Clear Creek State Forest

I pulled into the trailhead parking lot and grabbed my gear. Not too much is required for this type of trip. My rod, reel, one small fly box, a water bottle, and a few items stowed in the pockets of my cargo shorts is all that is needed. My waders are hanging up at home. Hiking boots, wool socks, and shorts are the way to go today. There will be a lot of hiking ahead. When I’m finally fishing the stream stealth and presentation will matter most. If I’m lacking in either of those two areas no catalog full of gear will matter.

I fish this stream a few times a year. It’s not too far away from home and it makes for a relaxing day in the forest. Most of the brook trout here are small but the stream also holds a few really nice trout. There are brook trout in this small stream that have grown to 8 inches and larger. However, these fish are very hard to catch. The dinks will bite all day but the truly nice brook trout are much more cautious. The possibility of catching one of these larger brook trout is one of the things that make this stream so attractive.

After hiking my way to the stream I strung up my rod and went to work. I proceeded very slowly upstream. I covered ever inch of pocket water, every pool, and every undercut bank. The catching was on the slow side but I was hooking in to a few. Then I got lucky. I cast a Grizzly Wulff into the center of a nice, deep pool with a glass like surface. A trout picked the fly off the surface barely making a ring. I set the hook and quickly realized that this fish was better than average for the creek. After a quick fight and a photo the fish was back in the water. I estimate the fish between 9-1/2” to 10”. This was the highlight of the day.

As I continued upstream I noticed a few of these dragon flies going from the nymph stage to the adult stage. I would have never thought that these insects would be in this stream. I thought they would be more of a warm water insect. I thought they were interesting so I snapped a few photos.

As it became later in the day and things warmed up, a nice day on the stream quickly became not so pleasant. I experienced swarms of biting flies and very annoying gnats that I have never experienced on this stream before. It was truly awful. Trying to focus on fishing was nearly impossible. Standing still for more than a couple seconds was becoming a bad idea. I spend a great deal of time fishing in remote areas and this was much worse than normal. Unfortunately, I did not have any insect repellant with me and I was rapidly becoming the main dish for every insect in the forest. The situation finally became so bad I decided to head back to my Cherokee. I could have continued but I certainly was not having a good time anymore. Even this poor little guy was not immune from the annoyance of the insects. You can see them on his back and head.

Here's another picture of the newt. I think these things are way cool looking. Sorry it's a little fuzzy in areas. I can't control the depth of field with my pocket digital.
After four miles of quick hiking I was back at my Cherokee. Not more than a few minutes’ later thunderstorms rolled in and it started raining very hard. I had made it out just in time.


Packmule

Memorial Day Weekend Fishing

The curiosity can really get the best of me. What starts as a harmless, thin blue line on a map rapidly turns into an obsession. There are questions that must be answered. Will there be trout? If there are, will they be plentiful? Will there be any size to them? Will the stream have good structure? Does the stream see much pressure? Of course the only way to accurately answer these questions is to journey to that thin blue line. If all goes well the trout are present and willing to show themselves. The stream will be more beautiful than you hoped. And if you are really lucky, there might just be an absence, or at least minimal numbers, of human foot prints.

I was dead set on hitting a new stream last weekend. Unfortunately, obligations took over my Saturday and Sunday afternoon. I thought Monday was going to see worse weather than it did so Sunday morning was my only shot. So, Sunday morning I grabbed my gear and headed out.

After spending some time trying to find the correct unmarked forest road I finally arrived. The stream is away from the nearest road by at least a mile so it can’t be viewed from the road. After departing from my Jeep and walking for a short while in what should be the right direction I finally heard running water. I was in the right area.

When you get into a hurry you can make mistakes. My mistake was not bringing a topographical map. I had a forest service map with me but that only told me where the stream was. What the service map did not tell me was that I was soon to be traveling down a nearly vertical gorge. If you are going to go searching out wild trout streams always bring a topo map. It will let you know the easiest way into an area and can save you a lot of trouble.

After making the descent I could not have been more pleased with what I found. The stream was full of deep pulls, log jams, and everything else you could ask for in a brook trout stream. The stream offered plenty of places for fish to hide. Here’s one of the photos I took while I was there. Unfortunately I was so focused on fishing I forgot to take many photos.


