Nominations for the Best Fly Fishing Town in Pennsylvania 2024

A recently resurrected topic has inspired me to explore the idea of the "Best Fly Fishing Town in Pennsylvania." This question was asked and a poll taken back in 2009, but it is time to see if it's time to crown a new town for the illustrious title.

I'm asking for nominations before I set up a poll to vote on the "Best Fly Fishing Town in Pennsylvania." Please feel free to post your favorite town and what makes it a special fly fishing town. Yes, it should be a town in Pennsylvania.

Some criteria for the best town could be:
Fly fishing streams
Nearby fly shops
Food options including restaurants, taverns, and bars
Overnight options for campgrounds, Airbnbs, or hotels
Travel distances to the town
or whatever inspires you for your favorite town

We will leave nominations open for a couple of weeks. Afterward, I will close the thread and tally up the top nominees. I will take the top five nominees and create a new thread with a poll to determine our winner.

Instructions: Post a reply to only this thread about the topic, include the Pennsylvania town at the top of your reply and reasons you might like to add for your reasoning. A reminder you must put a name in for nomination to count and only one nomination per person. Any towns nominated that are not in Pennsylvania will be deleted.

 

Valley Forge. Or Schnecksville. Or Wyomissing.

(You gotta throw a little stink bait into these threads. Keep talking about all my favorite towns and my dream lot is gonna get bought out from under me!)

 

Boiling Springs, Children's lake and the run has it all!

 

Do you think the story of how Honey Creek got its name may bee 🐝 true?
(Watch where you put your hives, Josh.)


View attachment 1641235114

Maybe but I question the article. Honey Creek is not the shortest stream in PA, much less the US.

 

Stroudsburg, PA

In addition to everything Bamboozle noted, you are still within reasonable striking distance to the Lehigh Valley streams. Plus there are a multitude of things to do if the non-fishing contingent of the family (i.e. wife) tags along on the adventure. Outlets, breweries, wineries, cute little zoo on 209, casino, and resorts if that's your lodging preference.

Stroudsburg, PA

Brodhead, McMichael's, Bushkill, a gazillion small wild trout streams in a reasonable distance, the Delaware for shad and other warm water opportunities and a rich fly fishing history that is only rivaled by the Catskills.

There are also numerous restaurants and places to stay or camp, a fly shop in town and two on the outskirts, plenty of shopping if you need other supplies and lots of other stuff to do if the weather doesn't cooperate.

I am partial to the Burg, myself. One other factor that I don't think was mentioned is the concerted effort to preserve land with public access to fishing, especially in places it did not exist when I was a younger man.

 

I am partial to the Burg, myself. One other factor that I don't think was mentioned is the concerted effort to preserve land with public access to fishing, especially in places it did not exist when I was a younger man.

Don Baylor has/had a lot to do with that, not to mention he's a wealth of information and another asset of the area.

 

Valley Forge. Or Schnecksville. Or Wyomissing.

(You gotta throw a little stink bait into these threads. Keep talking about all my favorite towns and my dream lot is gonna get bought out from under me!)

Let's not forget Bangor. Catch a few fish, score some tranq, get a car wash. Come to think of it, you can do all that in Stroudsburg too! I second my vote for the burgs that straddle both sides of the mighty Brodhead.

 

I like good food as much as anyone but as far as fly fishing goes I have found the best spots are miles from decent food. I am definitely not a fan of the hipster brewery type joints with their overpriced stuff so that rules out Milheim!
If you are over there just save yourself some time and go to the grocery store outside of town. Or go to the butcher shop and get a sub.

 

I like good food as much as anyone but as far as fly fishing goes I have found the best spots are miles from decent food.

Couldn't agree more.

 

Hinkletown ....you can always flirt with the local Mennonite and Amish chicks, if the fish ain't biting in the Conestoga, and Shady Maple Smorgasbord ain't that far away.

 

Hinkletown ....you can always flirt with the local Mennonite and Amish chicks, if the fish ain't biting in the Conestoga, and Shady Maple Smorgasbord ain't that far away.

Don’t “waist” your fishing time eating at a smorgasbord when you can get a delicious made to order chicken salad sub at the Village Farm Market and some freshly made Amish pastries at Glenwood Foods, both of which are right there in Hinkletown. Then it’s only a short drive to Mill Creek where you can take your pick of fishing for trout or carp.

 

Don’t “waist” your fishing time eating at a smorgasbord when you can get a delicious made to order chicken salad sub at the Village Farm Market and some freshly made Amish pastries at Glenwood Foods, both of which are right there in Hinkletown. Then it’s only a short drive to Mill Creek where you can take your pick of fishing for trout or carp.

But can you still flirt with the Mennonite and Amish chicks at Village Farm Market and Glenwood foods, or will they throw you out?

 

But can you still flirt with the Mennonite and Amish chicks at Village Farm Market and Glenwood foods, or will they throw you out?

It may depend on how you’re dressed. When I wear my black Patagonia Nano Puff jacket I seem to get more attention.

 

Getting back on track…

Originally, I felt that no Pennsylvania town was actually a Fly Fishing Town, much less the Best fly fishing town in the state. To a large extent I think that that belief was created by comparing Pennsylvania’s towns to some towns in other states that I think are closer to what, in my mind at least, a fly fishing town really is. Towns like Roscoe, NY or Livingston, MT for example.

I still believe that Pennsylvania doesn’t have a REAL fly fishing town, but that if we are trying to identify the town in Pennsylvania that comes closest to being one then I believe that town is Bellefonte. I believe that many of Bellefonte’s residents also think of their town in fly fishing terms.

