Visiting State College from MI

[garrysanders]

Any locals in the State College area want to take out a visitor from Michigan on Thursday or Friday morning (5/31, 6/1)? I am coming down for a conference but I would love to get out for a couple hours in the morning. I have never fished in the area, but I am an experienced fly fisherman...no babysitting will be required. I just don't have access to a car while at the conference and I like to fish with a local. If interested email me at garrysanders@gmail.com

 

[Fishidiot]

garry,
Hopefully you've got some emails re this. I don't live near SC but know the area pretty well. For a morning of fishing, your best bet would be Spring Creek - which is close by and very dependable regardless of weather conditions. The stream is packed with wild browns and there is good insect activity this time of year. It's a bit too far to walk to unless you're in a hotel north of town. If you have your own equipment and can flag a taxi or bum a ride - tell your driver to drop you off at the Sheetz on College Ave (fish up or downstream) or proceed north past the mall on RT 150 and turn left at the sign to "Fisherman's Paradise." At the bottom of the hill turn left and park in the gravel lot on the right by the hatchery. Beyond the Sheetz a few blocks, on the left, at the top of a hill labeled "Dale Summit," there is an excellent fly shop if you need stuff or advice. Maybe someone can drive you or hopefully you can link up with a forum member in the area. Good luck.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Garry,

I'm not sure of the bus schedules but when I attended Penn State in the late 1970's and early 1980's I often road the bus to Bellefonte to go fishing. Sometimes I'd wear waders and a vest and get a lot of stares but the fishing was worth it. You can also get off the bus right in downtown Lemont and fish the stream, or get off at the Sheetz market at the traffic light on Rte 26. There is a park in Houserville about 1/2 mile downstream from that traffic light.

If you don't want to wear waders the bus will drop you off at the top of the hill leading down to Fisherman's Paradise where you will find about a mile of stream where wading is not permitted. This stretch has plenty of fish in it and doesn't get pounded quite as heavily as much of the rest of the creek does.

You may want to give the folk's at Flyfisher's Paradise fly shop a call. That is the fly shop that fishidiot recommended. I'll bet if you asked them they would know somebody coming through the store who would give a visiting fisherman a lift to and from the stream. Their phone number is 814-234-4189.

Don't forget to buy a fishing license if you don't already have one. You can buy one on-line and print it out by visiting the following website http://www.fish.state.pa.us/mpag1.htm, just click on the "get your license" header at the top of the page to go to a secure site for ordering one.

Regards,
Tim Murphy

 

[Wulff-Man]

I just got back from a week in State College, fishing the Centre County streams. While at Spring Creek I saw a car with an Ohio State license plate. I didn't get the opportunity to tell him that Buckeyes aren't allowed to fish PSU streams, but you should know this also applies to Wolverines and Spartans (Just Kidding)! ;-)

But seriously, try asking for help at Flyfishersparadise.com if you haven't tried there yet. There are a lot of State College locals on that site.

 

[troutbert]

If your conference is at Penn State's conference center, you can walk right down over the hill and fish Spring Creek in Penn State's sheep farm section. It's not far at all.