Off season

This weekend was in Fayette County. For past 50 years mostly Potter and Clinton County. My favorite place is Potter. Hasn't changed since I first went as a kid in the late 60's. Same roads, rocks, pools, cabins, general stores. Like it has been stuck in time. A pleasure compared to the uncontrolled growth here in Ohio.
 
Sounds like a paradise place. Will put that place on the trout bucket list.

Great photos of your dog and great job on the wood duck boxes
 
I spent 8 years in NC. Chapel Hill, Winston Salem, and Elizabeth City. Used to fish I believe the Snowbird and there was a Trout Unlimited stream bout an hour NW of Winston Salem that had monster trout. I actually fished it when it was private before it sold to TU. That was 70's. "Deliverance" came out and I fished with trepidation and tight waders for a couple years after.
 

Very good work with the Wood Duck Boxes.


Potter County - "God's Country". Know it (and surrounding counties) very well. I was going to move to Galeton, upon retiring. Instead I'm a hour and forty min. north, in NY. The only thing that has changed down there, are some of the very good small fly shops are gone. Jack's Tackle in West Pike, PA was my favorite, and sitting out on the bench in front of Smitty's Sports & Country Store, on Rt. 6 in Gaines.

Best Green Drake hatch I ever witnessed was on Big Pine, at Owassee Rapids. What a sight.

Hopefully I'll get down there this year, but it's tough to leave rising trout, to go find rising trout. I do miss the Rainbows, as it is mostly Browns and some Brookies here.

Life sure is good isn't it.
 
With the natural gas drilling there have been a lot of changes in Potter Co. Nothing too dramatic but the roads and infrastructure have been steadily improving and it's getting easier to get to the places only those of us willing to go off the beaten path could find before. Less dirt roads, more cell service... modern life is creeping in. Still plenty of good fishing though! We've got a place in the village of Conrad near Cherry Springs state park and there has been a lot more tourist activity there the last couple years as well.
 
If you stop at the fly fishing only section of Kettle Creek up above Cross Forks you will see the plaque for "Frenchy". I was present for the dedication. He was one of the old time fly fishermen back when most were worm fishing. I met him at his house in the mid sixties and watched him tie flies. Still have the vivid memory of him sitting at his bench in his plaid wool shirt. Quite an experience for a young teenager getting his first exposure to the mountain streams and a fly rod. In the 50's and 60's was a small group of guys taking up fly fishing and they seemed to know each other. Always thought that was really cool.View attachment photo (26).JPG
 

Same thing happened in ANF, my old hunting playground. So many damn roads a guy can no longer get "turned around."

Cherry Springs State Park. Do they still have the Woodsman Carnival there?

Man that used to be a good time. Watched a man with a very small chainsaw, cut out a Beautiful Ruffed Grouse in a short amount of time, right before our eyes. Camped out in a tent and could see a zillion stars, which is rare in the East.

I always check whats going on in PA. Read that 5 bear over 700lbs. were killed during Bear season. A man I grew up with shot a 780lbs bear in Forest County, Howe township, where we used to hunt. That is one Big Bear! Hope he had lots of buddies to help him get it to the check station.
 
Vince,

I'm not sure about the Woodsman's Carnival. I remember going to it years ago. Cherry Springs Park is now a state run observatory with many telescopes and skygazing events. Supposed to be one of the premier places in the east.
 
Been awhile since I fished Kettle Creek at the fly area. Most times it was to crowded and we would go to open water and find plenty of fish to catch and release. Always stopped at Phil B's fly shop, to see what kind of a mood he was in.[;)]

You have some very good history there, and that is what makes our lifestyle so wonderful. Will have to check out that plaque the next time I'm there. Thanks for the info.
 
They had the festival the first weekend past August. Didn't go to the festival, rather hit the streams. I like August as the low water creates more difficult fishing, but that and the fear of snakes keeps most the fisherman away. I'll take my chances with those two issues over having to deal with crowded streams.

I learned this trip about the Rattlesnake round ups the firefighters had before the eighties to make money for their departments. My understanding is that they would have a pair of people in a pit that had to get three rattlesnakes (out of a dozen) into a burlap bag with only the bag, nothing else. Scored on style points as well as the three snakes. Since antivenom was so expensive, they only had one vial. Once someone was bitten, contest over. Read a newspaper clipping from I believe 1986 that legislation stopped the contests due to it being cruel to the snakes. No kidding.
 
It's good to know they still have the festival. It's not often that folks get to see the pros in action. August is still good fishing here for cold and warm water fish. On many days I get to do both.


Have you ever stopped in Gaines, PA where they make the famous Gaine's Poppers? A box of Sneaky Pete's, and one of my 6wt's and I'm good to go. Big Pine has some good Fall Fish and SM Bass fishing when it gets to warm for trout. Night fishing produces some bruiser Browns


Roger on the Rattle Snake Round Up info.

I had a very good friend that would attend each year until it was stopped. Jake Bingle was his mentor, and John would hunt with Jake.

Now the snakes are protected, and well so. Every time I fished Slate, or Cedar Run, I was very careful as to where I put my hands. In fact I do it every where I fish up here. Your in their house and I gotta respect that.
 
I live in Somerset, right over the hill from Fayette! We fish it often.

I fish Potter a lot too, especially Kettle Creek. Heading to Penn's this spring for the Green Drake Hatch!
 
Haven't stopped in Gaines, but will check it out. Sounds like I'm missing something. Not fished Pine, Slate, or Cedar. Have checked them out but tend to head back to the little brookie streams. I'm sure something we need to do also.

Thanks for the tips. My friend and I go the first weekend of August each year now. Hadn't been over for 30 years and started going back 5 years ago. Short but sweet and my favorite trip of the year. Hoping to go a time or two more but 7 hours from home.
 
Years ago I made it a mission to fly fish as many of the trout streams in North Central PA as I could. Bought all the books, old maps and away I went.

At the time I was living in Western PA, snug up against the Ohio line. Upper Big Pine was 6 hours away. The solution was for me to rent a small cabin for 2 weeks or more, and fish until I dropped. Those were wonderful times, and my old Toyota 4-Runner got me places that I wanted to be. If I was there in May I also hunted Spring Turkey.

If you enjoy small bushwacking streams, give the Genesee Forks a shot. Also into Tioga Co. the Asaph Runs (3 of them). The Beware Poisonous Snakes sign (if still there) will make you think.

There are several good books about the area.Trout Streams of PA by Dwight Landis is a good start, if you like seeing and fishing new (to you) streams.


Best regards
VP
 
Have you fished Camp Run in Fayette? Listed as a brook trout enhancement stream. I drove and checked it out where it crosses 381. Seems really small but curious if you've tried it.
 
I haven't fished Camp Run. We mainly float the Yough from Confluence to Ohiopyle, and fish the Yough tribs around Ohiopyle.
Most of my fishing is closer to Somerset or up north in the other streams you guys are talking about.
 
I saw Dunbar Creek is a fly fishing only catch and release. Any chance you know anything about it?

I've thought about a float trip on the Yough, would you recommend?

Thanks for your insights.
 
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