Seven years ago this spring, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) implemented the first Keystone Select Trout Waters program. At the time, it was a novel idea: stock an abundance of above-average trout in 8 of the state’s most popular streams. The “original 8” streams were Neshannock Creek, Loyalhanna Creek, Laurel Hill Creek, First […]
Keystone Select Trout Waters, Seven Years Later Read More »
Kinzua Creek is a 26.5-mile tributary of the Allegheny Reservoir in northwestern Pennsylvania. The stream can be divided into two distinct sections with the line of demarcation between uninhabitable and habitable trout water being Kinzua Bridge State Park. Here Kinzua Creek basically transitions from a swampy, willow-lined mess into the beautiful mountain trout stream
Fly Fishing on Kinzua Creek Read More »
Provides a detailed exploration of Yellow Creek. A great introduction for anyone traveling to this stream for the first time.
PA’s Forgotten Limestoner: Yellow Creek, Bedford County Read More »
Spur of the moment fishing trips are the best. Like when my friend Brian Pitell called up on a Tuesday and asked if I’d be available to go fishing that weekend. “I have a reservation at Trout Haven to fish Spruce Creek,” Brian said. Long story short, another guy was supposed to go but canceled,
24 Hours on the “Real” Spruce Creek Read More »
Like many excursions, I ended up on a different stream than I set out for. My target had been Kettle Creek, and I had every intention of giving it a shot, but as I drove down past Ole Bull State Park, and past numerous vehicles squeezed into any and all available parking areas, I
The Cross Fork Experience Read More »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »