It was a foggy, rainy Saturday morning when Greg Wickline and I headed to the Allegheny National Forest (ANF). Salmon Creek and a few other area streams had recently been stocked. We had options, which isn’t always a good thing because it made us indecisive about where to spend the bulk of the day. All […]
A 3-Stream Tour of the Allegheny National Forest Read More »
Once mid-May rolls around, I change up my tandem rigs a little bit. Rather than use an egg pattern as the point fly, I prefer the simple but effective Walt’s Worm or Sexy Walt. And if I had to choose just one, I’d take the Sexy Walt tied on a jig-style hook with a silver
In the Fly Box: Walt’s Worm and the Sexy Walt Read More »
Water levels have been so low the past year that I almost forgot how good Buffalo Creek can look with a little meat on its bones. The recent hard rain had done it good, and although it still wasn’t particularly high, it was at least at normal flows. I stripped out some line and
Perfect Conditions for Big Trout on Buffalo Creek Read More »
Emergers and cripple flies are terms used to describe several types of fly patterns that aren’t meant to ride hide on the water’s surface like traditional, catskill-style dry fly patterns. Rather, they float along in the film where they appear helpless, making them an easy target for feeding trout. During every fly hatch, a
How to Fish Emergers and Cripple Flies Read More »
The Mayfly Project began with one angler’s struggles with anxiety. Jess Westbrook has been fly fishing since he was 6 years old, but it wasn’t until 2014 that he discovered the healing power of fishing. Jess and Laura Westbrook started The Mayfly Project to take a local group of children fly fishing. He reached
The Mayfly Project Read More »
The world of a fly fisher revolves around mayflies. Visit some streams during certain times of year, such as late May when the Green Drake hatch typically appears, and conversations among anglers likely revolve around when these flies will appear, if they’ll appear, have they appeared, or is the best yet to come. There’s just
Mayfly Life Cycle: From Nymph to Dun to Spinner Read More »
Scroll through many fly fishing forums on social media and you’ll soon see someone who has posted a trout photo and asked if it was a wild or stocked brown. If you want a good laugh, read the responses. Many times, the answers will be split 50/50, which leads me to believe that most people
Wild Brown or Stocked? Know the Difference Read More »
I followed Route 453 South from Tyrone, glancing down at the Little Juniata River flowing low and clear in the early morning light. For years, I’ve been threatening to fish it, and this was finally the day – or so I thought. But after making a few turns and heading into Spruce Creek the
Wire to Wire on Spruce Creek Read More »
There’s a ritual to arriving at camp. I unlock the door and step inside where it’s nice and cool and the air has that familiar, camp smell. Turn on the electric, fire up the wall heater, and bring in whatever I need from the truck. And then it’s time for the best part, the
Home Waters: First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek Read More »
Drag kills. Drag can ruin a perfectly fine presentation and mean the difference between a catch and a refusal. The worst part of it is that sometimes you don’t even realize it’s happening. We’ve all been there. We know what’s hatching, we know what the trout are keying on, and we even have the
Dry Fly Fishing Tips: 3 Considerations for Drag-Free Drifts Read More »