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 »
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 »
As I pulled into the parking area within Old Mill Park, I saw a guy downstream netting a trout. In the time it took me to string up my fly rod and tug on my waders, he’d landed and released two more fish. I crossed the creek and ended up at a pool down
I stopped at the Neshannock Creek Fly Shop on my way to Cool Spring Creek to replenish some fly tying supplies. When the guy behind the counter asked if I was going fishing, I made the mistake of telling him I was headed up to Cool Spring Creek. He said a few guys he talked
Chillin’ on the Cool Spring Creek DHALO Read More »
A diamond in the rough, that’s how a fellow fly fisherman described Deer Creek in Allegheny County. But diamond may be a bit too generous. It’s more like a cubic zirconia. It looks good and fishes well, but it’ll never make anyone’s list of top 10 fly fishing destinations. And that’s okay. Not every
