Clear Shade Creek, 10/29/16, Somerset County

[DanL]

I was trying to avoid spawning fish in Central PA, so I decided to give Clear Shade Creek a try on this beautiful fall day.

Using Tom Gilmore's new PA Fly Fishing book, I fished both the Fisherman's Trail access, and then the near the bridge on Crumb Road.

Location 1 - Fisherman's trail. Arrived at noon and fished until 3. Air Temps were high 60's, water temps were low 50's. I walked down the "steps" and ended up walking downstream for a little over a mile or so before I started walking back up. Because I had heard that there were brookies in here, I kept it basic and just took a small box of dry flies, and a handful of streamers for the browns. I ended up catching one very small brookie in a set of riffles, and one 11-12" brown near one of the beaver-made structures. The brown was at the nice left-turning bend about 1/2 mile in, where there looks to be a hole about 6 or 7 feet deep?? Aside from this, the stream was very low. I forgot to bring my 8ft 4WT and struggled with a 9ft 5WT as it isn't a very wide stream in some of these sections and there is overhead canopy.

Location 2 - Bridge at crumb road. Arrived around 3:30 and hiked/fished upstream maybe 1.5 hours. Line was barely in the water. This section was super low and even the "plunge" areas after runs were maybe only 5 or 6 inches deep. I only saw one native scatter at one spot near Cub Run, and didn't see anything else walking upstream. Saw one man here with his son and they didn't have any luck either. He suggested I try Bob's Creek next time, added to my list...

I'm not sure I'd ever return to this stream but I at least crossed it off my list. Definitely seems like a put-and-take kind of place but maybe I wasn't in the right areas as Tom Gilmore's experience as detailed in his book, was much different from mine.

Thanks for reading!
Dan

 

[greenghost]

I wouldn't be so fast to write this stream off. Timing is everything. The last time I fished Clear Shade was around Memorial Day many years ago-- at least 12 years. As luck would have it, Green Drakes appeared the day I was there. I caught MANY wild trout as well as stockies. I couldn't believe the number of fish I saw rising around dusk to duns. I pledged to go back on another day, but never made it. Just saying, you may have hit it on a bad day.

 

[BrooksAndHooks]

Last time I was there it didn't fish great. It does get a substantial stocking now, but there are wild fish. I think downstream of the tribs (cub and piney) and downstream near the FFO would be best, but I haven't made it back yet to investigate. I don't believe it to be any great wild trout fishery, but there are certainly wild fish in there mixed with the stockies, and some fish do hold over to some degree.

Thanks for sharing the report, perhaps I will have to make a trip back sometime soon and see if I can dredge up any more browns.

 

[evw659]

I fished the section right above and below crumb Rd about 3 years ago, pretty remote down in there. Almost got my car stuck on one of the hills on crumb, it was a muddy mess. The stream was really low, and most of the fishable water had one or two leftover stockies from the spring. I saw a couple natives but that was it. Did catch one nice wb about 12" but that was it. I think the stream has potential, but I think the heavy stocking and first day crowd suppresses it a little bit.

 

[steveo27]

Damn. Its been on my list for a while now but I keep seeing/hearing these types of reports.

FYI, Bobs creek is nice, but if Clear Shade is low, Im sure Bob's will be just as low. I fished it once this summer, and it was barely a trickle.

 

[Tack-L-Tyer]

Rumor has it that if you live in the Shade Creek drainage area and own a quad/Gator/horse/mule/trail bike etc. and have'nt consumed your body weight in gemmies and stockers by May 30th of every calendar year, you won't be welcome at the next Sportsman's Club meeting. (Or if said meat is'nt in your freezer). This years raffle prizes, 24" Lodge skillet, 2 lbs. butter, Large can Old Bay, garlic powder, and Rapala filleting knife. Bring yer own friggin Protonix.

 

[DanL]

BrooksandHooks, I did consider fishing downstream of the bridge but by the time I got back from working upstream, probably only an hour of daylight left. What I expected to do was just drive down that access road from scouting it on google maps, didnt realize it was a private/closed road so that burst my bubble a bit as I wanted to get more remote, more quickly.

 

[PocketWater]

I fished it in the Wild Area this summer, and the fishing was bad. Beautiful forest but between me and a buddy we caught one fish. We didn't go downstream of Cub though, so maybe it picks up down there. I don't know that I would make the drive again just to fish it though.

 

[PAgeologist]

My cousin and I fished the FFO section in March. Supposedly right after they did the early stocking. Nothing. Couldn't even scare a fish. It seemed like the FFO section has pretty poor water for habitat and fishing. We walked the majority of it and fished some of the better looking water. I know there are much better looking sections of the stream. I used to catch quite a few stockies there when I was a bait/spinner fisherman. I wouldn't waste my time going back to the FFO section.

 

[Acristickid]

^ had similar experience, fished the regs section early season before first day of trout. I found it empty - except we found the fish still podded together under some branches. Crushed one brookie after another once we found them. Needle in a haystack

 

[flyflicker]

I backpacked in back in college (15 years ago, damn I'm getting old). Caught a quite a few super bright brookies under the Hemlocks in fall. Released them all and noticed often they would swim right back to their "bright" spot of gravel. First experience with spawning brooks and didn't put it all together until the campfire that night. Lesson learned, no one had ever taught me about conservation, etc. learned/discovered myself.

Great memories and I will pass on to my son. Hope the creek is still healthy, because it was beautiful back then.