Recent WA Transplant

[garyk]

Hello all!
I'm excited to join this forum and find some community in my new home. My wife and I relocated to Pittsburgh from Tacoma, WA 2 weeks ago, so she can attend nursing school at Pitt. I spent the last 10 years as a high school science teacher, before that I worked as a biomedical research scientist. I got a job here working in a pharma lab.

I'm 40 and spent all of my life in Western Washington prior to this move. I have been flyfishing for about 15 years. I've been an active member over at PNWflyfishing.com for that entire time. Western Washington presents a wonderful variety of opportunities, but I spent most of my fishing time chasing trout. My fishing was pretty evenly split between Puget Sound beaches for sea run trout and salmon, small mountain freestone streams for small, native trout, and lakes from a pontoon boat for stocked trout. I threw in an 4 day annual trip to the St. Joe in Idaho for good measure. Stream fishing is my favorite type of fishing so I'm excited to be out here now!

Over the last few years I've traded fishing days for hiking days and I enjoy combining the two when possible. I've already done a couple of hikes (Ohiopyle and Moraine State Parks) while I wait for my pod with fishing gear to arrive from the west coast. My first outing will likely be 11/7 or 11/8. Any advice on flies, tactics, likely holding water for fall outings would be greatly appreciated.

I have rods in 3-6 weight and like to tie my own flies when possible. I know I have a lot to learn about fishing out here but I'm excited to start that process.

 

[dudemanspecial]

Hi Gary, and welcome. I am about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh.

Assuming you are planning on trout fishing, the first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with using this map:

Experience

experience.arcgis.com

Trout fishing on this side of the state is mostly limited to stocked trout, so if you are planning on fishing within an hour or 2 of Pittsburgh make sure you find a place that recieved a fall stocking.

PFBC Adult Trout Stockings

The best trout fishing, especially wild trout, starts east of Altoona, which yiu can see on the map I linked above. This time of year can be challenging with low clear water. Also, wild browns start to spawn around now through the new year so you have to watch for redds.

 

[garyk]

Hi Gary, and welcome. I am about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh.

Assuming you are planning on trout fishing, the first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with using this map:

Experience

experience.arcgis.com

Trout fishing on this side of the state is mostly limited to stocked trout, so if you are planning on fishing within an hour or 2 of Pittsburgh make sure you find a place that recieved a fall stocking.

PFBC Adult Trout Stockings

The best trout fishing, especially wild trout, starts east of Altoona, which yiu can see on the map I linked above. This time of year can be challenging with low clear water. Also, wild browns start to spawn around now through the new year so you have to watch for redds.

Thank you for the info! I've been poking around online and had identified a stream to check out. It received a fall stocking of rainbows. I've never fished for stocked trout in moving water, how quickly do the "naturalize" to their new homes? So they behave differently than wild populations?

 

[nymphingmaniac]

Hi Gary, and welcome. I am about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh.

Assuming you are planning on trout fishing, the first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with using this map:

Experience

experience.arcgis.com

Trout fishing on this side of the state is mostly limited to stocked trout, so if you are planning on fishing within an hour or 2 of Pittsburgh make sure you find a place that recieved a fall stocking.

PFBC Adult Trout Stockings

The best trout fishing, especially wild trout, starts east of Altoona, which yiu can see on the map I linked above. This time of year can be challenging with low clear water. Also, wild browns start to spawn around now through the new year so you have to watch for redds.

yellow creek is solid with wild trout. Even hollisdayburg, roaring spring has offerings. That would shave about 15 minutes off the trip. But certainly it's better east of Altoona

 

[Kms]

Hi Gary, and welcome. I am about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh.

Assuming you are planning on trout fishing, the first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with using this map:

Experience

experience.arcgis.com

.

That map is ok, but the one in my signature is better.

 

[Trapshooter]

Welcome aboard!

 

[PatchezMDM]

Welcome from SCPA.

 

[ianpcook]

Greetings from another Pittsburgher! Always thrilled to have more anglers in the area.

 

[garyk]

Greetings from another Pittsburgher! Always thrilled to have more anglers in the area.

Thanks! I'm looking for friends if you ever want to meet up on or off the water

 

[shortrod]

Hi Gary, I must say I am impressed by your attitude, good on you.

About stocked trout acting right: In streams with good hatches they catch on very quickly on lesser streams in may take longer.

Things to look into:
1. The limestone streams in central PA. Have you fished Crab creek much/at all?

2. Smallmouth/Warmwater in the summer.

3. Lake Erie trib steelhead runs.

4. The large number of smaller wild trout streams.

What part of the Pittsburgh area are you in?

 

[[WR]]

Glad to see you made it, Gary.

 

[garyk]

Hi Gary, I must say I am impressed by your attitude, good on you.

About stocked trout acting right: In streams with good hatches they catch on very quickly on lesser streams in may take longer.

Things to look into:
1. The limestone streams in central PA. Have you fished Crab creek much/at all?

2. Smallmouth/Warmwater in the summer.

3. Lake Erie trib steelhead runs.

4. The large number of smaller wild trout streams.

What part of the Pittsburgh area are you in?

Thanks!

Crab Creek in eastern WA? Only once and it was just after a major flood event (rain on snow) and saw a single fish in 2 days, I spooked it crossing the stream, brown I think.

I've never caught a bass, so looking forward to that!

I don't think I'll chase steelhead yet, my heaviest rod is a 6 weight and I'm not in a position to buy new gear.

And I love small streams, especially 20-50 feet across where I can wade back and forth to fish fro either side as the stream dictates.

 

[Oregon_OwlII]

Trips to the center of the state will give you all the wild trout in-stream experience you could ask for. Trout in PA are a bit smarter than the ones out west, but you should do fine if you check the hatch charts for the particular streams you choose to visit. BTW, I fished the St. Joe once and had a great time. Would go back again.

 

[TroutHunter814]

Welcome to you!!
I’ve got a few suggestions for ya in the Indiana/ Cambria/ S Clearfield Co areas that might get you started. Not as great or famous as those areas mentioned above, but closer to home.
I call these waters my home waters.
Might be worth an off season scout?
PM me if you’d like.
Dave

 

[garyk]

Trips to the center of the state will give you all the wild trout in-stream experience you could ask for. Trout in PA are a bit smarter than the ones out west, but you should do fine if you check the hatch charts for the particular streams you choose to visit. BTW, I fished the St. Joe once and had a great time. Would go back again.

Yeah I would backpack into the wild and scenic section and see no other people and fish for abundant, low pressure, reckless westslopes that readily take attractor dries. Here's a few pics from previous trips.

 

[goose54cdd]

That map is ok, but the one in my signature is better.

Are you referring to the PA Trout Stream Map?