North-Central PA Trip

[klingy]

Just got back from a week-long trip to North Central PA with my dad. We fished from June 14-21. Had plenty of water in all the streams, and really only saw the sun for probably 10 hours the whole time. It was one of those trips where you're wet from the time you start until you finish. Can't really complain, though, because the stream conditions were great, and it helped us hook up with plenty of fish.

We had three legs to our journey. For the first leg, we stayed at Ole Bull State Park, and fished many of the streams in that area. We had some great days on some new-to-me streams, and we got humbled on some streams where perfect conditions didn't translate into many fish to hand (Slate being the toughest). Many of the streams we fished had browns and brooks, but the brookies were out in force. We landed hundreds of fat, healthy brookies over the week. Did manage some browns, but far fewer. Got into a sulfur hatch on upper Kettle, and yellow sallies every night on almost every stream we fished. Some of the streams we hit in this area were Young Woman's, Kettle Headwaters, Cross Fork, West Branch Pine, Slate, Cedar among many others.

Our second leg took us into Hammersley Wild Area. We stayed for three days, and had a fast action almost the whole time. We hit several of the tribs, along with the main branch. Our last campsite was probably 4-5 miles in from where we parked at the bottom, and we were able to get a great sampling of what the area had to offer. It is a place I will definitely return to. I don't think we used anything other than X-caddis and parachute adams the whole time, and consistently caught fish.

The last leg of our journey took us to Lyman Run State Park. We stayed for a couple days, and fished the northern Potter County streams. I was really impressed with Upper Pine, and had a run in with a beast brown that I unfortunately didn't land, but had fun stalking him and seeing him inhale my fly. I lost him on his first jump to a big "kerplunk" splash as he spit the hook in mid-air. Sounded like somebody dropping a big rock in the water. We wanted to fish Oswayo, but it looked dangerously high. The water clarity was perfect with about two feet of visibility, but just too much volume churning down the creek for me to feel comfortable going in. Did hit a pod of brookies rising one evening on Lyman where my dad picked up 8 out of one hole on a small EHC. Some of the streams we fished included Lyman, Pine, Genessee Forks, Ninemile, Phoenix, among others.

So overall, we had a great trip. Got to hit many different streams, and only had one blown out. Never saw another angler while we were out, either, which is always a bonus. It rained pretty much every day, but the overcast conditions and good flows made for a fun time. It was nice to just relax, and know that whichever stream we chose that day, there would be fish to catch. I am always amazed at the amount of fish in the streams up there, and that any stream you try you find trout. Can't wait to get back up there.

 

[afishinado]

Very nice!

Great report, pics and fish.

I reminds me when I forget that one can find solitude and enjoyment fishing in PA if you look hard enough. We are lucky to live and fish here.

Thanks.

 

[njk3395]

Some really beautiful fish in there, good stuff

 

[BriarBram]

Thanks for sharing! I enjoyed reading about your trip over my lunch break.

Jim

 

[Swattie87]

BriarBram wrote:
Thanks for sharing! I enjoyed reading about your trip over my lunch break.

Jim

Likewise. A great trip no doubt.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Good stuff, man. I was supposed to go up earlier this month to take a part for a fridge up to my cabin. Packed the mountain bike and fly fishing gear, planned on fishing Friday night, crashin' at my cabin, fishing Saturday and coming home. Didn't pan out. Daughter got the stomach bug and my wife didn't want me going, leaving her w/ 3 kids and a possible barf-outbreak. Glad to see SOMEONE is taking advantage of the good June so far!

Just a reminder, 9/11-13, I am hosting a NCPA Summit (Jam) up at my cabin. We've done it 3 years now (first 2 in the Spring, last year in the Fall with much better results) and we fish just about all the areas Klingy mentioned in this post. If anyone has ever wanted to experience that country, the NCPA Summit is a great time to do it. We have several people come who know that area very, very well.

 

[pcray1231]

Great report. We've had a rash of fantastic trip reports like this and I for one love reading about them. Take's me there through your eyes.

I miss it up there, and especially miss that mindset you get in for a lengthy trip like that. Kids at a certain age make things tough.

