Drove down saturday morning to meadow run with the expectations of having a 50 fish day, because they recently stocked the stream, and it was forecasted to rain all day. Rain never showed up, and the recently stocked fish didnt seem too interested in any flies. I typically never fish over recently stocked fish, but why were they constantly chasing each other? These were rainbows btw, so it shouldnt be spawning related. Anyways, I assumed it was a waste of time to fish over these ones, so I moved further downstream to where I spotted holdovers in august. They were still there on saturday and I got into 3 fish pretty quickly. It was at this point that a local and i started talking for a bit and he mentioned the bruner run takeout road was open to the public now. I was pumped, thanked him, and immediately ran back to the car to go give the yough a shot. I had fished down that way before, but swore i would never do it again if the gate is locked, because you are looking at a 2 mile hike down 600-700' of elevation change--and whats worse, the same thing coming back uphill. Well, of course the freakin gate was locked, so I had the option of driving back to ohiopyle or just doing the hike. I did the hike. Hiked to a stretch I fished a month ago, and began to test out my new sink tip on my 7wt with some tandem streamers. Nothing. Walked a bit further, nothing. Came to a stretch where I had hooked into two decent rainbows last time and spotted a bigger one. Boom, fish on with my first cast into the run. I had 9lb line on, a 7wt rod, and I had not landed a trout on the yough yet this year, so that fish was horsed in. Healthy looking fish. It was a fun comparison to catch a few holdover rainbows on meadow run and then come down to the yough and catch one. Crazy how the fish's diet determines their appearance by so much. There you have it, I guess I can mark down this yough trip as a "draw" to go along with my 4 losses this year.
Meadow Run/Yough Fayette county, 10-6-12
- Thread starter pwk5017
- Start date
Thanks for the report and info re Bruner Run takeout. I'd be wealthy if I had a dollar for every time I thought to myself that I should fish the Yough, although I always had the middle Yough in mind.
I've checked out Bruner Run takeout on Google Earth as well as I can, so hopefully I will get there before this week is out.
Hopefully, the gate will be open. If the gate is open, will the road(?) easily accomodate a 4WD crossover?
I've checked out Bruner Run takeout on Google Earth as well as I can, so hopefully I will get there before this week is out.
Hopefully, the gate will be open. If the gate is open, will the road(?) easily accomodate a 4WD crossover?
Acristickid
Well-known member
Bruner run road was paved last I was down there- a raft trip probably 5-6 years ago. Bear Run Nature Preserve also has trails down to the river.
That lower area does not see as many fisherman as Ohiopyle or Confluence.
That lower area does not see as many fisherman as Ohiopyle or Confluence.
Gate was locked. If the gate was locked when I was there, I am assuming its always going to be locked. I had heard people say, "they unlock it after labor day", but that clearly wasnt the case. Heed some advice from me, the hike up that hill after a long day of fishing is totally NOT worth the water it puts you on. It effing sucks after you are mildly fatigued from wading on loose rocks all day. I think I would rather bike the 6 miles, then walk up and down that hill.
Here is my question for you about the bear run nature preserve--where do you park? I once had the intentions of parking at falling water and taking the trail down to the river. Well, turns out you have to pay admission just to park etc. so I parked outside FW and walked through and to the trails(yes, technically frowned upon). Any other way to access the trails?
Here is my question for you about the bear run nature preserve--where do you park? I once had the intentions of parking at falling water and taking the trail down to the river. Well, turns out you have to pay admission just to park etc. so I parked outside FW and walked through and to the trails(yes, technically frowned upon). Any other way to access the trails?
Why is the gate locked at all? Is the access just for the outfitters and it's locked to prevent congestion and allow for buses to travel freely?
"...Not worth the water it puts you on." That's disappointing. I was hoping to fish a nice section of the river. I figured you might have chosen it because it's at the takeout and fishing below would be relatively "quiet".
How are the trout populations on the Yough in general between Confluence and Connelsville?
"...Not worth the water it puts you on." That's disappointing. I was hoping to fish a nice section of the river. I figured you might have chosen it because it's at the takeout and fishing below would be relatively "quiet".
How are the trout populations on the Yough in general between Confluence and Connelsville?
I checked the Bear Run map and it looks like a hike of a mile or more on the Peninsula Trail via "Tissue Lane" from an official parking area to the river. The parking area is off RT 381 at Tissue Lane.
I called the Conservancy and was told there is no charge for parking and trail access.
I called the Conservancy and was told there is no charge for parking and trail access.
Thanks for the heads up, i will check my maps tonight. Ok, i am 24 and pretty damn fit, and i dont care to walk that hill again. The topo map says its 700' in elevation change over 2 miles. The last half mile is so effing steep, its brutal. I will say this, it puts you all by yourself on the river. Who wants to go through all of that tocatch one 14-15" bow? 90% of people would prefer to park at ohipyle/confluence and walk a mile or less to fish. Most of all, the river downstream of ohiopyle is not easy access for waders. Check the maps, but we are talking a 75'+/- elevation change between the bike trail and the river. Most of it is downright impassable. Im young and can be foolish sometimes, but I dont think its particularly clever to solo most of the section. Fewer people bike down that way--even fewer now--and its almost too easy to take a tumble on the steep elevation. I can see you being down there for a few days without being found if you fell in the right spot.
