Here is what the water looked like after the rain. The cross currents were a killer with drag. The fish laid in the slack water on the opposite bank feeding in the foam lines. It was like a buffet line.
Earlier in the day I struck up a conversation with our neighbors in cabin 2. In the evening they joined me on the water and here to find out that it was FlytyingFred! lol small world. What's the luck?
The night ended with the kids already sleeping when I walked into the door. A soak in the Jacuzzi tub was in order, then some TV on the comfortable leather couches.
I dreaded the end of the day because I knew our stay was ending. None of us wanted to leave. The facilities were top notch and the fishing was not to shabby either.
In the morning I woke up again at 7am and made it downed to the stream. I was greeted by Fred again, as he was saying goodbye. I picked two pretty quick when the March brown started, then the fish got lock jaw. From 8:30 till 11:00 I could not get a take. Fish were feeding everywhere, but I could not figure out what they wanted. There was MB's, Sulphurs, Caddis's, Midges, and other things flying around. I must have changed my fly 60 times. I tried different sizes of drys, different types (Parachute,Hair wing), I tried emergers, I tried everything in my box. It was absolutely maddening! These stocked fish can be picky I guess! I was kinda happy my wife came to tell me it was time to go, because I was at my wits end with these fish.
In conclusion, Harmans is top notch. I am already looking forward to the next time I head down there. Even though you are fishing for stocked fish, they are pretty, with nice fins (no nubs), and fight like hellions. I have no complaints and would recommend it to anyone. 4 our of 4 stars.
Here is a few pictures from this morning to end out this thread.
He's fishing
I was supposed to be traveling to the Delaware to fish with DaveS and Andy this week. However, once I won the trip to Harmans, I decided to head south in celebration of my first leg of college complete. The short notice was tough to get friends to head down with me. I decided to bring my family down for a mini vacation.
Tuesday morning we packed my little Neon to the gills and was even able to fit the kids in.
This would be the longest drive I have made with the munchkins and I was kinda freaked out. In the end I think I only had to yell twice at them lol. We only had to stop once, which was not bad. We decided to stop in the first part of W.V.
We pulled into Harmons around 2:00 about an hour later then I wanted, but o well.
We stayed in Cabin 3 and it was amazing. I figured with the free trip they would have stuck me in the broom closet. I was wrong...
Ignore the child watching TV, we were unpacking the car lol
This is the view we had..
The cabin was beautiful, clean, and comfortable. More then you could ever ask for on a "fishing trip" to W.V.
After we unloaded our car and cooked up some hotdogs on the charcoal grill that was provided, I rushed out the door to get on the stream. I decided to head right down to the stretch below our cabins, because i wanted as much time on the water as possible. This is the stretch..
Downstream view
Upstream view
It did not take long before I was hooked up with my first bruiser
Then another...and another...and another, all on a Ken's copperhead.
Around 5:00 the sulphurs took flight. I had fish rising all around me and action up top was fast and furious. I must have landed 30 fish from 5-9:00. O, and the spinner fall...haha it was great. I hooked some beasts that ran me up and down the stream. peeling line and shooting out of the water. You made the hook set and if you had your hand too tight to the line your fingers were burned. I have the wounds to prove it. I lost a few big boys with either them making one to many leaps out of the water and shaking or just trying to get my oldest to reel one in. I did not care it was all very fun. I would get more mad when I would miss a take up top.
These fish were easily some of the hardest fighting fish I have ever encountered. ESPECIALLY for being stockies. Very violent and strong fish. These fish have some good genetics, or maybe I am just used to PA farm fish.
Here is a nice brown from the evening.
The night ended with a nice fire I built with the kids and this....
You know how good that feels after a full day driving and fighting fish? Unbelievable Nothing better then soaking in a hot tub, cigar in one hand, and a cold beer in the other. O and my wife being there was ok too.
I woke up around 7:00am the next day and realized it had rained over night and was raining a little still. I leisurely got my gear on, and meandered all of the 20 seconds it takes to get down to the stream. I was greeted with a massive march brown hatch in the beginning stages and again fish everywhere. I
Morning Calm
Some fishes.......
The breakfast bell was rung (son coming down and telling me it was time to eat). Perfect timing too, because the fish stopped rising. I scarfed down my food and decided to head up stream where the big boys roam. My wife drove me up to cabin 15 and dropped me off. I got a tip from someone else, that I would need to cross the river to access the best stretch. Here is what it looked like....
When I mentioned the big boys roam up in this area, I am not lying. I hooked 8 fish easily over 20 inches and landed 3. The first one I went to take a picture of swam away when I tried to make a placement by the rod in the water. Another jumped out of my hands and then my camera died lol. O well the memories will always live in my mind. The first one took me 15 minutes to land. I ended up landing it about 200 yards down stream from where I hooked it. My arm and hand hurt so bad after that fight, and I was sweating profusely. I never worked so hard for a trout.
I started noticing debris coming down stream and then realized there must have been a storm up river. It was time for me to cross before I got stuck on the wrong side. Crossing was difficult and I was afraid my family was going to watch me drown. I made it across though safely.
Here is a picture of my boys and I before dinner. Yes, that is a Damned Heathens Shirt.
I ate a nice steak dinner and ran back down to the stretch by our cabin. With the stream up, fishing was difficult. The fish took longer to respond to the insect activity but I did end up landing a few.
Here is what the water looked like after the rain. The cross currents were a killer with drag. The fish laid in the slack water on the opposite bank feeding in the foam lines. It was like a buffet line.
Earlier in the day I struck up a conversation with our neighbors in cabin 2. In the evening they joined me on the water and here to find out that it was FlytyingFred! lol small world. What's the luck?
The night ended with the kids already sleeping when I walked into the door. A soak in the Jacuzzi tub was in order, then some TV on the comfortable leather couches.
I dreaded the end of the day because I knew our stay was ending. None of us wanted to leave. The facilities were top notch and the fishing was not to shabby either.
In the morning I woke up again at 7am and made it downed to the stream. I was greeted by Fred again, as he was saying goodbye. I picked two pretty quick when the March brown started, then the fish got lock jaw. From 8:30 till 11:00 I could not get a take. Fish were feeding everywhere, but I could not figure out what they wanted. There was MB's, Sulphurs, Caddis's, Midges, and other things flying around. I must have changed my fly 60 times. I tried different sizes of drys, different types (Parachute,Hair wing), I tried emergers, I tried everything in my box. It was absolutely maddening! These stocked fish can be picky I guess! I was kinda happy my wife came to tell me it was time to go, because I was at my wits end with these fish.
In conclusion, Harmans is top notch. I am already looking forward to the next time I head down there. Even though you are fishing for stocked fish, they are pretty, with nice fins (no nubs), and fight like hellions. I have no complaints and would recommend it to anyone. 4 our of 4 stars.
Here is a few pictures from this morning to end out this thread.
He's fishing