I hiked down to the mouth of the stream and then fished my way up into the headwaters catching numerous brookies along the way. All fish were caught using a size 14 Royal Wulff. Most of what I caught was on the small side but I did see a few nice ones. Having limited time to fish I was not proceeding nearly slowly enough and certainly did not fish the stream for all it was worth. However, I satisfied my curiosity with the stream and will be back to fish it again.


Monday I planned to catch up on some of school work for the week ahead. I woke up, looked at the textbook setting on the desk, and then proceeded gather my fishing gear and head for Neshannock Creek. The weather was far too nice to stay home. So much for the forecasted thunderstorms.


I arrived to find the water very clear but with good flow. The stream was in great shape. Although there were several types of insects coming off the water the fish were not in the rising mood. I don’t think there was enough of any one type of insect to get things going, and the insects were appearing at random.


I gained a fishing buddy during the day. I first noticed the snake when I looked down and it was at my feet. The snake must have crossed in front of me 4-6 times before it stopped to sun bathe on the rocks not more than ten feet from where I was fishing.


The fish were feeding in deeper water but offerings did not need to be dragging on the rocks. I fished at approximately ½ - ¾ the depth of the water. I started with nymphs but moved on to streamers. Size 8 bead head olive Woolly Buggers were the hot fly of the day. I ended up catching quite a few fish in the couple hours I was there. A few nice heavy ones too. All fish caught were rainbows.


















I hope you enjoyed the report. I enjoyed living it.



Packmule

Western PA Wild Brown Trout

With high winds and thunderstorms in the weather report I decided to fish for trout somewhere close to home that would be sheltered from the wind. Fortunately, not more that 40 miles from my home, I have just the place to go. And the best part, the fish are wild.


When I arrived at the stream I could tell the water level was up. However, the clarity looked good. When I started the two mile hike to the mouth of the stream the sun was out and there was no rain in site. Five minutes into the hike there was a down poor. By the time I reached the mouth of the stream the water was up and slightly murkier. Not really dirty, but not gin clear like normal.


The stream itself is mostly cut through solid rock. Just about every surface in the gorge is moss covered very slick, sandstone. In some places the gorge gets very narrow and requires climbing along the side to avoid deep turbulent slots of water in the center. There are also numerous log jams, some piled quite high, which must be climbed over. There is no way to walk around them. The gorge can be very narrow in areas with near vertical walls. This stream is probably the most hazardous place I fish. But it's also one of the most beautiful.


The trout within this gorge are among the most skittish fish I have ever pursued. I've landed casts that I thought were near perfect using a 2-weight with a long leader and have sent these trout swimming for cover. I normally fish only dry flies here. In most areas dries are clearly the way to go. They can be easily cast under extremely low branches and cause the least amount surface disruptions. However, there are a few nice, deep pools that I will go subsurface if nothing is coming up. Usually I'm rewarded.


Unfortunately for me dries were not the ticket on Saturday. There were plenty of bugs in the air but I saw only one fish rising. Despite having seen sulfurs, hendricksons, and BWO's the fish were not in the mood for surface dining. The higher water with stronger currents was probably providing an underwater buffet for the trout. Plus, the off colored water wasn't helping.


The green weenie came to the rescue and provided me with the first hook-up with ten minutes of fishing. The green weenie is one of my favorite sub-surface flies on small wild trout streams. It rarely lets me down.



By the time I reached the area of the stream near the trail head it was once again sunny and the water was clearing up. I only caught a few fish but that never seams to mater on this stream. It's an enjoyable day even when I get skunked.


Packmule

Welcome to the Adventures of Packmule

Hello everybody. Let me start by saying I really, really like to be outdoors. My favorite pastime is fly fishing for wild trout in remote locations. Whether it is a day hike or a backpacking trip I really like getting away from populated areas and enjoying nature. In the upcoming entries I plan to discuss all things fly fishing, backpacking, and other areas of my outdoor interests.

During the week I live a somewhat busy life. I'm a plant manager for a manufacturing facility and a MBA student. I truly value the time I spend outdoors and try to get away as much as possible. A few days away from populated areas and the stresses of everyday life fishing for native brook trout does wonders for my outlook on life.

I hope everyone enjoys my future posts and thanks for dropping by.

Packmule