Pretentious Snobby Bastard Fly Fishing!

Fly Fishing Reports => Local Trip Reports => Topic started by: joe friday on January 03, 2022, 11:23:38 AM

Title: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: joe friday on January 03, 2022, 11:23:38 AM
My In-Laws live near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and we went to visit them over the new year's weekend.  I knew I didn't want to sit around the house for 3 days with lots of people I don't know very well, so I did some quick research and found a state forest with the PA equivalent to the the NC Blue Line.  They call it "Class A trout water" in the Keystone state.

It was about an hour's drive from their house to this creek in the Micheaux State Forest.  The creek isn't marked with signage like we have in NC for Wild Trout streams, and since it's so far away from most of us, I'll go ahead and say that it is referred to officially as a "run" rather than a creek.  A little bit of online research will put you on it if you want to visit and fish.

The "run" is intersected by a trail marked with these white blazes:

20211231_140115.jpg

The pools and pocket waters remind me very much of our NC blue line streams, but this particular run was not so steep, although quite rocky:

20211231_135244.jpg

The weather was unusually mild.  I think the temps were in the high 50s with overcast skies and no wind.  Climbing over the rocks and fishing kept me very warm. It felt good to be really hunting the fish, again. I started with a dry-dropper set up.  The fish were aggressively hitting my dry fly, so I cut off the nymph and let the dinky brookies go at it.  Lots of misses until I downsized my dry fly to something small enough for them to grab onto. 

Very shortly thereafter, I bagged my first Pennsylvania trout:

20211231_125413.jpg

They were all about the same size, but it was fun to see them hitting the fly, anyway.  This one hit and missed, then came back and got it on the 2nd try.

20211231_132441.jpg

I was standing in the run and happened to look down and saw this very blue rock in the water near my feet. Anyone know what type of rock this is?

20211231_135346.jpg

I finished with 5 trout and numerous misses, spooked a few I saw run for cover.  My day on the run gave me the strength to go back to the In-Laws' house and sit peacefully, while happily sipping Irish Whisky and listen to everyone else gossip about each other, and do all that family thing.   The food was edible, but up there the folks eat sauerkraut and pork roast instead of collards and black-eyed peas.  I do not approve of this as a substitute meal.
 
In sum, it was a good fishing trip.  I could not believe the warm weather.   

Tight lines to all and happy new year.




Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: Dee-Vo on January 03, 2022, 12:27:24 PM
The thing I dislike most about holidays are seeing and visiting the weird in-laws whom I don't know and never will care to.

Glad you got some on the dry. I visited PA for steelhead a few weeks ago. There's a creek or two there I'd like to get into.

Dry fly is my thing this year. I'm putting in the time this go-around.

That stone is gorgeous. I'm interested in seeing what it is.

Good show. Nice work. Sweet brookies.
Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: Dougfish on January 03, 2022, 13:12:51 PM
White blaze = Appalachian Trail.
Right hand wind guy.  'c;
Medalist 1492 1/2.  'c;
Starting the year off right. 'c;
Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: rbphoto on January 03, 2022, 13:39:53 PM
Nice little run there!  Brookies are such fun.

The stone looks like turquoise.  Definitely traces of it in PA.

Nice New Year's trip.

Raymond
Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: Fishbug on January 03, 2022, 13:41:11 PM
Medalist and right hand retrieve?!----Doug have two accounts?!

Kingman stone is my educated googled guess.

PA looks like a fishy state.

Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: Phil on January 04, 2022, 07:41:42 AM
Love brookies, no matter what size. Good work and pretty jewels (the rock is pretty too)!  'c;
Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: driver on January 04, 2022, 22:04:48 PM
Looks like typical PA brookie water. What town are they in? My in-laws are about an hour west of Harrisburg.
Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: joe friday on January 05, 2022, 04:51:17 AM
Quote from: driver on January 04, 2022, 22:04:48 PMLooks like typical PA brookie water. What town are they in? My in-laws are about an hour west of Harrisburg.

They actually live in Mechanicsburg, one block south of Trindle Road.  There's a PA fish hatchery about 2 blocks from their house. 

It's a pretty area.  I like Boiling Springs and Carlisle. 
Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: Stone-Man on February 01, 2022, 18:35:00 PM
That stone may be Malachite 

  JT
Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: Yallerhammer on February 02, 2022, 11:19:50 AM
How do you like that Classic Trout rod? I just bought one in 8'6" 3-wt, haven't had a chance to fish it yet.
Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: joe friday on February 07, 2022, 20:21:21 PM
Quote from: Yallerhammer on February 02, 2022, 11:19:50 AMHow do you like that Classic Trout rod? I just bought one in 8'6" 3-wt, haven't had a chance to fish it yet.

I found it to have a quicker action than I expected, so I do like it quite a lot.  I was using a fenwick glass rod, which I inherited, but found it a bit whippy.  I'll still use the fenwick from time-to-time.  I had paired the new rod with an older JC Higgins reel, earlier this summer for fishing up in the smokey mtns and enjoyed it.

OI000001.JPG
Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: Trout Maharishi on February 08, 2022, 01:34:19 AM
Do you cast left handed?
Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: joe friday on February 08, 2022, 04:47:13 AM
Quote from: Trout Maharishi on February 08, 2022, 01:34:19 AMDo you cast left handed?

No, Sir.
Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: Dougfish on February 08, 2022, 08:52:43 AM
Nicely done.

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Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: Beetle on February 08, 2022, 11:26:17 AM
Quote from: joe friday on February 08, 2022, 04:47:13 AM
Quote from: Trout Maharishi on February 08, 2022, 01:34:19 AMDo you cast left handed?

No, Sir.

That's good.    Left handed fly rods are impossible to find right now...
Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: Trout Maharishi on February 08, 2022, 16:54:06 PM
Quote from: Beetle on February 08, 2022, 11:26:17 AM
Quote from: joe friday on February 08, 2022, 04:47:13 AM
Quote from: Trout Maharishi on February 08, 2022, 01:34:19 AMDo you cast left handed?

No, Sir.

That's good.    Left handed fly rods are impossible to find right now...

I don't have that problem, I'm amphibious :cheers
Title: Re: Fishinng in the Keystone State -- Trip Report
Post by: Yallerhammer on February 11, 2022, 19:52:24 PM
Quote from: Trout Maharishi on February 08, 2022, 16:54:06 PM
Quote from: Beetle on February 08, 2022, 11:26:17 AM
Quote from: joe friday on February 08, 2022, 04:47:13 AM
Quote from: Trout Maharishi on February 08, 2022, 01:34:19 AMDo you cast left handed?

No, Sir.

That's good.    Left handed fly rods are impossible to find right now...

I don't have that problem, I'm amphibious :cheers
That's what I heard.  :laugh: