Harmans

nawww... mountain lion.
 
I'd say it was a squatch but I think Andy stayed in Lancaster that week.
 
OK...Headed to Harmans last weekend in May.. After reading the posts I can hardly wait... Lookin for 3 days in Trout Heaven...

FAS
 
Nothing but good things have been posted about them. I hope you have the average experience because that seems to be quite a nice time.
 
Our water conditions are returning to normal on the North Fork at Harman's. A big late spring stocking is scheduled for May 22 or May 24, depending on delivery schedule. It will include 1000lbs of browns, brookies, and rainbows.
The Harman's
 
You'll have a blast, my girlfriend and I had a great trip there last fall, thanks to the generosity of harmons gift to paff!! we ended stayed an extra night, turning it into a mini-vacation. the fishing was great, and the surrounding area is wonderful to explore, Seneca rocks just to the south, dolly sod to the west, a great side trip is to drive up to dolly sods and hike around the bear rocks area, awesome views in all directions and something you will not experience in PA. I'm hoping to find the time to get back there this fall!!
 
Is it all stocked fish out there? And are they pellett fed as well?
 
Yeah it's all stocked. I haven't been there yet, but I know a few fishermen who have. I'd probably liken it to fishing the Pine through the PA Grand Canyon in that yes, its stocked fish, but the scenery is stunning, the fishing is pretty darn good and exciting, and from what I hear it's larger water (relative, I know). I want to go. It's one of those places my wife could go and enjoy herself too while I'm fishing.
 
I just don't think i could bring myself to go fish for pellet heads like that. It'd be one thing if the fish were just stocked but the pellett feeding on top of it really puts me over the edge.

Does the water get too warm there to hold fish all year?
 
I don't know that they're pellet fed once they're at Harmans. I'm assuming they aren't. I also believe they come from private hatcheries, not run of the mill state fish. I could be wrong about all of this, but from what I've heard, even from serious wild trout fishermen, it's a great experience.
 
PS-yeah I believe the water gets too warm in July and August.
 
Not pellet fed, but stocked fish that are above average size. It does get warm, but there are deep holes and spring seeps in areas to keep them through a less harsh summer I am sure. It is fun and scenic. I have even caught a few of the larger browns on a dry when the March Browns were hatching one evening I was there. That was fun.
 
Hey... I have been flyfishing as long as I can remember and I could care less under what circumstances... It's still always "fishing" first and I could care less about "catching".. Hell, if I felt the trout would respond best to a "pellet" fly I would throw it.. For those who feel otherwise, so be it.. It's still fishin no matter how one chooses..

FAS
 
STATEMENT: I just don't think i could bring myself to go fish for pellet heads like that. It'd be one thing if the fish were just stocked but the pellet feeding on top of it really puts me over the edge.

Does the water get too warm there to hold fish all year?

It is always prudent to stay out of these conversations, but ...

RESPONSE: Typically at Harman's water gets to warm to hold trout in mid July and August, except for the spring hole at Cabin #7. The real problem is flow, more than temps. If our flows stay high, like last year, trout will survive. Last year is the first time in my 48 years trout have survived all summer on all of the property.

Pellet heads - Ouch. This comment is sorta is unfair. Most streams stocked with "pellet heads" will not carry trout all year. Its just that simple. The stocking of trout increases the participation of the sport. We do not support stocking trout in wild fisheries. We stock trout provided by private fisheries. Our stocking budget is 10(s) of thousands per year.

Do we feed the stream after the trout are stocked? Yes. Everyone spending the amount of $$$'s we spend privately stocking trout will feed some. The difference is are there automatic feeders or does someone just walk the stream. In our case, we walk the stream every week. Feeding the stream helps with our management of trout population. These trout are free range after they are stocked. This is a very big stream, so movement is expected. A weekly feeding, helps keep trout on property as well as let's us know when we need more trout because of attrition (death by handling or eagles), or washouts.

Finally, I've been fishing for over 45 years. I started on stocked trout and I'll die fishing stocked trout. Its whats available to most of our population. Remember every state does not have as many great spring creeks as PA.

I've been lucky enough to fish the world. A stocked brown trout hitting top water March Brown at Harman's and a Cutthroat hitting a hopper pattern on Slough Creek (Yellowstone) are both a great experience, especially to kids just entering the sport or wives that are not hard core. Harman's is a great experience for kids, wives, and avid fly fishermen.

Wild trout at Harman's. Three are many wild trout streams near Harman's. The most known is Seneca Creek for wild rainbows and brook trout.
 
