Falling Spring Branch, Franklin County, 5/18/25

[Mikey2006]

Fished the falling spring FFO section today, it was tough as always but at least I didn’t take the skunk like I sometimes do. Great weather, partly cloudy in the mid 70s. I fished from 12:30-3:00, which made things a little more difficult as I saw no bugs hatching and zero rises the whole day.

I started at Quarry Road, spending a lot of time in each of the three deep pools. I was Indicator nymphing to start, which is obviously less than ideal for spooky spring creek fish. I didn’t even get a strike below the bridge despite trying just about every nymph in my fly box.

After about 20 minutes I moved to the first deep hole above the bridge and about 5 minutes in I had a very obvious strike which I missed. The fish let go almost instantly so there was no real shot of hooking it. Not sure which fly he took but I was using a pheasant tail and a green caddis nymph. I broke off my rig a few casts later, so I tied on a small black woolly bugger and swung it through the hole before stripping it back against the current. A nice 11-12 inch brown swiped at it twice, but didn’t hook up. It didn’t return after that, and no other fish showed interest so I cut it off and started nymphing again.

On my first cast after tying on, I hooked a little brown trout on a blue perdigon. I never saw my indicator drop or twitch, I just lifted up to cast again and there the fish was. I probably had several strikes that I never saw, the takes seemed to be super light and my use of an indicator definitely made things way harder.


That was the only fish of the day, but it was a gorgeous one so I was happy with it, especially since I usually do poorly fishing subsurface midday. I fished very slowly, spending almost two hours in the Quarry Road area alone. I did fish for a little less than an hour upstream in the stretch just below Garman Drive. The water looked low compared to the way I remember it last year, the bottom was exposed in places and the deep pool below dam was much lower than usual. No luck, but that’s not unusual for me as 95% of my fish I catch in that stretch come on the surface.

Overall not a bad day considering my skill level. Definitely a hard stream that forces you to be at your best.

 

[troutbert]

I started at Quarry Road, spending a lot of time in each of the three deep pools. I was Indicator nymphing to start, which is obviously less than ideal for spooky spring creek fish. I didn’t even get a strike below the bridge despite trying just about every nymph in my fly box.

I wonder how many fishermen per year fish that pool below the bridge? I've wondered that about obvious habitat spots on other streams too.

I saw a guy catch a brown trout about 2 feet long from that pool.

 

[Mikey2006]

I wonder how many fishermen per year fish that pool below the bridge? I've wondered that about obvious habitat spots on other streams too.

I saw a guy catch a brown trout about 2 feet long from that pool.

I never saw another angler while fishing it last year. This year I’ve seen two. I don’t think the fly fishing only section receives a whole lot of pressure compared to the other spring creeks in the Cumberland valley. And for good reason, the fishing has been declining from what I’ve heard. I wasn’t around to witness what it used to be.

How long ago was that two foot brown caught? Biggest I’ve seen someone catch in the few years that I’ve fished it was 14 inches (from that same pool actually.) Biggest I’ve got is 13 inches but that was a rainbow, my biggest brown there is 11.5 inches. Although I did see an 18-19 Incher behind KFC last spring, I find it hard to believe there’s a fishable population of fish over 15 inches left.

I did land several 18-19 inch rainbows last year and had a 21-22 hooked, but looking back they were obviously stocked fish that either swam up or got dumped in by a landowner. All of them were in the same 100yd stretch.

 

[troutbert]

How long ago was that two foot brown caught?

Many years ago. Probably around the late 1990s.

 

[Mikey2006]

Many years ago. Probably around the late 1990s.

I’ve heard falling spring was the place to be back then. When I fished it for the first time three years ago I was pretty disappointed. Still a fun stream and there are some “nice” fish (I would consider a 15 Incher there a true trophy at least for me), but if I didn’t live close by and it didn’t have any history too it I doubt I would fish it much at all.

I forget where I saw it, but I remember reading something about how the flows in recent years are only 60% of what they used to be, presumably because of all the development sucking up the water. Recently they just tore up a bunch of farmland and are building a humongous housing development less than a half mile from the stream. It’s sad. I can count on one hand the number of 15-18 inch wild fish I’ve spooked during all of the days I’ve spent fishing there during the past year or two, and I’m out there 4-5 evenings a week during sulphur season and at least 1-2 outings per week during summer when they are hitting terrestrials. I just hope the other big name streams like Big Spring and the Letort don’t go down a similar path

 

[caddisflyer]

The sulfur hatches were amazing about 25-30 years ago with fish feeding like mad. Not sure anymore.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

You should've seen the Trico hatch on Falling Springs in the late 80s and 90s. Legendary. Plenty of large trout to boot. I'm fortunate to have experienced it. It is sad how many streams are a shell of their former selves. That would be an entirely new thread.

