Bucket List Letort

[DrBamboo]

First Post…may be a little wordy…
Started fly-fishing with my dad when I was 12 and I was fishing worms while he (who had just started with the fly rod) was standing in the middle of the upper Wilowemoc covered in Hedricksons and it looked like it was pouring rain…(1967ish). He had his Fenwick 8' 6wt and was so befuddled by the hatch (neither one of us had actually ever seen anything like it) that with all the tangles and nerves he still managed a couple of fish in the hr+ that the activity lasted. He had his Dette and Darbee flies, and tried as hard as possible with experience he had at that time…….and watching the whole scene got me hooked. I fished a few more years with him till he took up Golf; an then between college, and living in NY and doing 99% of my fishing in LI sound……really never returned to the trout streams till moving to PA in 1988. I only get out a few times a year (if that). I dabbled in the Tully, and spent most of my in-water time on the West Branch of the Delaware. I like wild fish, and love the slow patient approach to finding, and strategizing a plan to fool a nice fish…..even if it means standing chest deep for an hour, moving slowly and working on not spooking my target. Now……my job has taken me to Carlisle and I am going to take my first shot at the stream all those guys that wrote all those books my dad had (mine now)…the Letort. I'm takin a couple days off later this week and I know there are many other posts scattered on this forum about what I'm going to ask. If you were me…….exactly where would you access this stream to get to some nice spots this week. Thank you all in advance. And oh…1 more thing…should I war waders or just my 10" rubber boots…(don't have hip boots but guess can fold waders down too). Thanks.

 

[JackM]

You want to stay out of the creek as much as possible, but if you have to cross or just step in to get a good casting position, you are going to get wet with the hippers and probably will lose the 10" high boots in the silt.

 

[Fishidiot]

Welcome to our online community Dr Bamboo.

Yep - you'll need the waders. This will also protect you from the tall grass.

Good luck with your trip to Letort - a very special place that PA FFers should all visit at some point.

Regarding exact access spots, there are plenty. Most first time Letort visitors will likely want to hit the legacy section which is the Fly Fishing Only section south of Carlisle - this includes Vince's Meadow, Bonnybrook etc. There's a pull off at Bonneybrook by the bridge. You can also use our Trout Unlimited parking lot as well (this is off South Spring Garden Rd) this is where the plaques are for Fox and Marinaro and this is where you access Vince's Meadow.

If you wish, you can send me a PM and we can discuss further.

 

[IdratherbePhishing]

Ill 2nd what the others said. The banks of letort are even muddy so waders are necessary. Be careful even on the banks as you could slip into the center of the earth.

As for spots fish(Dave) has ya set up pretty good. I would try Bonny brook or Vince's meadow and fish through ottos meadow. I would also advise pming Dave. He can set ya up

 

[tomitrout]

I'll add that if you're getting out later this week, and have a full day or two, personally I'd maybe explore the stream early in the day without a rod (or at least minimal fishing expectations) just to get your bearings, then go fish the Breeches, Mtn Creek or even BigSpring over lunch/early afternoon. Have a bite to eat, then head back to the Letort around 6ish in the evening and patiently wait for the evening sulphurs, don't expect to cover a lot of ground in the evening and plan to be on the water past sunset (bring a headlamp for the walk out if you've got one)...trying to fish that stream straight thru for a full day can sometimes be more than a little frustrating if you're new to it. Getting started with a scouting expedition where you're not so focused on the fishing can be well worth the time if you have the time.

 

[pete41]

well-all I could add to this great input is:
If the electrified fence is still there you really want to be wearing waders,not hippers when you back into it.
53 years ago and still remember that day.lol

 

[mattofcarlisle]

I'll second what Tomi said - I took a long, disjointed walk along the LeTort through town last evening. Sulphurs were out in nearly every location I was able to check out. The fish started rising around 8:30 or so.

 

[addictedangler]

Sorry guys I do not agree with the waders. I very seldom get into the water, but do go through mud and cross the creek in some locations. Hippers is plenty to do that and to deal with the brush on the bank. The best way to learn the stream is to walk it one section at a time. Also find a fish that is rising and cast 3 or 4 times. If you do not get him chances are you put him down. Swinging wets can be productive with hatches but hatches have been sparse at best. (not like 20 years ago). The fish are usually tough but catchable. If you are looking for numbers go to the Breeches or other stocked streams. I only know a few guys that do well on a regular basis. If you get a chance watch when they shock it. ( Were in the He-- did all those big fish come from). Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[tomitrout]

Sorry guys I do not agree with the waders.

Well, personally, I hate a wet butt from kneeling and sitting on my haunches...my goto is a set of waist highs. I tried hippers for a while, but inevitably may as well have planned on wading wet, which I've also done plenty of...the gunk can be deep (as I'm sure you're aware.) Full chesties can be overkill, but much better than the 10"boots the OP mentions as his other option...

 

[Fishidiot]

addictedangler wrote:
I very seldom get into the water, but do go through mud and cross the creek in some locations. Hippers is plenty to do that and to deal with the brush on the bank.

I use hippers on Letort too... but DrBamboo doesn't have 'em so we recommended waders per his question.

I'll second Tomitrout's suggestion of maybe hitting some other areas rather than putting in an entire day on Letort. Letort can be a physically demanding experience not to mention it often doesn't fish well at mid day if the sun is bright. The stream is always tough but it's particularly tough in summer with the tall grass and swampy meadows.

 

[DrBamboo]

FI…tried twice to PM you…..you get anything?? Also….I am taking a few days…….and staying at Allenberry for a little mini vacation with wife. Intended to fish there when the "sun is up" along with doing some scouting of Letort during the day. Any opinions on using the Nature Trail as access???
Thanks all.

 

[Fishidiot]

DrBamboo wrote:
FI…tried twice to PM you…...

I've responded. You have to be signed in to see your Inbox. Glad you got my PMs (sent another one at 10:00 am today).
DaveW

 

[tomitrout]

Yeah, the Letort Nature Trail is pretty much your only access. Walk along it and you'll find plenty of foot/deer paths heading off towards the stream where there isn't direct access. Some of these are easy, some are a real hassle due to the dense brush in spots.

For parking near the trail though, I'd park at BonnyBrook and not at it's newer southern terminus on S. Spring Garden St. Bonny Brook is much much closer, cross the two wooden bridges and you'll be on the trail. When you park at Vince's/TU property, you'll pretty much be following the somewhat established fisherman's and deer paths to access the stream, the NatureTrail follows the far bank.

Beyond those two spots, you can park down below 81 closer to town to access the NatureTrail, there's on street parking on S. Bedford St at the trailhead. I wouldn't recommend parking at Letort Park if you plan to fish the Heritage stretch, the trail is kinda 'urban' thru there and not at all close to the water, other than in the park itself.

For reference, it takes about 25 minutes to walk from BonnyBrook to Fox's. BonnyBrook is the best spot for access from Trego's to Otto's, TU/Vince's works best for the stretch from 81 up to Otto's and below 81 can be a real mishmash of options to get on the water.

And btw, was out last night, sulphurs were coming off around 7:30ish with some sporadic risers, more risers closer to 8:30 as usual, just in time for decent storm to blow thru...picked up a fiesty 10-11"er and missed a couple others before the rain ran me off the water.

 

[DrBamboo]

Thanks all……thanks FI for his patient PM help. I'm off later today and will get out there at least fri and sat. eves.. If I even fool one fish enough to take a shot at an offering I will be very happy.
Steven B.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

I might be late to the party, but having fished the Letort for nearly 25 years, I guess I will weigh in here. This should be helpful to you, or anyone else that fishes there. If you really want to be successful on the Letort-seek less pressured fish. If you limit yourself to the Heritage Area, you will have lots of company and very spooky/finicky fish. I would respectfully suggest accessing the stream lower down. The fishing there is not quite so technical, as there are varying water types (slow stretches, rocky runs, etc) and less people. Do not be fooled into thinking that there are more fish in the sp. reg area than other sections of the stream because this couldn't be further from the truth. Do a little bit of exploring outside the better known areas and you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[barbless]

As a left-hander, I have trouble with the LeTort, because so much of it is obstructed on the side where it's easiest for me to cast upstream. But there are also a few places where the side I prefer is the only side available. I've gotten into concentrating on those sections. Maybe one day I'll practice enough to be able to cast right-handed. It would really be a help on that stream.

I was there Wednesday night, just stopping over at Bonnybrook for a quick few casts at dusk. There were a few sulfurs taking flight, and a few risers rolling after emergers. I worked over one for a while, casting upstream with a #16 sulfur emerger, but the fish did not go for it. It was about 900 pm, getting dark, so I decided to try swinging the emerger downstream, standing on the Bonnybrook bridge. While I was there, another fisherman walked up the path from downstream. We stood on the bridge and talked about the trout game for a couple of minutes while I paid out a little more line and mended it, letting the fly swing down to where the feeder stream runs in- and then what do you know- fish on!

My new friend had a landing net, landed the trout for me, and held the fish while I got a couple of quick pics

(Notice the red border on the lower tail fin, as well as the adipose fin)

the same fish, pulling a selfie pose

Thank you, Alex from Baltimore!

 

[tomitrout]

Hey Doc, how'd you make out? Damn fine weather while you were here...

 

[DrBamboo]

Well…….went for a scouting walk friday mid-day. First time I ever walked the stream at all. All I kept thinking was "how the heck do I get a fly presented here??????? as I sought out access from Bonnybrook and the CVTU pavilion. I'll admit I had a few beverages at Allenberry that evening (early dinner), so attempting the Letort for the first time at 6-7pm +++ seemed a little foolish……. I fished the Yellow Breeches and caught 0. Saw a few fish start to rise above the dam at 9:10 on my way out of the water. Saw a couple of 18"++ browns laying in that pool during the day too.Finally gave the Letort a shot Sat evening. Fished a little ways below Bonnybrook. saw some fish rolling around a little. Manage to get a few decent short upstream presentations and some downstream "reach"-like drag free drifts….but didn't get a look. Very interesting steam to try for position and presentation without spooking fish. Said hello to the Muskrat that is lving across from the Pavilion too. Will try back soon. Thanks.

 

[tomitrout]

Sounds like you made the most of it and had a 'typical' first outing there. That little stream will definitely help improve your casting, if it doesn't frustrate you past the point of no return first. :-? When are you back in the area?

 

[DrBamboo]

I live in the Wrightsville area and commute to Carlisle for work every day now. Starting to think of a set-up that I just leave at my office to fish some eves that I do not work late….. Understand one of the features is it's year-roundfishability.
Thanks
Steven B.