Acristickid
Well-known member
Willow Run- Juniata County
6-14-18
12-2pm
The rough road along the top part of the stream was blocked by a downed tree, so I ended up closer downstream near McCullochs Mills. The top part of the stream had lots of posting but the lower end was pretty open.
Actually, I started fishing a different stream (Dougherty Run) as the lower end was a bit confusing. Stream looked very similar to Willow.
I didn’t do a ton of research but thought the stream would be void other anglers and that most of the state’s waters are still on the high side. Parked at gamelands parking lot and started up.
The stream was a little stained but not really high. I saw a few scattered bugs but saw no risers or fish. The stream had a much lower gradient than I expected. I caught one 6 inch chub with a tan caddis. I didn’t like the stream very much and it also made me weep. (hah)
Lost Creek- Juniata County
6-14-18
3-5pm
With Willow in the rearview I found myself on Lost Creek. (hah) I fished above Oakland Mills. The water was a good flow, slightly stained and cold. I found a access near bridge and plied a green drake in search of trouts and they responded.
Fertile looking stream with more bugs than Willow. I found browns in 6-9 inch range. With the canopy it appears fish can hold well in this stream. Nice stream!
Clark’s Creek- Dauphin Co
6-14-18
6-8:30 pm
First time I fished Clark’s. Interesting stream, plenty of access. I entered the water in state gamelands access gate marked a 29- cause there were no other cars parked in that area. I thought an easy walk on a gravel road down to the water but the road ended at the lower field and I had to bushwhack the final 75 yards. (Something I thought I would dread on the way back out in the dark)
I didn’t see any risers although I did get a refusal on a bivisable (PaulG).
I switched to some nymphs, fished some faster runs and lost 2 fish pretty quickly. I wish I had more time there. Guess it’s a stocked stream but didn’t bring any to verify that. There quite a number of trees in the water to navigate around.
I would have checked the stream out the next morning as well but the price of the hotels was much cheaper in Carlisle so that’s where I headed. Like to revisit.
Letort Spring Run – Cumberland County
6-15-18
6 to 7:30 am
Could not believe how much traffic is in Carlisle at 9:30-10pm. The hotel I stayed at was a stone’s throw to the Letort so it was easy to be in the water at 6am.
I just used my nymph rig from the night before and was shortly into some Letort browns on cress bugs and a cased caddis in the faster water. Wanted to fish before much sun was on the water.
Walked around a bit and didn’t see any rises or spook any fish. I had fished it a 6-7 times in the past and wanted to check out some other waters so I headed out.
Water was beautiful, running cold and clear. Lotsa small yellow bugs. Few caddis bouncing on the water. Checked out the stream in Letort Park- too many ducks and geese.
Big Spring Creek- Cumberland Co
6-15-18
9-11:30am
Not a fan of I-81, scads of traffic does not make for much of a pleasant drive.
Anyhow- been to Big Spring in the past once or twice but not since the stream improvement project.
Fished the faster water below the ditch- water was very cold but felt great wet wading. Saw a few bugs, nothing of much consequence. The shade worked to my favor in the morning. I fished the same rig as Letort- cress bugs and cased caddis. Smallish rainbows took to the cased caddis well- landing 3-4 rainbows to 10 inches
Walked along the ditch and gazed into its crystal clear waters and watched some bigger trouts lazily swim about before I headed to the next spot. I moved a little further downstream and fished some more fast water yielding no results. I saw only 2 other anglers along several miles of the stream. Headed out with the blue bird skies. I did notice the stream improvement area, wonder what the consensus is on the improvement.
Big Cove Creek – Fulton Co
6-15-18
2-4:30 pm
I always wanted to check this stream out and finally got around to it- as it’s kind of out of my fishing zone.
I believe it’s mainly a stocker stream with good access. Downstream from the area I fished (Big Cove Tannery) is the Keystone select area (which I think it is 2 hours away from the next keystone select site).
The water was probably a little up from normal and stained a bit. The water was cool but not as cold as Letort or Big Spring earlier in the day as you would expect. Saw a couple bugs but nothing much happening again in the heat of the day and bright blue skies. I kept the same nymph rig working as I saw no need to change up. Caught a few chunky stocker browns.
There are several tribs to the stream that add some volume and some coolness. One of the tribs is a small limestone stream Spring Run which I fished where it made its appearance along rt 522, where many footprints in the mud were evidenced. Looks like it get fished very lightly where it veers into some pastures. Like to scout it again in the evening with less stained water and bright blue skies to see if the fish will rise.
This was a last minute fly by the seat of the pants trip- not the best of conditions with some warmer weather and bright blue skies but I thought the wooded streams would fish okay and tried the big limestone spring creeks early in the day. I got to check off several new streams and already looking to visit a few more.
