Neshannock Creek info

[41FanForLife]

Just got into fly fishing a couple of months ago. I saw a notice that Neshannock will be stocked on Friday morning. Just wondering if anyone can get me going in the right direction up there. Not sure of exactly where to go and what kind of flies i should have with me. Thanks in advance for any info guys.

 

[dudemanspecial]

Stocker trout will eat anything really. Big bushy dry flies or big colorful nymphs and streamers.

 

[PennKev]

Stocker trout will eat anything really. Big bushy dry flies or big colorful nymphs and streamers.

I wouldn't count on dries, even with stocked fish.

 

[PennKev]

Not sure of exactly where to go and what kind of flies i should have with me. Thanks in advance for any info guys.

I would recommend staying in the delayed harvest, keystone select area that lies between Volant and Covered Bridge road. The fly shop in town there has already done a stocking, primarily in the upper half of the special regs area. So even after the state stocking that is were the highest concentration of fish will be.

The creek was very low and warm for an extended period of time so unless you are interested in smallmouth, I would recommend sticking to the special regs area. Trout are extremely scarce elsewhere on the creek.

Any of the popular junk flies, basic nymphs, or small streamers stand a chance of being productive on any given day.

 

[tpn]

Neshannock is stocked by the state and at times by the fly shop up there. It would be a good idea to put the fly shop in your gps and make a stop there. Good people and will point you in the right direction.

You can fish down from the shop (walk down and fish up) or my preference is to drive to the other side of the regulated area at the covered bridge. Both areas will be okay and with stocked fish it shouldn’t matter. Color and movement will win the day.

 

[dudemanspecial]

I wouldn't count on dries, even with stocked fish.

I definitely wouldn't count on them alone, but definitely don't count them out. They are used to looking up for food.

 

[Ftyer]

Fish an egg, like a Sucker Spawn or a Glo Bug in semi-natural colors to work on your drag-free drift--get the fly going at the same rate as the current. Stocked trout, especially those freshly stocked, will provide a wider margin of error in your drift so you'll get some degree of feedback and practice. Experiment with splitshot and dial in getting your fly down to where the fish are (generally speaking, trout not actively eating on top or eating emergers are a bottom third feeding fish in the water column).

If you want something a little more interactive, fish a Wooly Bugger, dead drift, fish it across and down, strip it back up, keep messing around until you find success.

It's been a very long time since I've fished Neshannock, but the above will work there and I'd listen to those telling you to fish the DHALO section...or go catch smallmouth, they're wild fish that aren't nearly as pressured, and honestly, more fun than stocked trout in my opinion.

 

[td566]

The water behind the fly shop always has fish but they get educated every single day. I rarely fish that small area unless my wife is along and wants to browse the shops or read a book streamside.
There’s a trail that follows the stream if you go past the shop and go up the hill a little bit. There are a few railroad cars that are now novelty shops. Park in the back of the lot and hike down the trail that meets the stream in places. Bushwhacking to the stream from the trail usually results in torn waders and steep banks to navigate to the stream bed. Fish weekdays if you can, it’s a very popular section of stream.

 

[PennKev]

Bushwhacking to the stream from the trail usually results in torn waders and steep banks to navigate to the stream bed. Fish weekdays if you can, it’s a very popular section of stream.

There are many easy paths to the creek off the main trail. I'd give it a 2 out 10 bushwack rating. The only reason it's not a 1 is all the damn cobwebs you walk through.

 

[td566]

There are many easy paths to the creek off the main trail. I'd give it a 2 out 10 bushwack rating. The only reason it's not a 1 is all the damn cobwebs you walk through.

Yes, agree. The good paths off the main trail are fine. The ones I didn’t like musta been just deer trails because they ended in blowdowns and briar thickets. I have some difficulty walking down some of the steeper areas right at the creek. But for the most part you can access the whole DHLAO area of the creek by the main trail. The lower end of the trail has somewhat limited parking, or you can just park at the covered bridge.

 

[Broodstock]

Do not sleep on the riffle sections upstream from the fly shop, below the little dam. When I used to fish NC, whenever the water was up a bit, that stretch nymphed really well. I would say it was "overlooked" but absolutely no part of NC is overlooked. Perhaps it is less looked at than the pools. I actually would pretty much only fish in the faster water back when I fished NC.

The fly shop is one of the nicer ones around. If I remember, they have some really nice wooden nets made by a local guy.

 

[Prospector]

This year the fall stocking at the Delayed Harvest section was aided by low water. They were able to drive fish along the gravel bars further than in past years. So if you are a walker you might find some extra fish below.

 

[41FanForLife]

This will be my first trip fishing there. I appreciate all the information. Actually golfing this morning. Then this evening my wife is going to dinner with her sister so as soon as I get back from the golf course I'm going fishing in volant

 

[jifigz]

I disagree that stockers will eat anything. I think fresh stockers are often harder to catch than most wild brown trout. I know that opinion is in the minority, though.

Flies that work well for fresh stockers: Egg patterns (Sucker Spawn is my go-to), Bright pink worm flies (Especially if stockers are bows), woolly buggers stripped quickly and aggressively, and whatever generic mayfly nymph or caddis nymph you want to include.

 

[dudemanspecial]

I disagree that stockers will eat anything. I think fresh stockers are often harder to catch than most wild brown trout. I know that opinion is in the minority, though.

Flies that work well for fresh stockers: Egg patterns (Sucker Spawn is my go-to), Bright pink worm flies (Especially if stockers are bows), woolly buggers stripped quickly and aggressively, and whatever generic mayfly nymph or caddis nymph you want to include.

I agree that they can often be hard to catch 100%. I guess instead of saying they will eat anything it would be better said that they can eat anything given they are willing to eat. I can't count how many times I have found a bunch of stockers held up in a deep 3+ foot hole and drifted everything in the box past their noses then finally tied on a big bushy dry fly and they would race up to eat it.

 

[dryflyguy]

They're looking for "brown beetles" or cork flies

 

[dudemanspecial]

Elitism at its finest. Not mine......really I swear.

 

[Broodstock]

They're looking for "brown beetles" or cork flies

Whole, roasted coffee beans super glued onto a hook work pretty well from what I hear.

 

[41FanForLife]

They're looking for "brown beetles" or cork flies

 

[41FanForLife]

I found 2 rainbows and a smallmouth. Definitely had fun this evening. First trout on my flyrod.