 

[nativebrownie]

Just so true - remember the 70s-80s - many watersheds are like ghosts of a former self. The hatches used to be worth the trip just to witness. A healthy ecosystem is something else to experience. Even then, some veterans were noting the changes - like fewer terrestrials and dwindling frog populations. All bad signs....
On one stream in that area, the heavy orange Cahill hatch at nightfall in June just found you staring at nature's work...

 

[Mikey2006]

The sulfur hatches were amazing about 25-30 years ago with fish feeding like mad. Not sure anymore.

You should've seen the Trico hatch on Falling Springs in the late 80s and 90s. Legendary. Plenty of large trout to boot. I'm fortunate to have experienced it. It is sad how many streams are a shell of their former selves. That would be an entirely new thread.

I’ve never tried to hit the tricos there, I guess the idea of throwing flies that small is a little intimidating. But it sounds like I’m not missing all that much.

On certain evenings there actually is a decent sulphur hatch. You can fish one of the few larger pools all evening and catch fish somewhat consistently, and they are “feeding like mad” to the point where you are seeing like ten different fish all rising consistently, but every single fish is below 12 inches.

I do know where a nice 16-17 inch rainbow sits, I was trying for him all last summer and I actually got him to take a beetle on a 90 degree day in august, but it never got hooked. That’s about it when it comes to my big fish encounters there. I hope he’s still around because I haven’t seen him yet this year. And it’s definitely possible that it was one of those stocked fish that somehow wound up in that section, but it was a lot smarter and spooked way easier so hopefully it was wild.

At least the big fish are still there on some of the other streams. On my very first trip to big spring I got to watch a 22-23 inch rainbow cruising around for a while before I tried to cast, it then spooked. And on my second trip my friend said he saw one in the mid 20s. Not sure if I trust his estimate though.

 

[tjsingle]

I've only fished Falling Springs once. Tough creek for sure. One thing you could try if your indicator rig isn't getting their interest is go dry dropper, just pick something like an elk hair caddis that'll float well.

 

[troutbert]

It was not an easy stream to fish back in the 1990s either. And from the writings of earlier times, these limestone streams weren't easy to fish in the 1940s and 1950s either.

 

[Mikey2006]

I've only fished Falling Springs once. Tough creek for sure. One thing you could try if your indicator rig isn't getting their interest is go dry dropper, just pick something like an elk hair caddis that'll float well.

That’s what I do in the upper reaches of the fly only section, but down around quarry road the three holes are pretty deep and fast.

 

[Mikey2006]

It was not an easy stream to fish back in the 1990s either. And from the writings of earlier times, these limestone streams weren't easy to fish in the 1940s and 1950s either.

I didn’t mean that it would be easier to fish, just that it sounds like the fish were much more abundant and generally bigger

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Another issue with FSR is that the best section (IMHO) is private property....Skelly Farm. That was the place for Tricos. If something wasn't hatching there, many trout were still looking up on the edges of both sides of creek for a well-placed terrestrial. I fished it several times per week back in the day, and it was truly magical. I know the Quarry Rd section very well. In 1994, I caught a 23" brown in the meadow above the bridge on a #14 Hot Spot Foam Beetle. In some other sections, I've caught plenty of wild browns and bows up to 20" over the years when I fished it hard. The thing I'm most interested in and no one seems to have an answer ...PFBC lists FSR as having mixed pop of brook/brown in Class A area. Were the brooks mistakenly listed in place of bows, or is there really a reproducing population of brookies?

 

[Mikey2006]

Another issue with FSR is that the best section (IMHO) is private property....Skelly Farm. That was the place for Tricos. If something wasn't hatching there, many trout were still looking up on the edges of both sides of creek for a well-placed terrestrial. I fished it several times per week back in the day, and it was truly magical. I know the Quarry Rd section very well. In 1994, I caught a 23" brown in the meadow above the bridge on a #14 Hot Spot Foam Beetle. In some other sections, I've caught plenty of wild browns and bows up to 20" over the years when I fished it hard. The thing I'm most interested in and no one seems to have an answer ...PFBC lists FSR as having mixed pop of brook/brown in Class A area. Were the brooks mistakenly listed in place of bows, or is there really a reproducing population of brookies?

