Question: Alternate streams around Pine Creek

[SlingingWets]

I have a trip planned to my cabin this weekend which resides on the top of Hyner Mountain above the Pine. I have fished the Pine and Little Pine plenty and am very successfull and knoweledgeable of those streams. I took a look at the water gauges and it looks like the Pine is going to be up considerably and wading may not be an option. I was wondering if anyone could give me any info on Kettle or Young Womans or any other streams as I don't get a lot of time to get away and want to spend a bunch of time fishing while there. I am going to break out my Keystone Fly Fishing book when I get home from work but I thought I would ask the experts as well.

Thanks!

 

[Swattie87]

If things are high, YWC will be fishable before Kettle, which will be fishable before Pine. Both Kettle and YWC have gauges on them. Kettle fishes best at about 300, but can probably be fished up to about 500 or so. YWC is dialed in at about 75 cfs, but is probably fishable up to the low 100’s. Keep an eye on the gauges. If those streams are all too high, start looking at their larger tributaries and keep going smaller until you find something that is fishable.

 

[falsecasts]

Slate, Cedar, Upper Kettle (above Ole Bull / Oleona), and Cross Fork are probably the most popular small streams around that area. All of these streams hold a good mix of wild brown / brook and are on the "larger" side of small streams. Pretty much all of them run through state forest land and are largely paralleled by forest roads - there really are no "secret spots" - you can pull over anywhere and find amazing water.

In terms of fishing, I've found Upper Kettle and Cross Fork seem to be a bit better for numbers, though the fish tend be largely in the smaller 6-10" range. Slate and Cedar are challenging, but I've seen some large fish in them. Higher/murkier water can be great in these situations since it makes stalking fish a bit easier. Good luck out there!