By 1840, Pittsburgh had grown into one of the largest cities west of the Allegheny Mountains in large part due to its production of iron, tin, glass, and brass products. In 1875, entrepreneur Andrew Carnegie opened the Edgar Thomson Works mills in Braddock, PA, along the shores of the Monongahela River. For the next century, […]
Steel City Trout: 3 Pittsburgh Area Streams Worth a Visit Read More »
I’d wager that the First Fork Valley in northcentral Pennsylvania is one of the most beautiful parts of the state. That is, after all, one of the reasons my wife and I decided to move here, so we could enjoy the mountains and this valley that always seems to take my breath away. Within
George B. Stevenson Dam: Fishing, Family, and Fun Read More »
The right fly can produce a banner day. The wrong fly can leave you fishless and frustrated. A few years ago, I was having a rough outing on Buffalo Creek Delayed Harvest in Butler County. Buffalo Creek is a mid-sized stream with a strong early spring flow. The stream had just been stocked two
Choosing and Using the Right Fly Read More »
When fishing for fall trout or Steelhead, an assortment of egg patterns deserves a place in every fly box. Eggs make up a huge part of the diets of these fish this time of year. At times, trout and Steelhead will gorge on them almost to the exclusion of everything else. Luckily for anglers,
Tips for Tying Killer Egg Patterns Read More »
True story. A few days ago, I was fishing with my buddy Dylon Hoelzli on Elk Creek near Erie, PA, and overhead a group of guys talking about how could there be so many fish in the streams, yet so few of them willing to bite. These five guys were bantering back and forth and
Favorite Steelhead Flies Read More »
In 1984, the United States Congress designated 8,663 acres in northwestern Pennsylvania as the Hickory Creek Wilderness. The purpose of this designation is to preserve and protect lands that have not been altered by human encroachment. Here there are no modern conveniences or facilities, only forest, and through it all runs a network of
Exploring the Hickory Creek Wilderness Read More »
Hopper fishing defies the most basic rules of fly casting. No need for those elegant, wistful casts, and nobody cares about the perfect, drag-free drift. These are big, gaudy patterns meant for chucking and ducking rather than soft presentations that flutter to the surface, but they catch trout, and sometimes lots of them. Grasshoppers,
Hoppers and Droppers, Oh My! Read More »
Bass thrive almost everywhere in the United States. Here in Pennsylvania, we’re fortunate to have generous populations of both largemouth and smallmouth in our lakes and rivers. No matter where bass are found, though, they all have one thing in common – they all like poppers. Types of Poppers and Color Selection Poppers come
Bass on the Fly: A Popper Primer Read More »
Earlier this spring, I purchased several brands of fly floatant to use in an experiment to see which ones worked best is specific situations. Keep in mind, this isn’t the same as testing how long each product keeps a fly afloat in a scientific setting. There was nothing scientific about my testing process. Rather, I
Is there Really “One Dry Fly Floatant to Rule Them All”? Read More »
Memorial Day Weekend started with a hard rain that brought the streams up to normal levels. In fact, over the years, I can recall more Memorial Day Weekends with rain than I can without. One thing I know for sure, though: rain or no rain, Memorial Day Weekend has always been one of my
Sulphurs in the Rain Read More »