Trout Update #15: Fly Fishing Spring Creek and Fishing Creek

I spent Thursday at the ubiquitously-titled Fishing Creek. This specific Fishing Creek is located in Clinton County, Pennsylvania and runs through Sugar Valley en route to its confluence with the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. It's a delightful drive out to the valley from Lewisburg. Mapquest and other "time-saving" devices would send a driver up to Interstate 80 and then west; I find that ride to be dull. Instead, I take PA Route 192 out past R.B. Winter State Park and a series of back-roads. These twisting mountain roads eventually take you through the stunning Logan Mills covered bridge and into quiet Sugar Valley. It takes a little over an hour, but it's worth the extra time. (image of Spring Creek; I couldn't photograph Fishing Creek because of rain)

However, I caught no trout. This was partially caused by the steady downpour that fell all day. I decided to brave the conditions, knowing that I wouldn't have many more chances to fish the medium-sized limestone stream this year. The only trout I saw was frightened by the landing of the fly. It seems that the low water conditions of late August have made the Fishing Creek trout tentative. I suppose I can empathize - I hate warm weather, too. I'm sure the fishing will pick up in later September. However, I didn't leave empty-handed: I scooped up a bunch of wild mint. Later, Jackie and I made mojitos with it.

On Saturday Jackie and I drove to Bellefonte, a small town near State College. I enjoy fishing the Fisherman's Paradise section of Spring Creek, the oldest designated fly fishing-only water in the United States. Before fishing, however, we enjoyed a great lunch at the High Street Pub in downtown Bellefonte - a place I would recommend to anyone in the Penn State area. After our meal we went to the park located in the center of town. Spring Creek runs through it and fishing is prohibited. Consequently, there are huge rainbow and golden rainbow trout. You can even pay a quarter to feed them some pellets. It's a highly entertaining enterprise - again, I would urge any readers near State College to give it a try.

After feeding the monstrous fish, we drove to Fisherman's Paradise. My first glance at the stream revealed that the trout were active: I counted three brown trout rising to the surface. I put on a green weenie, an inch worm imitation, and quickly caught one wild brown replete with beautiful orange flares decorating its fins. I proceeded to catch one more wild brown and two wild rainbows - all on terrestrial patterns. One wild brown (pictured above) and one wild rainbow (pictured left) were of considerable size. Jackie even got into the fishing, suggesting various patterns for me to try. Spring Creek is a highly productive, consistent, pretty, and accessible wild trout stream. It is a shame that the river is hundreds of miles from New Jersey and sixty-five miles from Lewisburg. I suppose I have to settle for another long-distance relationship.


Overall Total: 164

River Breakdown:

Marshalls Creek - 28 (28 Wild Brook)
Raritan River, South Branch - 22 (13 Stocked Brown, 7 Stocked Brook, 1 Wild Brook, 1 Wild Brown)
Bushkill Creek - 21 (17 Stocked Brown, 3 Stocked Rainbow, 1 Stocked Golden Rainbow)
Pequest River - 17 (9 Stocked Brown, 6 Stocked Brook, 2 Stocked Rainbow)
Beaverkill River - 10 (7 Wild Brown, 2 Wild Brook, 1 Stocked Brown)
Spring Creek - 10 (5 Wild Brown, 5 Wild Rainbow)
Poplar Run - 9 (7 Wild Brook, 2 Wild Brown)
Faulkner Brook - 7 (6 Wild Brook, 1 Wild Brown)
Stony Brook - 7 (7 Stocked Rainbow)
Brodhead Creek - 4 (3 Stocked Brown, 1 Stocked Rainbow)
Paulinskill River - 4 (4 Stocked Brown)
Penns Creek - 4 (4 Wild Brown)
Rattlesnake Creek - 4 (4 Wild Brook)
Mill Creek - 3 (2 Wild Brook, 1 Wild Tiger)
Mullet Brook - 3 (3 Wild Brook)
Mud Run - 2 (1 Stocked Brook, 1 Wild Brook)
Old Town Run - 2 (2 Wild Brown)
Pine Creek - 2 (2 Wild Brook)
Cherry Run - 1 (1 Wild Brook)
Lawrence Brook - 1 (1 Stocked Brook)
Musconetcong River - 1 (1 Stocked Brown)
Neversink River - 1 (1 Wild Brown)
Yellow Breeches Creek - (1 Wild Brown)


Species Breakdown:

Brook Trout - 72
Wild - 57
Stocked - 15


Brown Trout - 72
Stocked - 48
Wild - 24


Rainbow Trout - 19
Stocked - 13
Wild - 5
Golden Rainbow - 1


Tiger Trout - 1
Wild - 1
Stocked - 0


Wild Trout - 87
Stocked Trout - 77


Trout 15+ Inches: 7


Angling Breakdown:


Fly Fishing Rod - 95 (34 Stocked Brown, 20 Wild Brown, 15 Wild Brook, 11 Stocked Rainbow, 9 Stocked Brook, 5 Wild Rainbow, 1 Stocked Golden Rainbow)

55 Stocked
40 Wild

Spinning Rod - 69 (42 Wild Brook, 14 Stocked Brown, 6 Stocked Brook, 4 Wild Brown, 2 Stocked Rainbow, 1 Wild Tiger)

47 Wild
22 Stocked


State Breakdown:
Pennsylvania - 98
New Jersey - 52
New York - 14