Youghiogheny River, 6/6/2015 Fayette, Somerset Co.
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JackM
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Krayfish#2:
I have crossed the Yough in several places, even at or near Ramcatt. Almost all the way to Ohiopyle, you can find areas to cross if you are careful and are willing to walk a 300-400 yard stretch. Not always, but often, even during the Summer rafting releases.
Although I did see Alby's hat just above the water once after hearing a loud splash. Some things you can never get out of your mind. 😎
I have crossed the Yough in several places, even at or near Ramcatt. Almost all the way to Ohiopyle, you can find areas to cross if you are careful and are willing to walk a 300-400 yard stretch. Not always, but often, even during the Summer rafting releases.
Although I did see Alby's hat just above the water once after hearing a loud splash. Some things you can never get out of your mind. 😎
PocketWater
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Well, this doesn't sound real appealing for a trip.
Your float trip looked terrific though. Congratulations on the great day on the water with some really nice fish.
Your float trip looked terrific though. Congratulations on the great day on the water with some really nice fish.
Look, its a neat river. Is it tough to fish? Yes. From ramcatt up, theres about a mile of fairly benign water. Easy to wade but lots of algae in the drift making subsurface fishing unpleasant.
Below ramcatt it narrows and picks up speed. It can be waded at the proper flow and with caution. Rafters launch in droves between 10-12. From there down, theres a bike path for 8-9 miles. Some sections are fishable on foot, others aren't. I don't have enough info for you on spots or flows to really be of assistance. I'm am greenhorn on this place. I'd bet that guys wading below ramcatt regularly take a swim just due to the structure of the river.
Important side note....one of the group wet waded and ended up in the hospital with a bacterial skin I infection so be careful.
Below ramcatt it narrows and picks up speed. It can be waded at the proper flow and with caution. Rafters launch in droves between 10-12. From there down, theres a bike path for 8-9 miles. Some sections are fishable on foot, others aren't. I don't have enough info for you on spots or flows to really be of assistance. I'm am greenhorn on this place. I'd bet that guys wading below ramcatt regularly take a swim just due to the structure of the river.
Important side note....one of the group wet waded and ended up in the hospital with a bacterial skin I infection so be careful.
dryflyguy
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Nice report Dave.
I fished the Yough a week ago, and also saw a decent number of what I thought were March Browns. And the fish were whacking a March Brown imitation quite well
Later in the day however, I finally caught one of the naturals. And it had 3 tails - March Brown duns have 2 tails.
Was wondering if these were brown drakes that were hatching.
Anyway, they provided a nice day of fishing. Caught some feisty fish up to 16" long
I fished the Yough a week ago, and also saw a decent number of what I thought were March Browns. And the fish were whacking a March Brown imitation quite well
Later in the day however, I finally caught one of the naturals. And it had 3 tails - March Brown duns have 2 tails.
Was wondering if these were brown drakes that were hatching.
Anyway, they provided a nice day of fishing. Caught some feisty fish up to 16" long
PocketWater
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Thanks for the info Krayfish2. I have heard a lot about the Yough, and good things at that, but if I'm driving 2 hours I think I'll drive to a stream I already know. Been tough to make it out a whole lot this spring so want to make the most of the time I get out.
That sounds pretty nasty about the skin infection. If I shift gears and head down there I will certainly wear the waders.
That sounds pretty nasty about the skin infection. If I shift gears and head down there I will certainly wear the waders.
dryflyguy
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I wade fish the river all the time.
You just need to pick your times and places.
If the flow below Ramcatt is over 1,000 CFS, I stay away from the river there
Adding to Krayfish's post, the river above Ramcatt to Confluence isn't bad wading at all IMO. Especially above the junction with the Casselman River. You are just fishing discharge water there, and CFS flows in that area of 400 - 600 are good.
There are even a few spots between Ramcatt and Ohiopyle that are fairly easy to wade - again though, at lower flow rates.
fayettenamese
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I wet wade the yough between ohiopyle and confluence every week. I wet wade because I fall in about every other trip. When I was younger, I would walk my way up the river as I fished and cover lots of water. Now I bike or jog along the side and just pop into each spot I want to fish which eliminates a lot of wading and falling.
greenghost
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This river is appealing... Big time. Is it hard to wade? Yes. Is it full of fish eager to take an iso dun floated drag-free through it's tricky currents. Mostly, no. But there is a majesty to it. It's big and powerful. So are its fish. They are catchable. And when you hook into a Yough bow that screams line off your reel in a heavy current you forget its difficulties. You become hooked. This is a river that you dream about. It haunts you. And that is the beauty of the Yough.
dryflyguy
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FWIW - a boat is NOT the only way to fish the river.
There is a very nice bike trail running along it too.
