Letort access

[salmonoid]

So I had about an hour and a half left over last Friday between the time I left work and the time I needed to be at a state park cabin to meet up with my family. Since the travel there took me near Carlisle, I stopped off to fish Letort for the first time. I wish I could post a pic of my first Letort brown, but I found that I spent the majority of my time trying to figure out how to get to the stream, instead of actually fishing. I parked at the small pulloff on Bonnybrook Road, and worked my way downstream. The only spots that I felt I could get safely to the stream were near what appears to be the quarry outflow pipe is located, and the I-81 underpass. By safely, I mean being able to maneuver without fear that I was going to step on a hummock of grass or mud, and sink six feet into the floodplain and suffocate to death. In looking at some pictures online, it appears that one of the areas where sinkholes may be is the Quarry Meadow, which I happened to walk across. DOH! Between the second nature trail bridge below Bonnybrook road and the I-81 overpass, I didn't even bother getting off the trail, since I could not see any clear and safe way to get to the stream.

So, am I being over cautious? The water looked too deep to wade in many places as well and I don't like wading limestone streams for the most part anyway. So using the water as a means of moving didn't seem to be an option either. I'm beginning to wonder if I was on the wrong side of the stream.

Although I was running a bit late, on my return to the car, I did walk streamside upstream from Bonnybrook Road for a few hundred yards and there, the bank seemed at least stable. But I was in danger of incurring family wrath if I lingered too long there, so I was but a five minute spectator in that stretch.

 

[krayfish2]

I don't think it's quite as deadly as you perceived it was. Wading in the stream is a mess and not recommended unless you have another person along. Even then walking in the water kills you opportunities due to spooked fish. When younger, I fished the section from 81 down to the park. Sometimes got knee deep in muck while staying back from streambank. All depends on railfall and fluctuations in seeps that are in the grassy areas. It is deep enough to be concerned and then the bottom will swallow your feet in a second. Crossing can be done carefully in sections where rocky bottom can be seen.

You were up in the section that I'd call swampy and it usually a little firmer further down. You could have fished at the war college. Not pretty but easy walking.

 

[bigslackwater]

I had the same experience that you had on my first and only trip to the Letort from bonney brook and a little past I-81. I spent most of my time fighting brush and poking in and out of areas that were simply impossible to fish...at one point, I noticed a woman cruising along the bank effortlessly tossing a dry fly ever so often ON THE OTHER SIDE! I suspected the other side was the ticket on that stretch but I couldn't find a way over there. Eventually ran out of time and went home.

 

[tomitrout]

Were you being over cautious? Depends on your comfort level, so no, you weren't being overly cautious.

For the most part the areas between the rail trail and the stream you'll just be sloshing around in knee-ish deep swampiness over ankle deep mud until you get to the stream bank proper, then it's generally pretty stable but can still be tricky in spots. It is challenging and I kinda consider that to be part of the game. There are lots of game paths that meander thru the swampy parts that you can follow to the water's edge, along with a couple spring seeps that'l take you by surprise. Some sides of the stream are easier to fish than others, but it is generally fishable from either side for the most part, it does take time to learn which rabbit hole takes you where though....and fishing from the 'wrong' side can be a strategy to get to some seldom fished water.

And as was mentioned, crossing the stream can be a real *****, so you kinda gotta commit to one bank or the other cuz it can be a long walk to find one of the few decent crossing points if you wanna change sides.

 

[Chaz]

Things must have changed over the years. It's been a while since I've fished the LeTort and there were then some soft spots, but no places where I sunk knee deep in mud. But it did rain last week.
Typically you don't wade in the meadow sections, you walk the banks. There are other sections where wading is a mess, but that's the big one. Further down where there is access you can wade, though it's not recommended because the stream get a lot of traffic.

 

[salmonoid]

It is interesting the power of the subconscious mind. As I noted, I had never been to the Letort before two Fridays ago. However, after my initial post on this thread, I continued to Google Letort, and turned up this thread, from PAFF from over four years ago. I remember reading the thread back then, but had absolutely zero context for any of the named places. When I was fishing two weeks ago, I had an eerie feeling that I was walking through the described sinkhole area and it had to be remnants of that early post popping into the conscious mind. I saw the back sides of the two signs on each side of the Quarry Meadow, while I was in the middle of it.

Anyway, thanks all for the input. I may brave the marsh again in the near future. I don't like wading in limestoners for a number of reasons - I hate getting stuck in muck, it tends to spook the fish, and I'd prefer to keep the aquatic vegetation intact as much as possible. I know there is access in areas outside the area I was describing, but I was looking specifically for experiences getting to the stream there and I'm glad at least one other person had a similar experience. Have done some stupid wadings on freestoners in my life - Loyalsock at the peak of spring runoff one year and Elk Creek (Erie) when it was completely blown out, but I'll take those over muck in a limestoner any day.

There really wasn't any rain to speak of for a few weeks leading up to when I was there, so that's why I was a little surprised it was so soupy. Gotta love karst landscapes.

 

[Night_Stalker]

keep your phone fully charged in a waterproof case…that way your body can be found via gps pings

 

[Millsertime]

The first time I fished the Letort, I searched "Letort location" on PAFF. Great information like in the thread you linked. I save so much time with all the valuable information on this website.

 

[afishinado]

Night_Stalker wrote:
keep your phone fully charged in a waterproof case…that way your body can be found via gps pings

Charge your phone or wait for winter. You can walk the banks pretty easily when the ground freezes and the vegetation dies off.

 

[IdratherbePhishing]

Mostly knee deep muck like most have said. If you wanna cross letort near 81 do it under the 81 bridge on the south side. I cross there all the time with waist highs. It really doesn't matter what bank your on there will be better spots for both sides. Watch where your walking. Look for the dryer high grass and you won't sink as much.

 

[klingy]

Salmonoid,
The summer weed growth actually displaces the water in the stream and pushes it out of its banks. Winter is by far the easiest time to walk stream side. There is always the chance, however, of falling in a hole no matter what section you are on in any season. I have had many instances of not watching my step and sprawling into various uncomfortably compromising positions.

 

[JG63]

Ain't nae fish'n that crick