Summer doesn't mean fishing is over.

[steveo27]

Being in Western PA mostly fishing over stocked trout in freestone streams, I typically change my focus to panfish and bass once the temps start climbing in July.

I would love to chase wild trout in but I literally dont know the first thing about where to even start. I feel like such a noob compared to you guys who only chase wild fish. It seems like it should be so simple, but it feels so overwhelming when I try to find new streams.

 

[dryflyguy]

steveo27 wrote:
Being in Western PA mostly fishing over stocked trout in freestone streams, I typically change my focus to panfish and bass once the temps start climbing in July.

I would love to chase wild trout in but I literally dont know the first thing about where to even start. I feel like such a noob compared to you guys who only chase wild fish. It seems like it should be so simple, but it feels so overwhelming when I try to find new streams.

With all of the resources available to us now, locating WT trout streams isn't hard at all anymore.
But - depending on what part of western PA you're from - you're likely going to have to drive a ways to reach them.
I typically have to drive 1-2 hours to reach one - which means most of my fishing is done on my days off of work.
Been that way for years, and I just plan things that way
Although - thankfully - retirement isn't too far off for me now!

 

[WestDeerPirate]

I caught more trout this summer than in the past for some reason. My 2 best days were on streams I've never fished before too. Maybe it's the quality of streams or maybe this has just been a great year. Most of the early days of trout season were rained out. The streams were high and stained until 4th of July weekend so many of the stocked Rainbows are still around in these here parts. I'm still catching stocked trout in pretty warm water in the mornings mostly.

Yesterday I had a hard time catching 2 little smallmouth. No trout. The water where I was is very low and pretty warm.

 

[Swattie87]

The Trout fishing this Summer has been so good because of the fairly regular rain that fell until about the end of July. This led to higher and cooler than normal flows which translated into good Trout fishing, and likely relatively good stocked Trout survival. Things are a bit back more to normal for late Summer now so I'd expect the Trout fishing to cool off until mid September or so, unless we start getting more regular rain again.

I've only been WW fishing twice so far this Summer. Looking forward to getting a few of those outings in now that conditions are better for it.

 

[MD_Gene]

When I was young, many years ago, I fished only with bait and spinners. The vast majority of people who I know who did that focused on stocked trout and opening day. Also, when the stocking trucks came back for in seasons drops. I think that the sentiment was (maybe still is) that the stream is fished out. It's easy to jump to that conclusion when you see fish after fish being pulled out on opening day then only onezy twozes after that. The people that I know who are opening day concentrators I think still believe that.

In contrast to most of us hard core FF, one would swear that Penns is fished some days when you know for a fact tat there are literally hundreds of wild browns in a given stretch.

Sometimes when I come back to the car skunked and I see another fisherman I will say jokingly, "It's fished out. That's my story and I'm sticking to it". ;-)

Bottom line- harder to catch fish, especially many, in the summer versus late April.

 

[pcray1231]

When I was a bait fisherman, I fished for stockies on occasion but much preferred wild trout.

Now that I'm a fly fisherman, I fish for stockies on occasion but much prefer wild trout.

And in both cases, my average # of trout per outing goes WAY up in summer. Though a lot of that is about where I am fishing. In summer the stocked streams become bass water, larger wild trout streams become a morning/evening game, and small streams fish great all day long. Small streams is how you rack up numbers. So if you spend the majority of hours there, obviously you will catch more fish.

Probably all of my 50+ trout days have occurred in June, July, or August. If I drop that to 20+, I'd have to change that to "most", and include May. But prior to May, I'm pretty dang happy to get into double digits.

In terms of # per outing, my best month is probably July.

In terms of favorite time of year to fish, it's probably late May. Love the hatch scene on larger water. And brookies are a nice mid-day option for a change of pace. The jam is well timed.....

 

[BrooksAndHooks]

I agree pcray. Right along my thoughts there.

 

[steveo27]

dryflyguy wrote:

With all of the resources available to us now, locating WT trout streams isn't hard at all anymore.
But - depending on what part of western PA you're from - you're likely going to have to drive a ways to reach them.
I typically have to drive 1-2 hours to reach one - which means most of my fishing is done on my days off of work.
Been that way for years, and I just plan things that way
Although - thankfully - retirement isn't too far off for me now!

Im from northern Westmoreland county (New Kensington)

I finally took the plunge this weekend after a bit of research and ended up catching a half dozen native brookies this weekend in a 2 small tributaries to the Clarion river north of I80.

Unfortunately Im about 30 years away from retirement so all my fishing trips are also on the weekends.

This weekends trip was an awesome learning experience.

This is the latest in the summer that Ive ever caught trout and I love it.

 

[dryflyguy]

Nice going steveo!
You're closer to WT streams than me. I know of several that are an hours drive - or less - from New Ken.

And you can keep on catching them the rest of summer and fall.
In fact, one of my favorite times of the year for trout fishing is in sept and oct.
The streams are usually at nice low levels for good dry fly fishing. And the weather tends to be less hot and humid then too.

tight lines