And I bike fish it.
And IMO, there are some advantages to biking it instead of floating
JackM
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I think that the point is a boat is not necessary, I have waded the Yough just about everywhere but the serious rapids below the falls. And when I say "everywhere," I don't mean every square inch or every mile. But I mean at various not so distant points from the dam outflow to at least Sutersville. The areas I have the absolute least experience is from Ohiopyle Falls to about 4-5 miles upstream of Connellsville and Sutersville, downstream (exclusively warm-water section). It is hard to access the Ohiopyle-upstream of Connellsville water other than by boat, and there are quite a few dangerous rapids to attempt it by a boat not particularly suited for such water. In this stretch, unless you are sure of the area, I wouldn't recommend wading more than 4 feet from the waterline.
This is a major river system, which is why it is dammed above the confluence with the Casselman and it can, at times, carry so much water at any point below the dam to make it damn stupid to even wet a boot. Then again, at equally, if not more than, times, you can find a place to wade across within a mile or so. You may have to wade halfway, wade directly upstream, then again wade cross-stream and so on, but it can be done.
This is a major river system, which is why it is dammed above the confluence with the Casselman and it can, at times, carry so much water at any point below the dam to make it damn stupid to even wet a boot. Then again, at equally, if not more than, times, you can find a place to wade across within a mile or so. You may have to wade halfway, wade directly upstream, then again wade cross-stream and so on, but it can be done.
Pocketwater,
I am sorry you were discouraged from experiencing the wonderful Yough river. As Dryflyguy, Jack M , and Greenghost so perfectly described it , the Yough is challenging but very wadeable most of the time, and there is something magical about that river.
The bike trail from Confluence to Ohiopyle runs right along the river, and you will see numerous inviting areas as you go along. About 4 miles down from Confluence, there are some large islands, and there is excellent fishing right around there, with relatively easy wading .
I have a cabin about 20 minutes north of Confluence, and I fish the Yough upwards of 50 days a year; the vast majority of those being wade trips.
If you are limited for time, there is very productive fishing right downstream of the dam. Fish the area around the bridges. Further down, the area just below the confluence with the Casselman River can also be good...just remember that after heavy rains the Casselman tends to pour a lot of muddy water into the main stem. Also, if the Casselman is warm , you will need to wade out midstream to get into the cooler water, or most of what you catch will be smallies.
If it has rained a good bit, stay up above ,closer to the dam.
The Yough is not easy, and I have had my share of skunky days , but I have also had great days, and caught some beautiful fish. I think most guys would agree that the average fish out of the Yough compares very favorably with fish from just about any other Pa stream. They are healthy, usually pretty large, and great fighters, in my experience, and the opportunity for some truly big fish is always there.
Give it a shot. !
I am sorry you were discouraged from experiencing the wonderful Yough river. As Dryflyguy, Jack M , and Greenghost so perfectly described it , the Yough is challenging but very wadeable most of the time, and there is something magical about that river.
The bike trail from Confluence to Ohiopyle runs right along the river, and you will see numerous inviting areas as you go along. About 4 miles down from Confluence, there are some large islands, and there is excellent fishing right around there, with relatively easy wading .
I have a cabin about 20 minutes north of Confluence, and I fish the Yough upwards of 50 days a year; the vast majority of those being wade trips.
If you are limited for time, there is very productive fishing right downstream of the dam. Fish the area around the bridges. Further down, the area just below the confluence with the Casselman River can also be good...just remember that after heavy rains the Casselman tends to pour a lot of muddy water into the main stem. Also, if the Casselman is warm , you will need to wade out midstream to get into the cooler water, or most of what you catch will be smallies.
If it has rained a good bit, stay up above ,closer to the dam.
The Yough is not easy, and I have had my share of skunky days , but I have also had great days, and caught some beautiful fish. I think most guys would agree that the average fish out of the Yough compares very favorably with fish from just about any other Pa stream. They are healthy, usually pretty large, and great fighters, in my experience, and the opportunity for some truly big fish is always there.
Give it a shot. !
PocketWater
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Thanks for the input Wildcat23. It wasn't so much that I was discouraged to fish the Yough, but that I was presented with two options, and with never fishing the Yough, or a big river like it before, I chose to go to the Little J that day. The guy I was going with had also never fished the Yough, but had fished the Little J a lot so he sort of guided me on it. Turned out we had a pretty fun day on the Little J.
I think in two weekends I am going to the Yough with a guy that has fished it a lot. I will certainly report back with how it goes.
I think in two weekends I am going to the Yough with a guy that has fished it a lot. I will certainly report back with how it goes.
NedZeppelin
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Send that picture of that bug to Greg Hoover, at Penn State, need to know what it is!
