Cross Fork & Kettle Creeks, Potter County, 3/25/09

[crs5942]

I fished these streams for the first time this week. Air temps were about 30 degrees when I started mid morning and rose to 54 in the afternoon. I saw a few blue quills and midges in the late morning but no rises. Water temps were cold and the fish were holding to the bottom. Egg patterns, small nymphs, sucker spawn, and wooly buggers took fish. I managed 19 for the day and turned another 15 or so. I caught all stocked rainbows with the exception of one wild brown that was about 15-16". That section of the state: SE Potter, SW Tioga, NE Clinton, and NW Lycoming counties contains, IMO, the best trout streams in the entire state. The fishing might be better elsewhere, but the human impact on the streams in much less noticeable in that region compared to all others I have fished. I drove from Williamsport to Cross Fork on Wednesday morning and went for 28 miles on SR44 without passing a single car. The only thing that would have made the day better was if I had caught at least one brook trout. Why does PFBC stock rainbows in the C&R streams in the Brook Trout Enhancement Project region?

 

[crs5942]

I met two "experienced" fly fisherman at the mouth of Windfall Run on Wednesday morning. They were both from a camp by Elk Lick Run. If either of you frequent this forum, send me a message. I already tied up a few of the "secret nymphs" they gave me.

 

[wildtrout2]

crs5942 wrote:
Why does PFBC stock rainbows in the C&R streams in the Brook Trout Enhancement Project region?

For the same reason they stock over any other population of naturally reproducing wild trout. Whatever that would be. :-x

 

[troutbert]

On Cross Fork, if you want to avoid the stockies, and find more wildies, go further upstream.

 

[wildtrout2]

Speaking of Cross Fork, has anyone ever stayed at the Cross Fork Motel? If so, is it a decent place to perhaps use as a "base camp" for fishing the area?

 

[jpittman80]

I have never stayed at the motel however it would be a good base camp I have a property about a mile from the motel on Kettle and I fish Cross Forks about every weekend. I have been going up to work on camp so I've been fishing Cross Fork and Windfall

 

[wildtrout2]

jpittman80 wrote:
I have never stayed at the motel however it would be a good base camp I have a property about a mile from the motel on Kettle and I fish Cross Forks about every weekend. I have been going up to work on camp so I've been fishing Cross Fork and Windfall

Welcome jpittman80, I'm new here as well. Thanks for the response.

 

[jpittman80]

Thanks I have followed this web page for about a year after a friend told me about it and I thought I would start to post a few things. I fished Cross Forks Sat. after the winds died down and had a pretty good night. Water was running a little high but not to bad.