My thoughts:

My only moral issue with places like this is the posting of water. Especially big water like this, which is likely navigable. I've avoided jumping in because, well, I do not know WV's laws, nor their interpretation of federal law. But I highly value public resources, and by PA's definitions, this stream is almost certainly navigable, and as such, should be public up to the high water mark. I'm a Pennsylvanian, and we do a poor enough job enforcing our own laws, so I'm not about to start advocating in WV.

Stockies? Feeding fish? So long as they have the blessing of the state and aren't causing, say, nitrogen loading problems downstream, I have zero issues with it.

Personally, I have mixed emotions on how attracted I am to such an experience. The cabins seem real nice. The people are nice. It's located in a gorgeous area. And there are lots of wild trout opportunities around there. I could pack up the family and go down there as a family trip, and maybe do some fishing on the side. Sounds like a great place for that kind of thing, and I could easily do it.

As for fishing on the property? I'm a wild trout guy and a stocked fishery just isn't what my dreams are made of. But I can enjoy myself, the same as I enjoy fishing larger stocked fisheries like Oil, Pine, Kettle, etc. It's a nice day in the great outdoors. I wouldn't be thinking of it as a fishing trip, I'd be thinking of it as a family trip where I got to do a little fishing, and for that, it's fine. You simply don't take pride in success rates, including numbers and size. Catching 40 fish, or a few over 20", simply doesn't mean anything, because if they put more and bigger fish in, you'll catch more and bigger fish. If I really wanted it to be a "serious" fishing trip, I'd probably forgo the easy option out my backdoor and branch out into the wild trout streams of the area.
 
For anyone thinking of taking a trip to Harman's do it. Bring the family and bring the kids or nephews who are just learning to fly fish. It is fun and enjoyable for all except for the few snobs who would never be caught dead fishing for stocked fish on private water. Please.

Pcray, maybe you should take a trip there. It may just humble you a bit.
 
Harman's stream is navigable, people can float the water and follow state laws (put and take). The property is posted because we are a lodging facility. If we stock trout at the property or do not, our private property will still be posted. Trout are not part of this decision for the owners. We are not taking any recreational opportunity away from the public.

We are a lodging facility. Our pricing is fair for the lodging alone. Because we are a lodging facility, the public should not be able to enter the property and impact the stay of our paying guests.

Trout fishing is a free to guest service. Without a private stocking program, there would be few to no trout at Harman's after a summer season.

Harman's has only been privately stocking the stream since 2004, or about 10 years. Our business is a 75 year old vacation, R&R family run business.
 
DRFAS wrote:
Hey... I have been flyfishing as long as I can remember and I could care less under what circumstances... It's still always "fishing" first and I could care less about "catching".. Hell, if I felt the trout would respond best to a "pellet" fly I would throw it.. For those who feel otherwise, so be it.. It's still fishin no matter how one chooses..

FAS
Click to expand...

That is kind of the way I feel, not only about wild versus stocked, but about fly fishing versus... It's still fishing.

I do prefer the wild fish for their beauty and everything. I'm not a big fan of stocked trout, but mostly because they often don't act like trout. I often find them harder to catch than wild ones. Nothing frustrated me more than a stocked trout hitting the bobber ... errr I mean strike indicator. But once in there for a few weeks, they seem to figure it out.

If I ever go to a place like that, fishing would be secondary. I may look into it later this year. And I don't have a problem with them being stocked either since the stream likely wouldn't hold a viable reproducing population, cept for maybe smallmouth. Did I mention I fish for those, too?;-)

OUCH!

MY BACK!

;-)
 
It also looks like an awesome place to spend Christmas and get away from all the bullshart that goes along with it.

Do I get a discount now?

I'm joking of course ... on the previous line.

Would I be allowed to keep one or two for dinner. That wouldn't be a deciding factor, just curious.
 
CLSports wrote:
For anyone thinking of taking a trip to Harman's do it. Bring the family and bring the kids or nephews who are just learning to fly fish. It is fun and enjoyable for all except for the few snobs who would never be caught dead fishing for stocked fish on private water. Please.

Pcray, maybe you should take a trip there. It may just humble you a bit.
Click to expand...

Pcray wrote:
The cabins seem real nice. The people are nice. It's located in a gorgeous area. And there are lots of wild trout opportunities around there. I could pack up the family and go down there as a family trip, and maybe do some fishing on the side. Sounds like a great place for that kind of thing, and I could easily do it.

As for fishing on the property? I'm a wild trout guy and a stocked fishery just isn't what my dreams are made of. But I can enjoy myself, the same as I enjoy fishing larger stocked fisheries like Oil, Pine, Kettle, etc. It's a nice day in the great outdoors. I wouldn't be thinking of it as a fishing trip, I'd be thinking of it as a family trip where I got to do a little fishing, and for that, it's fine.
Click to expand...


Looks like you guys agree?!...:lol:
 
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