Fly Fishing Central PA's Yellow Breeches Creek and Old Town Run

Last year I fly fished the Yellow Breeches for the first time. The spot was recommended by a Maryland fly fisherman who attends my fiancee's church. I instantly loved it. While the numerous trout, catch and release restrictions, and beautiful town are all lovely, it is the cold, clear spring water that won me over. Ever since I first fished Penns Creek, I've been fascinated by limestone spring streams. And although I understand the geology responsible for their existence, I am still taken aback by their consistent temperature and their unique color.

The area around Boiling Springs is especially interesting. The Yellow Breeches Creek receives cold water from Old Town Run, a spring-fed tributary that delivers icy 50 degree water to the main river. In addition, this network of catch-and-release waterways is supported by the Yellow Breeches Anglers & Conservation Association. All of this combines to form a superior trout fishery that stays productive year-round.

On my way back from Ohio, I exited off of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and drove to Boiling Springs. I started at the Old Town Run. Throwing inch-worm patterns under the trees enticed a few looks, but not many hits. A few more fish seemed interested in an ant pattern, but, again, none took. Finally, I switched to a san juan worm. The fish went crazy. I took three in the Run, and three in the Yellow Breeches before losing the fly. I caught six trout in the 90 minutes I spent on the water: three browns, two rainbows, and one brook (all were likely stocked, although the brookie was a beautiful fish).


Image #1 - Old Town Run and Yellow Breeches Confluence
Image #2 - Rainbow trout from the Run
Image #3 - Looking upstream


Overall Total: 110

River Breakdown:

Teetertown Brook - 18 (18 Wild Brook)
Raritan River, South Branch - 12 (8 Stocked Rainbow, 3 Stocked Brown, 1 Wild Brown)
Marshalls Creek - 8 (8 Wild Brook)
Swift River - 6 (3 Stocked Rainbow, 2 Stocked Brown, 1 Stocked Brook)
Elk Creek - 5 (5 Wild Brown)
Elk River - 5 (3 Stocked Rainbow, 1 Stocked Brook, 1 Wild Brown)
Penns Creek - 5 (5 Wild Brown)
Spring Creek - 5 (4 Wild Rainbow, 1 Wild Brown)
Stony Brook - 4 (4 Stocked Rainbow)
Paulinskill River - 4 (2 Stocked Brook, 2 Stocked Rainbow)
Rockaway Creek - 4 (4 Wild Brown)
Bushkill Creek - 3 (2 Stocked Rainbow, 1 Stocked Brown)
Clear Fork of the Mohican River - 3 (3 Stocked Brown Trout)
Fishing Creek - 3 (3 Wild Brown)
Lost Cove Creek - 3 (2 Wild Rainbow, 1 Wild Brook)
Old Town Run - 3 (2 Stocked Brown, 1 Stocked Rainbow)
Yellow Breeches Creek - 3 (1 Stocked Brook, 1 Stocked Brown, 1 Stocked Rainbow)
Brodhead Creek - 2 (1 Stocked Brown, 1 Wild Brown)
Hickory Run - 2 (2 Wild Brook)
Little Brook - 2 (2 Wild Brook)
Roaring Run - 2 (2 Wild Brook)
Big Gunpowder Falls River - 1 (1 Wild Brown)
Little Glade Creek - 1 (1 Wild Brook)
Mill Creek - 1 (1 Wild Brook)
Mud Run - 1 (1 Wild Brook)
Poplar Run - 1 (1 Wild Brook)
Schooley's Mountain Brook - 1 (1 Wild Brook)
Trout Brook - 1 (1 Wild Brook)
White Deer Creek - 1 (1 Stocked Brook)


Species Breakdown:

Brook Trout - 44
Wild - 38
Stocked - 6

Brown Trout - 37
Wild - 23
Stocked - 14

Rainbow Trout - 29
Stocked - 23
Wild - 6


Wild Trout - 67
Stocked Trout - 43


Trout 15+ Inches: 10


Fly Breakdown:
Olive Wooly Bugger, size 14 - 23 (22 Wild Brook, 1 Wild Brown)
Bead-head Pheasant Tail Nymph, size 14 - 10 (8 Stocked Rainbow, 2 Stocked Brown)
Green Weenie, size 12 - 6 (3 Stocked Rainbow, 2 Stocked Brown, 1 Stocked Brook)
San Juan Worm, size 12 - 6 (3 Stocked Brown, 2 Stocked Rainbow, 1 Stocked Brook)
Tan Caddis, size 14 - 5 (5 Wild Brown)
Green Weenie, size 14 - 4 (2 Stocked Brown, 2 Wild Rainbow)
Sulphur dun, size 16 - 4 (2 Wild Rainbow, 1 Wild Brook, 1 Stocked Rainbow)
Bead-head Copper John Nymph, size 16 - 3 (3 Wild Brook)
Black Caddis, size 14 - 3 (2 Wild Brown, 1 Stocked Brown)
Gummy Stonefly, size 14 - 3 (2 Wild Brown, 1 Stocked Rainbow)
Bead-head Black Stonefly Nymph, size 10 - 2 (1 Stocked Brown, 1 Stocked Rainbow)
Brown Stonefly nymph, size 10 - 2 (1 Stocked Brook, 1 Stocked Rainbow)
Bead-head Green Weenie, size 14 - 1 (1 Stocked Brook)
Bead-head Hare's Ear Nymph, size 14 - 1 (1 Stocked Rainbow)
Brown Wooly Bugger, size 14 - 1 (1 Wild Brown)
Blue Quill, size 16 - 1 (1 Wild Brown)
Blue Winged Olive, size 18 - 1 (1 Wild Rainbow)
Golden Stonefly, size 8 - 1 (1 Wild Brown)
Light Cahill, size 16 - 1 (1 Wild Brown)
Scud, size 16 - 1 (1 Wild Rainbow)
Sulphur dun, size 14 - 1 (1 Wild Brown)
Wet Ant, size 14 - 1 (1 Stocked Brown)


Angling Breakdown:

Fly Fishing Rod - 81 (26 Wild Brook, 18 Stocked Rainbow, 15 Wild Brown, 12 Stocked Brown, 6 Wild Rainbow, 4 Stocked Brook)
Spinning Rod - 29 (12 Wild Brook, 8 Wild Brown, 5 Stocked Rainbow, 2 Stocked Brook, 2 Stocked Brown)


State Breakdown:
New Jersey - 48
Pennsylvania - 41
North Carolina - 9
Massachusetts - 6
Ohio - 3
Virginia - 2
Maryland - 1