Montour Run, Allegheny County, 5/4/12

curtrein

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Dec 2, 2006
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144
Fished Montour Friday evening from 6:30-8:30. Flow was perfect, water color was clear with a bit of green tint. Overall great conditions. Saw some splashy rises so figured I should try a #14 elk hair caddis. Went 2 for 5 on that EHC. Met a friendly gent who hooked me up with some beadhead caddis pupa nymphs. Went 1 for 3 on that under a fish pimp. Only saw 5 other guys. So it was a good couple of hours fishing with decent numbers of fish, relative solitude, rising fish and good flows. Good day!! The streams are in a little better shape now that we got some rain. So get out in the next couple of days and give em hell!! The fish are looking up but you can still have some success nymphing too if you want. I'm starting to get addicted to fishing dries!!
 
Hey curtrein...I'm replying to your report cause I plan on fishing Montour while staying down in Carnegie the next few weeks. Problem is I never fished it before and am asking where is place to go to fish this river....thanks
 
Were you catching smallies? I have never fished montour, but the firsthand reports i have heard dont paint it as a first class trout stream.
 
Hey guys:
Montour is a seasonal suburban trout stream at best that relies on stockings in the spring and fall. A few fish do hold over some summers but I highly doubted they did this year because of the extreme heat. Usually it gets a fall stocking the 1st week of October with some decent trout fishing after this. During summer though it holds a small but willing population of smallmouth that come out to play. Interestingly enough, I haven't had a whole lot of success getting bass on the fly but have had good luck tossing floating rapalas on an ultralight. You can access it here,1945 Ewings Mill Rd Coraopolis? Pennsylvania? 15108. There is a parking lot here and you can either walk upstream or downstream as a bike trail follows the whole stream. I would venture upstream as there is more interesting water up that way. Caddis, midges and general nymphs will serve you well here for trout. Montour is one of the closest stocked streams to the city so of course it gets hammered but it still hits the spot when you wanna hook a trout in the spring or fall. Good luck!
 
nice info. I work in Coraopolis, so I have eyed the stream before a potential stop after work. Maybe I will give it a shot this fall.
 
Montour is just a stream to fish because it's close. It is by no means a destination. Gets fished hard and fish get dumped at all the bridges along the walking trail. I can guarantee no fish survived the summer. Going to have to wait until the fall stocking.

There are other options though, just none very close. Slippery Rock has a good smallmouth population, or even Erie if the steelhead start to run soon. Or just check out some local lakes for warm water fish too. Raccoon Creek State Park isn't too far from that and there can be some good fishing there.
 
I live by the stream it is not a class A trout stream. It has carp and red eye bass along with the trout. There are a few small catfish. I'll let you in on two of my favorite honey holes. The first you drive down through the brother grim then you turn right and walk down the trail to the first bridge and fish under and around the bridge. My friend recently caught a twelve inch rainbow trout. The second spot is by the moon township water treatment plant. Walk down the trail to the rod and gun club there should be a locked bridge got the left there is a deep hole behind some rapids.

 
when i went to PTI i stayed at ventena hills, so it was just over the bank from me...i caught trout all spring and summer long and caught a few big ones also....also got into some fresh water drums they fought hard
 
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