Penns vs Little J

jifigz

jifigz

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Location
Miff-Co, PA
Which iconic PA trout stream do you prefer and for what reason? I would have to vote Penns just because I think that there is a greater stretch of water that is readily available that provides amazing angling in a remote, wilderness type of setting. Other than that they are both about equal distances from my house and I love them both dearly.
 
Penns. I know way more remote stretches on Penns than on the Little J, as you have mentioned.
 
Tough call but I vote Penns. Beautiful scenery, little difficulty finding productive water away from crowds-even on the weekend, and several nice tribs that are well worth a side trip if conditions on Penns are less than ideal.
 
Overall experience, Penns.

From a fish catching perspective, Little J.

If given the choice of only one, Penns.
 
I vote for Penns .... A lot more open accessible water..... Also bigger fish... And one of the main reasons it stays so productive is the hike to fish most of the better stretches.... Not many places along Penns where you can get out of your vehicle and be fishing in a few minutes....
 
If I am floating, I like LJ. If I am walking Penns for all of the above reasons. I would take Penns if I have to pick just one.
 
In love both for sure.
But I fish the little J a lot more - mostly because it's an hour closer for me. And - as someone else already mentioned - it almost always fishes better than Penns.

That said, I would agree that Penns is a nicer, more remote setting. And I'm not crazy about the constant train noise along the little j - although there are quite a few spots where you can pretty much get away from that.
 
Penns but I do have a little j question. Many moons ago I went caving in what I thought was the little j. Is that correct? There were several sections where the roof got low and I was told that some sections are completely shut off. I can only imagine the fish that lurk in there.
 
ryanh wrote:
Penns but I do have a little j question. Many moons ago I went caving in what I thought was the little j. Is that correct? There were several sections where the roof got low and I was told that some sections are completely shut off. I can only imagine the fish that lurk in there.
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I am unaware of a cave like that on the Little J. Can you elaborate? If you were on a boat tour then that would have been Penns Creek. If you were walking and exploring a cave on your own then I'm not sure where you would have been. There are many caves in the area.

Sounds like Penns is so far the unanimous choice which I wasn't totally expecting. I'm surprised everyone thinks the Little J generally fished better.
 
I've fished Penns way more, so my opinion is biased. I'd have to go with Penns. I think Little J fishes "easier" than Penns, but I love the remote/wilderness feel of Penns and when it's on, it's on. That stream is a pretty great teacher.
 
When taking a trip to central PA, fishing Penns is always Plan A for its beauty, its hatches, and the quality of fish. All other larger streams in the area are Plan B.

I'll fish it first when and if it's in good shape. The biggest downfall with Penns is its propensity for muddying up quickly in even what seems to be a moderate rainstorm.

The Little J is really a decent place to fish, though. It has really come into its own in the last decade or so.

 
ryanh wrote:
Penns but I do have a little j question. Many moons ago I went caving in what I thought was the little j. Is that correct? There were several sections where the roof got low and I was told that some sections are completely shut off. I can only imagine the fish that lurk in there.
Click to expand...

There is a cavern on a little j tributary called tytoona cave. Never been there. But I think you can only explore it with scuba gear.

If you were on foot, you were likely in indian cavern - which is on spruce creek
 
I need to fish the Little J more, but I have had many great days on Penns. You learn a lot as an angler, there are ample opportunities to get away from the crowds and its a beautiful stream to be in.
 
I've never fished the little J but me and a buddy took a long weekend trip to Penns last fall and damn... I love that place. I don't see how it could be any better than that.
 
Out of Stater here...

Penns for me and its not even debatable. Hate the layout of the Little J, seems like a different type of fishing for me all together. Penns is more fun to read and see the pockets and pools; plus I like to get out and walk and fish in the middle of no where. The Little J reminds me more of a river than a trout stream. Even during the cold winter when I'm stuck watching youtube videos to calm my fishing desire I hate watching videos of the Little J b/c they look boring. (I'm a basketball coach so I can't fish during the season)
 
Penns, because of the remote nature. Though the Little Juniata is a fantastic wild trout stream, and I should fish it more, it's actually a longer drive for me, so I tend to stick with the closer, prettier stream.
 
I've probably put more time and thought into this post than I should, but this is a tough question. Most of my fly fishing buddies live in the Pittsburgh area, so I have some pretty good memories of the J. I can be on the J within 35-40 minutes. The fishing is awesome and I believe it's improving every year.
But..... Penn is a fairly remote bug factory that has provided good scenery and great memories. I'll never forget the first time I hit a good Green Drake hatch on Penns. I'm not sure where I read it, but someone said that the amount of bug's makes you feel like the water should have dropped a couple inches. I can remember one day in particular when it was a light GD hatch all day long and it almost seemed like easy fishing.

With all of that said I'd have to say Penns, but it's a tough one.
 
csoult wrote:
With all of that said I'd have to say Penns, but it's a tough one.
Click to expand...

Agree - tough question.

A bit like comparing the Madison with the Green River or Leech Lake vs Mille Lacs (if you're a Minnesote muskie guy).

I tend to spend more time on the LJ but, if it's one or the other....I think I too would vote for Penns.
 
Both are about the same distance drive time wise for me and I spent about two seasons getting to know both the best I could in two seasons worth of fishing. Now when I head north it's pretty much always up to Penns due to the quality, challenge and beauty of the place. If I go to the LJ nowadays it's mostly for the novelty/nostalgia of it.
 
Penn's creek for all of the above reasons
 
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