Wild trout stream tips

[Testudo20]

Hey guys, I haven't posted here in a long time as I've been away at school and for internships. Now that I'm back in PA I wanna expand my fishing experience. I live in Bucks County and have mostly only fished the Valley and Little Lehigh here in SE PA.

I want to start exploring some wild/native trout water and have been looking at the Class A, NR, and wilderness trout stream lists trying to get an idea of places in the general area to start fishing. I'm not necessarily asking for particular streams or spots, but I was wondering if people had any particular advice for fishing these streams. Things like fly choices, tactics for smaller water, things like that.

Any info would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[MKern]

Flies are basically the same, maybe a little more natural colors and less flashy stuff.

I find wild trout waters easier to fish than stocked. The fish tend to be where they are supposed to be and tend to be more predictable with feeding.
Look for holding water, like breaks in the current where a fish could get food without expending too much energy. Look for shelter or holding locations. Think of a fish's priorities: shelter/protection from predators, food, and sex. So if it's not sexy time, then focuse of shelter and good holding/feeding lies.

If it brookies your targeting, spook a couple of holes to see if you can see where the fish are holding. Sneak up on the next holes you plan on fishing and have you flips flow through similar locations.
If you stop catching catching fish, spook the next hole or two. Sometimes the fish in different sections of a stream or at different times of the day or year hold in different places. Like: at the back of the hole, or at the top under structure, or in the dearest spot.

I would like to finish by saying that expirience is the best teacher...so it just takes time and patience.

 

[Chaz]

Get a Delorme Gazetteer of PA. and find the streams on the Class A, NR, and Wilderness Trout Streams list. You can do this easily as they post the limits in the lists.
Then find the areas that have public land and land that is not posted. For NE PA, it would be limited to Public Land, as most of the private land is posted.
Once you start fishing, don't just walk up to the edge of the stream and start fishing, scope out the water from a short distance. See if there are any fish rising, or if you can see fish. Many times trout hang at or near a bailout of a pool. Start at the tail outs, but fish from below the tail up. Keep low and work slowly.

 

[steveo27]

Instead of a Delorme, I use this - http://pgcmaps.pa.gov/pgcpublicviewer/ - when researching when Im on my computer. It highlights public land pretty well. I still use a Delorme in the truck though.

As for flies, I like to use buggy looking flies for brookies, like stimulators and elk hair caddis are my 2 go to flies.

 

[SteveG]

Royal wulffs or coachmans, and they're not just for brookies.

 

[thebassman]

I am in the same boat that you are. From lower Bucks County and mainly fish Valley and Little Lehigh.

 

[Fishidiot]

Testudo20 wrote:
I was wondering if people had any particular advice for fishing these streams. Things like fly choices, tactics for smaller water, things like that.
Any info would be appreciated, thanks!

Good advice from the above posts.

The fish in the area you're interested in are mainly brown trout and includes streams with slightly lower gradient than you would find in Appalachian areas. The methods that have worked well for you on Valley should remain front and center for other waters in your area.

Focus on a stealthy approach and don't skip riffles or areas that might, at first glance, seem less likely to hold trout. Wild streams tend to have a lot of fish in smaller year classes and they really spread out in riffles and tight spots. I also believe cloudy or rainy days can really fish well on small streams with wild trout. Terrestrials are your friend, not just in summer but well into autumn.

 

[JackM]

"Wild trout streams" come in different sizes, but like all but completely altered streams, they are the same shape. When I fish a stream, wild or stocked, I imagine it to be the size of Spruce Creek and analyze it accordingly. You have riffles, runs and pools and it is a spectrum, so you can probably further divide them, but regardless, the water will hold fish where they have to expend less energy to maintain survival and growth.

There are three places where trout can be, but again, it is a spectrum. The characteristics of "holds" are places where they are either resting, feeding or a little of both. When they are resting, they seek areas where current is slower. This can be behind a rock in a riffle, or in a depression and also in runs. When feeding, they also seek slower current, but are more likely to risk energy expenditures because they are feeding. Also, they need some current nearby to bring food into a reasonable range.

In pools, they are likely to be near the surface when feeding and on edges or at the lips fore and aft. They also seek complete protection occasionally in pools and runs and edges-- ledges and rocks are still significant in pools. While trout will feel comfortable in riffles because of the broken surface, it is unlikely to have them resting there unless it is a short break from feeding activities.

As for flies, while matching the hatch selection is still helpful, in relatively infertile waters, any old thing will do, so sticking to standard generics in nymph or dry is safe. In high gradient freestones, I stick to dries that are visible, but tend to avoid anything above size 14 unless I am catching too many dinks, in which case I will see if a larger fly will still attract the wild fishies.

Maybe the most helpful advice will come from experience in fishing a variety of wild trout streams. These patterns which I am in-artfully articulating will become apparent after a dozen or so trips.

 

[SteveG]

Learn some roll/single hand spey cast variations, and the bow and arrow cast.

Watch where your shadow is falling.

If you have trouble getting your rod to load, go up a line size.

Due to refraction, you can sometimes approach fairly close from the side to fish holding in shallower water, if you stay low.

 

[FLY_Mike]

http://maps.wildtroutstreams.com/PA.html

Try this website it shows the class A areas and wilderness streams.

 

[Testudo20]

Thanks for all the suggestions everybody. Fished two nearby streams over the past few days but no luck yet. As you have all said, it is definitely going to take some practice but I'm excited to keep at it

 

[csoult]

STEALTH is #1, along with that is a smaller weight rod. If you're slapping down a #5 wt line in a stream that is 3-7' wide it is going to scare fish no matter how good you are at casting.

In most of the smaller streams fly selection is not that important. I think someone has already posted a royal wulff, yep it's hard to beat.

 

[raftman]

STEALTH is #1

Gonna have to second this. I find that I have spooked way more fish than caught just by not being mindful of my own presence on the stream. It's pretty tough to catch a spooked fish.

 

[JackM]

On line weight:

Line control is more important. Keep your leader long enough and your approach to a given stretch of water logical to keep the slap of the line and drift of it out of the probable lane and cone of vision.

On small streams, this would be a 7 foot leader at most for me.

 

[Acristickid]

This is one of the more difficult times of year to fish. You might find better success is warmer months, particularly a day or two after a rain. It's also easier to fish a big dry fly or dry dropper, rather than a nymph rig with weights or weighted nymphs.