Bluelining in Southcentral PA and Frederick County MD

[Gradyhill26]

Hey All, I am a seventeen year old who has been fly fishing for around a year now. I have spent lots of my time fishing the Big Hunting Creek, Owens creek, and fishing creek water sheds In Maryland. Recently I have became infatuated with trying to find a new stream with a healthy population of brook trout. I was wondering if anybody had any advice for bluelining in these areas as well as in the Michaux Forest. I have fished some of the streams I have found but to no prevail, but I will keep searching. I have not explored Michaux as much as I would of hoped to and am wondering if anybody has any insight regarding my goal to find a wild trout stream gem. Thanks for any help.

 

[Fish Sticks]

Hey All, I am a seventeen year old who has been fly fishing for around a year now. I have spent lots of my time fishing the Big Hunting Creek, Owens creek, and fishing creek water sheds In Maryland. Recently I have became infatuated with trying to find a new stream with a healthy population of brook trout. I was wondering if anybody had any advice for bluelining in these areas as well as in the Michaux Forest. I have fished some of the streams I have found but to no prevail, but I will keep searching. I have not explored Michaux as much as I would of hoped to and am wondering if anybody has any insight regarding my goal to find a wild trout stream gem. Thanks for any mo

Give mountain creek in michaux a try above the lake from where Toms run dumps in. Its got wild native brook trout but unfortunately they stock over them too. But this time of year you can get there and fish before they stock and avoid the hatchery fish. Just be mindful brook trout eggs can take till april to hatch so stand on the bank or only on sandy muddy areas without stone to avoid crunching eggs under your boot. Check regs because at some point in feb it becomes illegal to fish stocked sections until the opener of trout season in april.

 

[Fish Sticks]

Hey All, I am a seventeen year old who has been fly fishing for around a year now. I have spent lots of my time fishing the Big Hunting Creek, Owens creek, and fishing creek water sheds In Maryland. Recently I have became infatuated with trying to find a new stream with a healthy population of brook trout. I was wondering if anybody had any advice for bluelining in these areas as well as in the Michaux Forest. I have fished some of the streams I have found but to no prevail, but I will keep searching. I have not explored Michaux as much as I would of hoped to and am wondering if anybody has any insight regarding my goal to find a wild trout stream gem. Thanks for any help.

And if your willing to drive to michaux because you want to see wild native brook trout you must then stop at big spring at “ the ditch” and watch them swim around. Beautiful unique stream with lots of wild native brook trout

 

[Jay_H]

Based on Fish & Boat the closed season on stocked waters starts 2/20. Unless it’s a stocked Class A then it becomes immediate catch and release.

 

[Roofin' Trouter]

Give mountain creek in michaux a try above the lake from where Toms run dumps in. Its got wild native brook trout but unfortunately they stock over them too. But this time of year you can get there and fish before they stock and avoid the hatchery fish. Check regs because at some point in feb it becomes illegal to fish stocked sections until the opener of trout season in april.

Above Laurel Lake, Mountain Creek is under "Stocked Trout Year-Round Streams" and is open to fishing all year.

 

[sarce]

Hey All, I am a seventeen year old who has been fly fishing for around a year now. I have spent lots of my time fishing the Big Hunting Creek, Owens creek, and fishing creek water sheds In Maryland. Recently I have became infatuated with trying to find a new stream with a healthy population of brook trout. I was wondering if anybody had any advice for bluelining in these areas as well as in the Michaux Forest. I have fished some of the streams I have found but to no prevail, but I will keep searching. I have not explored Michaux as much as I would of hoped to and am wondering if anybody has any insight regarding my goal to find a wild trout stream gem. Thanks for any help.

Anything draining the east slope of Catoctin Mountain is worth checking out, except for Friends Creek. There are a couple more streams there than the ones you've listed that flow mostly on public land. Not all of them fish well through the low flows of summer so just be mindful of that once July, August, and September arrive. Check out my recent post in the Conservation forum for some more info (I intentionally didn't name streams but it gives some details that are useful). Good luck! It's a beautiful area to explore.

 

[Roofin' Trouter]

Hey All, I am a seventeen year old who has been fly fishing for around a year now. I have spent lots of my time fishing the Big Hunting Creek, Owens creek, and fishing creek water sheds In Maryland. Recently I have became infatuated with trying to find a new stream with a healthy population of brook trout. I was wondering if anybody had any advice for bluelining in these areas as well as in the Michaux Forest. I have fished some of the streams I have found but to no prevail, but I will keep searching. I have not explored Michaux as much as I would of hoped to and am wondering if anybody has any insight regarding my goal to find a wild trout stream gem. Thanks for any help.

