No, not that Pine Creek.

[ian_brown]

Has anyone on this board fished the Pine Creek in Berks County (it empties into Maiden Creek)? It flows through my family's property, and it appears to be an approved trout water.

I'd appreciate any suggestions regarding patterns and hatches.

 

[Padraic]

Well, first thing is that an approved trout water stream is now closed until the season opener.

I've not fished it, nor am I in the area. But I would bet that like most streams, it should be getting the little black stonefly hatch on sunny days and the Blue Winged Olive hatch on cloudy days. The nymphs will probably be more effective than the dries until the weather turns warm enough to bring the water temps into the 50's.

You could also fish midges or use a pheasant tail nymph.

After the stream is stocked, try fishing "junk flies" like a green weenie, glo bug or a small brown beetle (they look like the pellets hatchery fish are fed). For the first week or so, stocked trout have kind of a sweet tooth for flashy flies. After that, they do catch on to what real food looks like.

 

[tomgamber]

According to the PAFBC site, the upper part is a Class A wild trout stream. How far up stream your families property is could be a good thing.

http://tinyurl.com/22jdy3

Class A Wild Trout Waters
ID# WATERWAY/LIMITS

7 Pine Creek
From headwaters downstream to confluence with Unnamed tributary

Approved Trout Waters
ID# WATERWAY/LIMITS

16 Pine Creek - tributary to Maiden Creek

 

[ian_brown]

We're downstream from unnamed trib, but I've seen wild or holdover trout. Anyway, I'll be fishing near there on opening day. If anyone wants to stop by to wet a line, or have a coffee or a drink that weekend, shoot me a PM.

 

[troutbert]

ian_brown wrote:
We're downstream from unnamed trib, but I've seen wild or holdover trout. Anyway, I'll be fishing near there on opening day. If anyone wants to stop by to wet a line, or have a coffee or a drink that weekend, shoot me a PM.

Ian, It's great that you are finding wild trout there. The PFBC does commonly stock hatchery trout on top of wild trout. If your family would like it to be managed as a wild trout stream, you could just ask the PFBC to quit stocking your section. And maybe get other landowners to do the same. If the conditions are right for wild trout (temperature, pools and cover etc.) they will do better without stocking of hatchery trout.

 

[Stone_Fly]

I have fished it and it can be very good, though I think it gets a little warm in the summer. Royal Wulffs always did well for me there, and I'm sure it has a good sulphur hatch though I've only fished it during the fall. I has a good fall isonychia hatch. It's a nice stream, but I can't tell you when it is open for fishing because it may be open on March 31 or it could be open April 14. I'll see if I can find out.
It's a good thing you were specific there are about 70 Pine Creeks in PA.
The CLass A section isn't stocked but the creek holds wild trout to the mouth. It is closed in the stocked sections if you can figure out where that starts. I've fished the game lands and it was good the times I fished it, but last time I was there it had taken a good hit from the floods, and I haven't fished it since last year. I've fished it as far down stream as the abandoned bridge and it has wild trout to that point. It is open as of March 31.