Penn's/Little J

Yeah, I don't understand what a float guided trip on Penns gets you that wade angling doesn't. If there's enough water in it to where you'd maybe want to float it, you probably don't want to fish it. And I'm not a good caster, and even I can cast the full width of Penns pretty easily in most places if needed.

I guess I could see using a kayak to do a day float from say Coburn to Cherry Run, but still...I'd be stopping and getting out of the kayak the entire time to fish. (You could probably also complete this in a day just walking thanks to the trail.)
 
Floating gives you a new perspective on the stream and a completely different way to target fish, in my opinion. Is it a little much? Maybe, but like I said when the water levels are higher and there aren't many people on the stream it is a good way to get out and target fish early in the season without having to wade treacherous higher water. I highly doubt you will see anyone floating it in a raft or boat from now through the fall.

I frequently wade Penns myself, and you can still catch plenty of fish that way, but can also cover way more water in a raft if that is an option and the conditions are right.

Hook_Jaw, I'm not crazy, and I can pay for guide service wherever the hell I please and where its offered. I met my father (who lives in Pittsburgh, myself in the Philadelphia suburbs) in the middle of the state to fish a stream I am pretty familiar with myself. After 3 hard days of wading, we decided to take it easy and fish from the stealthcraft. Most 70 year olds that I see fishing start at noon and fish till 5 and call it quits, usually in warm weather. We were fishing 9 to 6 PM for 4 days in 30-40 degree weather. The guide service was a belated birthday present from my mother to my father, who had never had been properly taught to fly fish, and I do too many things wrong to teach him myself. Money well spent, and now another new person helped into the sport.

 

No you are crazy for paying to fish penns creek and paying a place to use the publics free resource to gain a profit. It won't last they will **** enough people off to stop doing it soon enough.
 
Did you read my post? Or are you that thick?

Like I said, they're probably done floating for the season already, but who knows and I'm not going to speak for them.
 
Oh ok you know that are probably done you must be close pals with Matt now that's great.

I know what the perspective is fishing from a raft I have many times in Allegheny, pine, and bald eagle.

No I don't think Im the one who is thick I didn't pay 300 some bucks to fish save your money next time and learn the stream yourself instead of having someone hold your hand.

 
I think most can agree that floating Penns is a bit much, but its public water and people can do as they please. As far as criticizing someone for paying for a guide I think that is uncalled for. I have never fished with a guide, however I did pay for my wife to fish with a guide on our honeymoon and she learned more about flyfishing technique in an evening than I could have taught her in a week. For someone starting out that wishes to help shorten the learning curve I think that having the option to hire a guide to put them on fish, but most importantly teaching them various fly fishing techniques is invaluable. Obviously some guides are better representatives of our sport than others, but that is a different argument.
 

Everyone has their own opinion usually it's ok with people if it's not in their own backyard.
 
When I was in my 2nd year of fly fishing, I had Tom Doman of Penns Creek Guides take me out on Penns. I think he's a member here, i'm sure he doesn't have time to post often.

He started me out on Wet Flys, which was something I hadn't even considered, and he stayed with me basically from day break until after the evening hatch, even though I really only paid for 8 hours, because it was a tough day and he knew that I'd make up for it with the spinnerfall.


He's an awesome guide, i can't really speak for those Feathered Hook guys. I've never traveled over that way and usually stick to the Poe Paddy area but if I saw someone floating Penns, it would seem very odd to me.
 
Hook_Jaw, you just seemingly haven't read my prior posts all the way through.

I've been wade fishing Penns for the past 6-7 years, not much, but I know how to fish the stream pretty well on my own. Spent plenty of days getting skunked and learning how tough the stream can be on my own. My mother hired a guide service to teach my father how to fly fish and I went along with him. I've never fished with a guide in my life until before then, and they helped me perfect my tight line nymphing technique. Floating was an option, so we did it. Does seem a little overboard to do, and I am no way advocating for it, but it was nice to get off our feet after 3 long days of wading.

You frankly sound like a pissed off local who doesn't want any outsiders fishing their sacred Penns. It's backwards people like yourself that seem to ruin the sport for others with their "stay off my water" mentality.
 

I've seen Tom out many times over the years whatever people wanna do to make money is their own choice.
 
If I lived on Penns I would not have a problem with guides, or any other fisherman for that matter fishing the stream near my property. As long as I was allowed to access the stream from my property when I wanted I don't see what the issue is.
 
You come to Coburn and ask around and see what people say you talk too. Property has been posted on elk and pine both because of guys being told not to guide on their property and continued too.
 
If that's the case then it seems that the guides in question were in the wrong. In my opinion you can't blanket all guides in pa based on a couple bad apples. If someone wants to hire a guide and the guide is operating in a legal manner then that's their right. I have encountered guided anglers around Ingleby and I never felt pressured out of the spots I was fishing. Public water vs private water is a whole different discussion.
 
You gotta remember that Almost all of penns creek is on private land lyco and access can be takin away at anytime.
 
Then maybe floating thru isn't all that bad of an option if it relieves access pressure from walk in anglers...
 
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