If you look up Caledonia State Park fishing a DCNR site pops up that acknowledges native brook trout and stocked trout fishing opportunities. Conococheague Creek and Carbaugh Run are stocked streams that have a native Brookie population.
If you look at a map of that area , find Appalachian Trail crossing in Caledonia vicinity. Most ,(if not all ),of the blue lines above that point in Conococheague watershed will produce a few fish for you.
Hope that helps you without destroying the mystery of blue lining.

 

[bdhoover77]

I spent an hour or so last weekend on Mountain Creek just below Fuller Lake. I was hoping to find some brook trout, but I only found a stocked rainbow and a small wild brown. It is an absolutely beautiful area and stream, but in the short stretch I was able to check out it‘s tight casting conditions in most places. I had a 9’ rod, but I wished I had my short 7’6” rod with me.

Nevertheless, it is a beautiful area to hike and fish. I want to go back soon with my kids to do some hiking and further exploration.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Blue lining isn't just fishing small creeks. Blue lining is looking at a map, picking a "blue line", and going to explore. So, you're looking at a region of PA that has wild and native trout. I say, pick a blue line and check it out! You'll have a good time. Get a campsite at Caledonia, sorta use that as your base, and work out from there.

 

[Millsertime]

I say, pick a blue line and check it out!

And keep record of where you fished, what you caught, what bugs were in/out of the water, etc...Because FFing is very cyclic. 20-40 years or so down the road, you'll be into blue lining again.

 

[Bamboozle]

Hey All, I am a seventeen year old who has been fly fishing for around a year now. I have spent lots of my time fishing the Big Hunting Creek, Owens creek, and fishing creek water sheds In Maryland. Recently I have became infatuated with trying to find a new stream with a healthy population of brook trout. I was wondering if anybody had any advice for bluelining in these areas as well as in the Michaux Forest. I have fished some of the streams I have found but to no prevail, but I will keep searching. I have not explored Michaux as much as I would of hoped to and am wondering if anybody has any insight regarding my goal to find a wild trout stream gem. Thanks for any help.

With almost no exceptions all of the streams in the Michaux State Forest as well as other streams along PA Route 233 down into Franklin County have natural trout reproduction although I would say most will give up more brown trout than brook trout.

Some of the streams are trickles and most with the exception of very few can get really small and hemmed with rhododendron a few yards above any easily accessed spot so I am most often fishing a rod around 6'6" or shorter. If you don't have a short stick expect to fish holes verses the creek.

Don't concern yourself with hatches because you won't see many and the fish will take just about anything. I fish generic nymphs most of the time.

There has been an extensive loss of hemlock trees in that area due to the hemlock woolly adelgid so expect dead-fall that you will have to navigate around or over.

Your best bet is to do what I did about 15 years ago and get the PA Class A and Natural Reproduction Lists from the PA Fish & Boat website and look at Franklin, Adams & Cumberland Counties, get out your GPS or maps and start exploring.

Surprisingly excluding the famous limestoners, there aren't a whole lot of streams on the lists down there versus other regions of PA so it isn't a daunting task to reconnoiter and/or fish all of them.

FWIW - The ONLY places you won't be able to legally fish after March 1 to Opening Day are stream sections that are on the Stocked Trout Waters List IN THE COUNTY where you will be fishing.

So if a steam runs through two or more counties, make sure to look at both county's stocking schedules and know the section limits. If a particular section isn't listed on any of those county's lists, it is open to catch & release fishing.

Good luck!!

 

[Wild_Trouter]

I'll make this easy for you...I was 17 once 🤣 Check out the West Branch of Antietam Creek above Penn State Mont Alto Campus.

 

[jeffroey]

I'm not familiar with the specific area you're seeking info about but as a fellow blue-liner, here's a good quick read that'll give you a few tips on how to plan around your next prospect:

"Blue Line Like a Beast" Next Level Small Stream Fly Fishing Techniques

How in the world did I come up with the title for this article? Should "Blue Line" and "Beast" even be used in the same sentence? Th...

www.flytyermike.com

Read it recently and a good bit of his suggestions resonated with my own approach. Good luck!