6-14-18
12-2pm
The rough road along the top part of the stream was blocked by a downed tree, so I ended up closer downstream near McCullochs Mills. The top part of the stream had lots of posting but the lower end was pretty open.
Actually, I started fishing a different stream (Dougherty Run) as the lower end was a bit confusing. Stream looked very similar to Willow.
I didn’t do a ton of research but thought the stream would be void other anglers and that most of the state’s waters are still on the high side. Parked at gamelands parking lot and started up.
The stream was a little stained but not really high. I saw a few scattered bugs but saw no risers or fish. The stream had a much lower gradient than I expected. I caught one 6 inch chub with a tan caddis. I didn’t like the stream very much and it also made me weep. (hah)
Lost Creek- Juniata County
6-14-18
3-5pm
With Willow in the rearview I found myself on Lost Creek. (hah) I fished above Oakland Mills. The water was a good flow, slightly stained and cold. I found a access near bridge and plied a green drake in search of trouts and they responded.
Fertile looking stream with more bugs than Willow. I found browns in 6-9 inch range. With the canopy it appears fish can hold well in this stream. Nice stream!
Clark’s Creek- Dauphin Co
6-14-18
6-8:30 pm
First time I fished Clark’s. Interesting stream, plenty of access. I entered the water in state gamelands access gate marked a 29- cause there were no other cars parked in that area. I thought an easy walk on a gravel road down to the water but the road ended at the lower field and I had to bushwhack the final 75 yards. (Something I thought I would dread on the way back out in the dark)
I didn’t see any risers although I did get a refusal on a bivisable (PaulG).
I switched to some nymphs, fished some faster runs and lost 2 fish pretty quickly. I wish I had more time there. Guess it’s a stocked stream but didn’t bring any to verify that. There quite a number of trees in the water to navigate around.
I would have checked the stream out the next morning as well but the price of the hotels was much cheaper in Carlisle so that’s where I headed. Like to revisit.
Letort Spring Run – Cumberland County
6-15-18
6 to 7:30 am
Could not believe how much traffic is in Carlisle at 9:30-10pm. The hotel I stayed at was a stone’s throw to the Letort so it was easy to be in the water at 6am.
I just used my nymph rig from the night before and was shortly into some Letort browns on cress bugs and a cased caddis in the faster water. Wanted to fish before much sun was on the water.
Walked around a bit and didn’t see any rises or spook any fish. I had fished it a 6-7 times in the past and wanted to check out some other waters so I headed out.
Water was beautiful, running cold and clear. Lotsa small yellow bugs. Few caddis bouncing on the water. Checked out the stream in Letort Park- too many ducks and geese.
Big Spring Creek- Cumberland Co
6-15-18
9-11:30am
Not a fan of I-81, scads of traffic does not make for much of a pleasant drive.
Anyhow- been to Big Spring in the past once or twice but not since the stream improvement project.
Fished the faster water below the ditch- water was very cold but felt great wet wading. Saw a few bugs, nothing of much consequence. The shade worked to my favor in the morning. I fished the same rig as Letort- cress bugs and cased caddis. Smallish rainbows took to the cased caddis well- landing 3-4 rainbows to 10 inches
Walked along the ditch and gazed into its crystal clear waters and watched some bigger trouts lazily swim about before I headed to the next spot. I moved a little further downstream and fished some more fast water yielding no results. I saw only 2 other anglers along several miles of the stream. Headed out with the blue bird skies. I did notice the stream improvement area, wonder what the consensus is on the improvement.
Big Cove Creek – Fulton Co
6-15-18
2-4:30 pm
I always wanted to check this stream out and finally got around to it- as it’s kind of out of my fishing zone.
I believe it’s mainly a stocker stream with good access. Downstream from the area I fished (Big Cove Tannery) is the Keystone select area (which I think it is 2 hours away from the next keystone select site).
The water was probably a little up from normal and stained a bit. The water was cool but not as cold as Letort or Big Spring earlier in the day as you would expect. Saw a couple bugs but nothing much happening again in the heat of the day and bright blue skies. I kept the same nymph rig working as I saw no need to change up. Caught a few chunky stocker browns.
There are several tribs to the stream that add some volume and some coolness. One of the tribs is a small limestone stream Spring Run which I fished where it made its appearance along rt 522, where many footprints in the mud were evidenced. Looks like it get fished very lightly where it veers into some pastures. Like to scout it again in the evening with less stained water and bright blue skies to see if the fish will rise.
This was a last minute fly by the seat of the pants trip- not the best of conditions with some warmer weather and bright blue skies but I thought the wooded streams would fish okay and tried the big limestone spring creeks early in the day. I got to check off several new streams and already looking to visit a few more.