 

[geebee]

wonderful pics.

 

[Biggie]

Very nice report, thanks for posting.

 

[Reeder]

Nice pics.

 

[sandfly]

Nice pics and trip. I love it here not only for all the trout streams but the diversity of species you can catch here. rains have been great for all the streams with cooler air temps this year. Glad I retired up here !

 

[MVHagey]

I'm going to be staying in that area (just below Gaines) for about a week in mid July. Anybody know what I can expect in regards to Kettle, Pine, Slate run, Lyman run, etc.? I would imagine that everything other than Hammersley Fork and the other small streams will be too warm to fish. I'm pretty new to this.

 

[jifigz]

Great pictures along with beautiful streams and trout. NICE!!!

 

[salmonoid]

MVHagey wrote:
I'm going to be staying in that area (just below Gaines) for about a week in mid July. Anybody know what I can expect in regards to Kettle, Pine, Slate run, Lyman run, etc.? I would imagine that everything other than Hammersley Fork and the other small streams will be too warm to fish. I'm pretty new to this.

A lot depends on what kind of weather the summer brings and how much rain the area receives. Years ago, I caught fish in Little Kettle on a hot August day. I was wet wading and worked my way downstream to Kettle Creek and it was like stepping into a warm bath. Of course the fishing turned off at that point and I wasn't aware of the correlation between temperature, fish activity and mortality. So, main stems of streams, may be too warm. If it is a warm summer with little rain, even tributaries will have fish in lockjaw mode, hanging on the bottom against cold seeps. I remember seeing dozens of brookies in a pool in the summer already, and getting all excited about catching them and then being puzzled why I they wouldn't even look at a fly. Turns out they were in that hunkered down, holding over a cold seep mode.

Fish mornings, or late evenings and you'll probably do better (and the best advice I can give is get a stream thermometer and use it and adjust your fishing, or lack thereof, to its results). And if it doesn't get too hot and the area continues to receive rain, the main stems should continue to fish well. Kettle had trout in early August last year, although I didn't fish until after dark. But they were pretty aggressively striking at mice.

 

[BradFromPotter]

MVHagey wrote:
I'm going to be staying in that area (just below Gaines) for about a week in mid July. Anybody know what I can expect in regards to Kettle, Pine, Slate run, Lyman run, etc.? I would imagine that everything other than Hammersley Fork and the other small streams will be too warm to fish. I'm pretty new to this.

If you are on Pine I would definitely fish it at night. You might be in for a BIG surprise ! :-D

 

[MVHagey]

Thanks for the replies, fellas. Luckily we have some connections there and can get into some good waters any night we feel. I will probably check the places out regardless, but will definitely try fishing the Pine at night.

 

[Swattie87]

Hagey – There’s always decent fishing to be had up there. If it’s been a cool, wet Summer the wild Trout streams could potentially fish halfway decent still…we’re off to a fairly good start in that regard, but a lot will depend on what happens between now and mid-July when you’re up there. I’d focus on the larger tribs to Kettle and Pine if that’s the case, many of which have been mentioned earlier in the thread. Attractor dries, standard nymphs, and small streamers for if you catch a stream after a thunderstorm is all you’d need fly wise. If stream temps on the main stems of Kettle and Pine suggest that Trout fishing is still possible (say under 70 in the evenings), I’d have along some size 12 Adams Parachutes as there usually is a decent Slate Drake hatch in the evenings. I’ve done well on Summer nights sticking stockies rising to SD’s on the main stems.

If it’s been hot and dry, bring along a slightly heavier rod and Bass flies and head down into the Canyon on Pine, or downstream a ways on Kettle. Plenty of Smallmouth to entertain you in both of them.

 

[BrooksAndHooks]

Thanks for sharing. Awesome trip and that is a great area. I am hoping to make it back up there sometime soon.

 

[dsmith1427]

Awesome trip. Great write up. Thanks for sharing. I love NC PA. I was there for Memorial day weekend and look forward to hopefully going back in the fall.

 

[k-bob]

thanks for the report, pictures and info in the replies... have only fished up there a bit, but it all looks pretty nice.