[Mike J]

Last week I was in Pennsylvania and took a day out on one of their spring creeks--the Yellow Breeches, west of Harrisburg. Started with nymphs in the morning lower on the river:

I managed to pull up half a dozen decent browns like this one, and a couple rainbows as well.

Took a break for lunch when a thunderstorm rolled through (the one that delayed the US Open), then drove upstream and threw dries in a pretty technical stretch of water. Very calm, slow moving, so unlike most of our rivers here (maybe it was like Rocky Ford, but I haven't fished there). I had to shuffle and wade slowly and creep up on the fish so as not to spook them. I'm no ballet dancer, but I surprisingly still fooled a couple more.

It was a great day, and an interesting change from the fast and deep rivers I usually fish.

 

[Alosa]

Always nice to hear about fishing in other areas of the country. Thanks for this.

 

[3356]

I grew up about an hour and 15 minute drive north of the Yellow Breeches and fished it quite often after getting a car. I've not been to it since I left Pennsylvania for Montana in 1978, but the water in your photo is water I knew well. it doesn't look like it changed much since I last fished it in the spring of 1978. There is a lot of very nice water within an hour of Harrisburg. About 30 minute north is Big Spring Creek, it is a gem with some surprisingly large browns and rainbows in it. Go fish the Little Juniata River if you get the chance, or travel a bit further north and fish Penn's Creek while your there. And don't forget giving the large river known as the Susquahanna a try for smallmouth bass.

 

[MT_Flyfisher]

Much of the best fly fishing on the Yellow Breeches is on a privately owned section of the stream that flows through the Allenberry Resort and Playhouse in Boiling Springs, PA. Perhaps that is the section that you fished?

For many years, the Allenberry Resort has allowed public access to fishermen and that stretch of Yellow Breeches Creek is near the top of the most popular fly fishing destinations in PA.

After efforts in recent months to sell the Allenberry resort failed to secure a deal, the Heinz family who own the resort are selling Allenberry at auction about a month from now. The future of the site with respect to fishing remains unknown at this time. There are concerns, rumors, and speculation in the Cumberland Valley (PA) fly fishing community. As of now, Cumberland Valley TU are developing contingency plans to re-locate the popular youth camp and PA fly fishing museum located there if this becomes necessary. In the meantime, nothing is set in stone. A loss of public access would be a real blow to the fly fishing community.

On the subject of other nearby PA fly fishing locations, one would be remiss in not mentioning the fabled Letort Spring Creek, just several miles away, in Carlisle, PA. Much of our fly fishing heritage, knowledge and techniques originated there by well known fly fishers and authors, including Vince Marinaro, Charles Fox, Ed Shank and others.

John