Slippery Rock University student help!!

[ramtruckohio]

Hello All! I am an ohian, who just started at slippery rock today! While college is exciting and all, i have spent the last several years of my relatively short life fly fishing for smallies and carp back in ohio, i am a competent caster for my age and have had alot of experience catching varieties of fish back home. However 5 days of no fishing and it is already wearing on me... my parents are bringing my fly rod for me in two weeks and i want to waste no time hitting the water. However i am clueless about trout and the very confusing regulations that come with them. i have been researching where they hold and dont think finding them will be a problem, where i am really stumped is flies, and when and where i can fish. i see that some streams are closed for parts of the year, and i don't intend on keeping any, never do, and wanted to be sure that i could fish slippery rock creek now and through the winter if i did strictly catch and release. also what flies would work from now through the winter. my flybox is filled with flies that look like socks for bass and alittle musky stuff so i know thats out, just all very confusing for me with the drys, nymhs, streamers etc.. Any help is very appreciated. Thank You!

 

[StarvinMarvin]

Check out Neshanock Creek Fly Shop.

Also any trout stream now through March 1st is open. Any stream with any regulation for the most part is open year round in PA. I would add some nymphs, just standard Pheasant tails and hares ears right now. You want grey, olive, brown and black all in size 14-20. If you plan on trout/steelhead in the fall, def grab some eggs size 14.
Smallies should be good through fall on the Slippery Rock, and I'm sure the same things that work in Ohio will work here. PM me if you need some help. I'm 10 min south of the Rock.

 

[Cold]

If you're strictly catch & release with flies (and a trout stamp, obviously), then the only situations in which trout water is closed to you are:

1) Regular Approved Trout Waters, from 3/1 to 8am on the opening day of the season (in April)

and

2) Special regulation water (DHALO and CRFFO) from April 1st to the opening day of the season

 

[ramtruckohio]

Thank you! I will definitely be checking that out! And for access, i hiked around mcconnells mill the other day, is the river along the park good for fishing? i was looking for easy access as i might not always have the most time to devote to getting to fish. As always thank you.

 

[mjkraw]

Ramtruckohio-
I'm from the area, grew up near Volant (about 15-20min from the Rock). Shoot me a PM sometime, I'm always out on the Neshannock and Slippery Rock creeks. I'd be happy to show you around either.

 

[salvelinus]

All the special reg projects listed on the PFBC website have no closed season.

http://fishandboat.com/fishpub/summary/troutregs.htm

Don't know where Cold got the idea the season is closed from April 1 to opening day. Have a great time fishing in PA. Don't forget to hit the books though!

 

[streamerguy1]

As StarvinMarvin suggested, definitely take a ride to the Neshannock Creek Fly Shop. Bob will give you the scoop on the whole trout thing and you can even fish right out back. The stream should get stocked again in early October but there's still fish left from the spring...........it's been a great year with cool water temps and high flows. I'd imagine there's a few left in SR as well. And of course bass are available in both streams.

I consider those streams(more so Neshannock/Cool Spring/Shenango than SR, but I still fish SR) my home waters since I have family in the area and only live 40min from Neshannock. Pretty much grew up fishing that area and also do a ton of fishing farther north and east of there. Another close option for you is Wolf Creek. It gets stocked in the spring and may have a few trout left. Bass as well.

As for flies, yeah just have some standard nymphs(like StarvinMarvin said.....hares ears, PTs, etc. and some caddis larvae). Eggs from fall through spring can be effective, and have a good selection of smaller streamers(and bigger ones), especially for fresh stockies on those streams. A decent selection of dries as well(Caddis, Adams, terrestrials.....don't need to get fancy to start out).

ramtruckohio wrote:
5 days of no fishing and it is already wearing on me...

I hear ya. I'm going on my 7th consecutive day of no fishing!!! Gonna explode. Where are you from in Ohio?? I live in the Warren area('bout 15min from the border) but am starting school at the University of Akron. I brought a ton of fishing gear with me but haven't really had time to hit the water. Might try to find some 'gills or something this afternoon. I'm going crazy!!! School comes first though. Let me know if you wanna hit up Neshannock or anywhere else this fall. I'll probably be on it once or twice between steelhead and school.

 

[FarmerDave]

streamerguy1 wrote:

ramtruckohio wrote:
5 days of no fishing and it is already wearing on me...

I hear ya. I'm going on my 7th consecutive day of no fishing!!! ...

You guys are killing me. I haven't been fishing since May and I have a pond in my back yard.

I also live in Ohio, but I am not from this God forsaken trout (and major sports championship) desert.

Sorry, couldn't resist. No real offense intended, or at least not much.;-)

Good luck to both of you in school.

 

[fishbaithohaha]

http://maps.psiee.psu.edu/preview/map.ashx?layer=980

 

[ramtruckohio]

wow! Thankyou all so much for your help! I will definitely try to hook up with someone in October maybe after the stocking happens, or before dont really care. Im from Granville, about 45 min east of Columbus, not much there than carp, bass, gills, and toxic lakes... School does come first, but im an environmental science major, so i figured fishing is just an out of school/ class related activity haha
Thanks!

 

[PennKev]

Cold wrote:
If you're strictly catch & release with flies (and a trout stamp, obviously), then the only situations in which trout water is closed to you are:

1) Regular Approved Trout Waters, from 3/1 to 8am on the opening day of the season (in April)

and

2) Special regulation water (DHALO and CRFFO) from April 1st to the opening day of the season

Innacurate information. DHALO and CRFFO are never closed to fishing.

 

[DanVerona]

Just to clarify, you're referring strictly to the calendar and not time of day right?

Isn't DHALO closed after dark? Or am I getting my regs mixed up....

 

[somersetian]

My advice. Quit college, move to your dream fishing location, live. Once student loans strangle the living daylights out of you you will wish you would have.

 

[salmonoid]

DanVerona wrote:
Just to clarify, you're referring strictly to the calendar and not time of day right?

Isn't DHALO closed after dark? Or am I getting my regs mixed up....

Open 24/7/365 (unless the property owner says otherwise). Change for after dusk occurred in 2013, but many anglers still do not know this.

 

[ramtruckohio]

well seems there is still confusion on regs.. haha. And on the quitting college thing, my plan for many years was to move to Montana and get residence for a year, get cheap tuition, and fish the whole time, but life changes...

 

[FarmerDave]

Lets see. From Ohio and drives a Dodge. In my younger days we would call that a two time loser. :lol:

I'm joking of course.

 

[Mucka]

My advice. Quit college, move to your dream fishing location, live. Once student loans strangle the living daylights out of you you will wish you would have.

Best advice I've seen given on this forum.

 

[Luke]

My advice. Quit college, move to your dream fishing location, live. Once student loans strangle the living daylights out of you you will wish you would have.

My advice: Get enough education to ensure adequate income and a fulfilling job. Keep cost of education as low as possible. Earn income while attending school if possible. Limit debt at all costs. Invest money early. We certainly agree that debt limits your options. Your best weapon against debt is income. I am not sure that foregoing education and moving to Montana will help you to gain meaningful income. But I wish you the best of success in your life pursuits.

 

[troutbert]

Luke wrote:

My advice. Quit college, move to your dream fishing location, live. Once student loans strangle the living daylights out of you you will wish you would have.

My advice: Get enough education to ensure adequate income and a fulfilling job. Keep cost of education as low as possible. Earn income while attending school if possible. Limit debt at all costs. Invest money early. We certainly agree that debt limits your options. Your best weapon against debt is income. I am not sure that foregoing education and moving to Montana will help you to gain meaningful income. But I wish you the best of success in your life pursuits.

I agree with Luke.

 

[somersetian]

Don't listen to them turn back before the add/drop deadline. Education does not equal income. Everyone and there brother has a college degree.