I have yet to catch a brook trout. I did have a 13-14 inch stocked brookie come off right in front of me (in the stretch that was privately stocked last year) but as for wild brookie I haven’t heard of anyone catching them. I also don’t know if the posting is still there. I’ve waded the entire FFO section and talked with just about everyone who lives along the creek and nobody has said anything to me yet. Where exactly is the skelly farm? Is it the stretch below Edward’s avenue? Or above? I fish both areas with no issue and there aren't any posted signs

 

[Bamboozle]

Where exactly is the skelly farm? Is it the stretch below Edward’s avenue? Or above? I fish both areas with no issue and there aren't any posted signs

The Skelly Meadow began just above Edwards Ave to where the old hatchery was located. It think it is the Brandale property today. There used to be a ladder over the barbed-wire fence which provided access into the meadow back in the day.

I logged a lot of hours in the Skelly Meadow in the 80's & 90's and took several large fish over 20" in the meadow and just below.

I'll never forget one Trico hatch. I was fishing JUST below the bridge at Edwards Ave and there were a gazillion small wild rainbows rising like mad, blisteringly fast in the fast water coming out of the pipe.

I must have missed 50 hook-sets on those fish with the tiny fly, fast water, fast fish, short drifts all contributing to my incompetence.

After a few fish, I moved up into the meadow to find easier prey... 😉

I also never forget fishing a Sulphur hatch right by the barn. I was crouching and trying not to be seen while I scoped out a riser. All of a sudden, a cow walked into the middle of the creek and relieved itself, BOTH #1 & #2, more or less right on top of that riser.

A few minutes later the cow walked out of the creek, the water cleared, that fish started rising again and I caught a nice 13" brown. 😉

 

[Mikey2006]

The Skelly Meadow began just above Edwards Ave to where the old hatchery was located. It think it is the Brandale property today. There used to be a ladder over the barbed-wire fence which provided access into the meadow back in the day.

I logged a lot of hours in the Skelly Meadow in the 80's & 90's and took several large fish over 20" in the meadow and just below.

I'll never forget one Trico hatch. I was fishing JUST below the bridge at Edwards Ave and there were a gazillion small wild rainbows rising like mad, blisteringly fast in the fast water coming out of the pipe.

I must have missed 50 hook-sets on those fish with the tiny fly, fast water, fast fish, short drifts all contributing to my incompetence.

After a few fish, I moved up into the meadow to find easier prey... 😉

I also never forget fishing a Sulphur hatch right by the barn. I was crouching and trying not to be seen while I scoped out a riser. All of a sudden, a cow walked into the middle of the creek and relieved itself, BOTH #1 & #2, more or less right on top of that riser.

A few minutes later the cow walked out of the creek, the water cleared, that fish started rising again and I caught a nice 13" brown. 😉

That stretch is open to fishing again then. No posted signs and the people I’ve talked to through there have been friendly. Definitely the easiest water in my opinion.

All this talk is making me want to get out there today and give it another shot

 

[Wild_Trouter]

From what I remember, it is above Edwards Ave by about 1/2+/-. The farm would be on your left heading upstream. The Skelly Property (now sold), parallels Falling Spring Rd. There used to be Walk-In Fishing Only Permitted Signs. There also used to be a private trout hatchery just upstream from the Skelly Farm on the left side. I'd be very surprised that that area is open to fishing now but things change. Last I knew, a developer purchased that property and it was off limits. They had opened it back up temporarily on agreement with Falling Spring TU and Falling Spring Greenway, and then something happened that resulted in public access being shutdown. It's been a minute since I've been there last. If it's open, that's the section I'd try to master if I were you.

 

[Bamboozle]

That stretch is open to fishing again then. No posted signs and the people I’ve talked to through there have been friendly. Definitely the easiest water in my opinion.

All this talk is making me want to get out there today and give it another shot

Do the new owners farm the property?

I ask because I fondly remember more than a few close encounters with cows when I could literally feel their breath on the back of my neck and days of dodging cow pies on walks upstream.

 

[Mikey2006]

Do the new owners farm the property?

I ask because I fondly remember more than a few close encounters with cows when I could literally feel their breath on the back of my neck and days of dodging cow pies on walks upstream.

There are still some cows directly above the Edward’s avenue bridge on the left side (looking upstream) but they are fenced in and can only access the streambank right by the first riffle. From there all you can see from the creek is just grassy fields up until just before it parallels falling spring road, where there is a big farm field. There was a big tractor doing something right by where I park at garman drive the other day, I’m not sure if that’s on the property you were talking about