I havent fished downstream of camp carmel, but the trout to smallmouth ratio from the falls to bruner run area is certainly different than the trophy trout water. Alot more bass for sure.
I havent fished downstream of camp carmel, but the trout to smallmouth ratio from the falls to bruner run area is certainly different than the trophy trout water. Alot more bass for sure.
My wife and I drove out to Ohiopyle yesterday. We would be scouting the river access from Bruner Run and Bear Run NP so I wasn't determined to fish but packed my stuff anyway.
The gate was open at Bruner Run takeout. You are right on about walking that hill from the upper lot. I wouldn't do it. We drove down and the non-commercial lot was quite crowded, the commercial lot was sparse.
We walked north on the GAP trail for a bit and found a nice place for future fishing. We got back to the car, then walked down to the takeout to see the river. I decided to fish just for the heck of it and caught one nice 15" rainbow early on right below the rocks on the upstream side of the takeout. It took a Patuxent streamer. After a bit, I moved down about twenty yards so I would not interfere with incoming boaters. Tough wading there. It's easily around three feet deep with some sudden drops. The whole bottom seemed like one big rock with steps cut into it in places.
I caught four or five chubs after the trout. I had a good time and am glad that I read your post a few days ago.
Don
The gate was open at Bruner Run takeout. You are right on about walking that hill from the upper lot. I wouldn't do it. We drove down and the non-commercial lot was quite crowded, the commercial lot was sparse.
We walked north on the GAP trail for a bit and found a nice place for future fishing. We got back to the car, then walked down to the takeout to see the river. I decided to fish just for the heck of it and caught one nice 15" rainbow early on right below the rocks on the upstream side of the takeout. It took a Patuxent streamer. After a bit, I moved down about twenty yards so I would not interfere with incoming boaters. Tough wading there. It's easily around three feet deep with some sudden drops. The whole bottom seemed like one big rock with steps cut into it in places.
I caught four or five chubs after the trout. I had a good time and am glad that I read your post a few days ago.
Don
turkey
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Ive only skimmed this thread so I apologize if any of this was already mentioned...the Bear Run parking lot, which is free, is on the opposite side of 381 from the Yough. You have to park, walk across 381, there is Conservancy property over there and even a marked campsite but there is quite a cliff down to the river. I don't know of any trails down to the river from there. I have camped on top of the cliff and there are some great views but be careful. It's a heck of a drop.
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700 ft elevation change in 2 miles is about a 6.5% average grade. Over the course of the entire 2 miles I'd agree with Chaz...that's nothing too terrible. From what pwk is saying though it sounds like it's not a steady 6.5% the whole way.
FWIW, I often seek out small streams with average gradients of 10% or more to fish, with some pushing 25% in sections probably. These are the streams that make waterfalls and plunge pools and often appear to have a lot more water in them than they actually do...all a product of the gradient. I don't usually get too winded fishing them, but then again I'm stopping to fish a pool every 50 feet or so. To walk straight up and through them non-stop (which would essentially be climbing a 500-1000ft ridge in rough terrain in most cases) would be a butt kicker and I'd be sucking wind...and I've gotten back into the jogging kick recently too!
FWIW, I often seek out small streams with average gradients of 10% or more to fish, with some pushing 25% in sections probably. These are the streams that make waterfalls and plunge pools and often appear to have a lot more water in them than they actually do...all a product of the gradient. I don't usually get too winded fishing them, but then again I'm stopping to fish a pool every 50 feet or so. To walk straight up and through them non-stop (which would essentially be climbing a 500-1000ft ridge in rough terrain in most cases) would be a butt kicker and I'd be sucking wind...and I've gotten back into the jogging kick recently too!
For those not familiar with this area, here is a high resolution topo map centered on Bruner Run.
(Note - The software running this forum is trashing the link so you will have to copy and paste it into a browser bar.)
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=39.923872,-79.49114&t=t4&z=15&hillshade=18
Anyone can use Gmap4 to generate similar links. Simply use zoom/pan or Menu==>Search to make the map look the way you want it to look. Then click Menu ==> "Link to this map". The link that is displayed will produce the same map you see on your screen.
Joseph, the Gmap4 guy
(Note - The software running this forum is trashing the link so you will have to copy and paste it into a browser bar.)
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=39.923872,-79.49114&t=t4&z=15&hillshade=18
Anyone can use Gmap4 to generate similar links. Simply use zoom/pan or Menu==>Search to make the map look the way you want it to look. Then click Menu ==> "Link to this map". The link that is displayed will produce the same map you see on your screen.
Joseph, the Gmap4 guy
JackM
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- Sep 9, 2006
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- 17,349
