I don’t get to Pennsylvania often for trout fishing, but when I do, I record a mental note that I should make more of an effort to do so. The trout fishing here is some of the best in the United States. So, on a recent Spring pilgrimage to Ohio for steelhead fishing, I decided that to break it up with a stopover in central Pennsylvania to fish some fabled trout waters.
Fly fishing for trout on Penns Creek and Fishing Creek
An excursion to Pennsylvania in 2020 to fish Spring Creek near State College was a productive visit. If you are diligent in your technique and fly selection, it is hard not to hook up on the Spring Creek as it is one of the most densely popultated brown trout waters in Pennsylvania – with about 5,000 fish per mile according to the PA Fish and Boat Commission. I especially enjoyed the opportunity to fish in Bellefonte, right in the middle of town, and break for lunch with a burger and a beer only a few steps from the creek.
Fly fishing Penns Creek
On this recent excursion, I called ahead to the Feathered Hook fly shop in Coburn to ask about conditions of the area waters and recommendations as to where to fish. The prospects were good according to Jonas Price and he recommended Spring Creek because of the robust brown trout population. But I was looking for a new stream experience and asked instead for a few pointers on where to fish Penns Creek and Fishing Creek, both of which feature in Trout Unlimited’s Guide to America’s Best Trout Streams.
After chatting with Logan in the Feathered Hook fly shop and buying some flies (we have to support our local fly shops), I set off to fish a section of Penns Creek along Tunnel Road - a wading staff and studded boots are essential to fish this stretch of water. I arrived to find a small hatch and witnessed a few browns breaching the water. It wasn’t long before a size 18 blue winged olive tempted a strike from an 8” brown trout. About an hour in, the hatch had ended, and the fishing went cold. So, I packed up and headed to Fishing Creek near Lamar.
Fly fishing at Fishing Creek
My friend Lars says that there are waters that you fish and then there are waters where you go to test your skill – he first used this expression to describe the Dream Stream in Colorado (which I now call the “in my dreams stream” for good reason). I was reminded of this expression while fishing the Narrows of Fishing Creek. At the Feathered Hook fly shop, Logan confidently stated that this water was the second hardest to fish for trout in the Keystone State – partly because brown trout are easily spooked, but also because the population of about 2,000 fish per mile is less than Penns Creek and meaningfully less than Spring Creek.
So, while I had no problem finding very fishable water along Narrows Road – there are many laybys with posted fishing regulations and easy access to the creek – finding fish was a different story altogether. But I was thankful for a new adventure and enjoyed the exploration, albeit humbling!
Note: I am not being compensated for mentioning the Feathered Hook. I am simply a satisfied client.