Intro | