Fly Fishing for Trout in a Lancaster County Pond for a Fee

[mt_flyfisher]

I just became aware of a small spring fed pond about 1/2 mile south if New Holland, called Springdale Trout Farm, that offers catch and release fly fishing only for trout from Monday to Wednesday every week, and thought it might be of interest to some of you. The charge for this quite reasonable - $10/hour, or $30/day. The pond is open to any type of fishing on Friday and Saturday, but you must keep all of the trout you catch on those days, at $5.75/pound.

Since the pond is only a mile or so from my home, I went there one afternoon earlier this week to check it out. The pond is small, probably only 1/2 acre, but it had very clear and clean looking water - at least at this time of the year. I was the only person there on the day I went, so I paid $10 (on the honor system) and had the whole place to myself, and the trout. And there were LOTS of trout - most were in the 12-14” range, and a fair number were 16-18”.

I don’t know if the pond had just been stocked before I got there, or how the day I was there compares to other days, but I think I could have hooked a trout on just about every cast! I think it would be a great place to take kids to who are just getting into fly fishing, or might be interesting to anyone who’s looking for a place to practice their casting, and catch a few trout. I’m going to take a couple of my grandchildren there as soon as I can find some free time on their busy schedules.

John

 

[Mike]

Water from that site eventually flows into Mill Ck. Mill has traditionally been stocked in the New Holland area by a cooperative nursery, so that may be another option after it is stocked.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

Water from that site eventually flows into Mill Ck. Mill has traditionally been stocked in the New Holland area by a cooperative nursery, so that may be another option after it is stocked.

That‘s true. The Penn Dutch Sportsman’s Club stocks Mill Creek this time of the year. I believe they put trout in it every Thursday at this time of the year. You can practically throw a stone into Mill Creek from that pond, and could run, or walk, from that pond to one of the nearest locations where Penn Dutch stocks Mill Creek.

Penn Dutch also stocks trout in Nolts Pond, which is located within the Boro of New Holland, and they hold an annual trout fishing derby that’s open to the public. I’m not sure when this is, but it may be next Saturday. Not all of the trout are caught during the day of the derby and many trout continue to be caught there until the water in the pond gets too warm later in the spring.

 

[salmonoid]

I grew up about two miles from there and went to elementary school about 500 feet from there (Springside Trout Farm). I don't think the pond was a trout farm when I was a child, but I did fish Mill Creek a number of times. The stocking was a bit downstream from the trout farm. I also fished Nolt's Pond and there was a pond off of Stauffer Road (between E. Earl Road and Sheep Hill Road) that was also stocked by the sportsmens' club. It was a relatively short walk through the woods from my house to the Penn Dutch club, but now, all that land has McMansions on it. It used to be possible to walk for miles in the woods and avoid running into a house, but I don't think that is feasible now. East of New Holland, the Conestoga River around Poole Forge also was stocked by a sportsmens' club as well. Headwaters of Mill Creek might have some trouts in them too....

 

[Dan_r]

Mill creek gets a derby stocking near lancaster later in the spring as well.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

I grew up about two miles from there and went to elementary school about 500 feet from there (Springside Trout Farm). I don't think the pond was a trout farm when I was a child, but I did fish Mill Creek a number of times. The stocking was a bit downstream from the trout farm. I also fished Nolt's Pond and there was a pond off of Stauffer Road (between E. Earl Road and Sheep Hill Road) that was also stocked by the sportsmens' club. It was a relatively short walk through the woods from my house to the Penn Dutch club, but now, all that land has McMansions on it. It used to be possible to walk for miles in the woods and avoid running into a house, but I don't think that is feasible now. East of New Holland, the Conestoga River around Poole Forge also was stocked by a sportsmens' club as well. Headwaters of Mill Creek might have some trouts in them too....

There are some nice trouts up in those headwaters. But don’t tell anybody. 😊