I just copied this from one of Bellefonte’s posts on Facebook:

To get more of what Bellefonte has to offer go to their webpage:

https://bellefonte.com/bellefonte-happy-valleys-gateway-to-outdoor-recreation/?fbclid=IwAR10o8GoMj9FA4rCiwVFVImvhZTM0iNvzX-TuE57PvfJQo3NPHIlxZInuio_aem_ASIJybywz5p9lYpmXDEJEC3V7zqA9VTyWPK7ItFLbIdwIv-3IHp-e48MNxVRGvkDcxrsHVwHTNiQiE2XdEnmSN-B

 

Coburn. Penn’s Creek, Spring Creek, Fishing Creek the Narrows, easy access to Penn State for lodging, restaurants, etc.

 

Reedsville, PA

Okay, okay, I am biased. I am Miff-Co proud. I shouldn't even put this town out there, but COME ON.....IT'S A GEM.

It is right on the convergence of Kish, Honey, and Tea. It has small stores, a local dairy, a local coffee shop, an amazing restaurant (Revival), and small town charm nestled among the mountains. Plus, way, way less traffic than Bellefonte, State College, etc.


Closest fly shops are Fly Fisher's or TCO or Feathered Hook, though.

Was curious about Revival, so Googled it..

Is this the place?

"Menus are subject to change slightly based upon what is growing.
Price is $100 per person (not including tax and gratuity)"

Sheetz run and done!

 

Was curious about Revival, so Googled it..

Is this the place?

"Menus are subject to change slightly based upon what is growing.
Price is $100 per person (not including tax and gratuity)"

Sheetz run and done!

Ha, yeah it is.

There is a Sheetz only two miles from Revival, so you are good to go. Plus, there is a bar right across the road from Revival, so maybe you could get a Miller Lite and a sandwich, too.


You all should try it out, though. I don't like to frivolously spend my money, but that restaurant is well worth it a time or two in your life.

 

The Foraged Stinging Nettle Cavettelli on the May menu has me intrigued...

 

An argument can be made for State College, or Centre County in general. Spring Creek is perhaps the most fly fished stream in the state, and Spring, Penns, LJR, and BFC are perhaps the 4 most famous and all in striking distance. They are notably rare among sizable pure wild trout streams (as opposed to being created by a bottom release dam), and the center of the hatch chasing scene in the state if we are talking about wild trout specifically. Spring and BFC battle over top trout density honors not just in PA, but entire east coast. Spring had the very first FFO designated section in the country. Nearby Spruce Creek is the stream of presidents and well-to-do types. The university housed the first collegiate FF program and spawned some of the sports icons. Like half of the states hatchery system trout are raised in the immediate area. 2 fantastic fly shops in town and more surrounding it when you add in 2 on Penns, Spruce Creek, etc. And there's a fair number of lesser known but still good waters around. There's a reason we hold the jam in the area!

Beyond that area, I think the competition for the crown has to be NC PA, probably Pine Creek valley somewhere like Slate Run. The rural nature of the whole area is a draw, fly fishing is a major part of the places very identity and one of the largest industries. There are big waters with a major hatch chasing scene, the knock is that the bigger waters are mostly stocked fisheries. But it counters that with a bewildering density of small and medium wild trout streams in a wilderness setting.

 

An argument can be made for State College, or Centre County in general. Spring Creek is perhaps the most fly fished stream in the state, and Spring, Penns, LJR, and BFC are perhaps the 4 most famous and all in striking distance. They are notably rare among sizable pure wild trout streams (as opposed to being created by a bottom release dam), and the center of the hatch chasing scene in the state if we are talking about wild trout specifically. Spring and BFC battle over top trout density honors not just in PA, but entire east coast. Spring had the very first FFO designated section in the country. Nearby Spruce Creek is the stream of presidents and well-to-do types. The university housed the first collegiate FF program and spawned some of the sports icons. Like half of the states hatchery system trout are raised in the immediate area. 2 fantastic fly shops in town and more surrounding it when you add in 2 on Penns, Spruce Creek, etc. And there's a fair number of lesser known but still good waters around. There's a reason we hold the jam in the area!

Beyond that area, I think the competition for the crown has to be NC PA, probably Pine Creek valley somewhere like Slate Run. The rural nature of the whole area is a draw, fly fishing is a major part of the places very identity and one of the largest industries. There are big waters with a major hatch chasing scene, the knock is that the bigger waters are mostly stocked fisheries. But it counters that with a bewildering density of small and medium wild trout streams in a wilderness setting.

I honestly don't even know how you could consider any other real options here.

Most of the posts in this thread read as if the question is "What is your favorite small town near your favorite streams."

As far as what the town itself offers and its central location, State College simply is #1 with really no competition.

 

Centre County is an excellent place, but, in my opinion, many towns in Centre County would rival and top State College for the best fly fishing town. I would consider Bellefonte, Spring Mills, Millheim, Coburn, and/or Pleasant Gap all better than State College. They are all still near the same waters and feel more "fly fishy." State College is just turning into too much of an urban atmosphere to be considered a fly fishing town.

That is obviously just my opinion, but I don't see how anyone can just assign State College the supreme ruler of fly fishing towns.

I was in State College on Saturday, March 30th to meet up with a buddy and fish Spring Creek. I couldn't wait to get the heck outta there. I used to be in State College a fair amount, now, thank goodness, it seems to be about once or twice a year tops for me and that is more than enough.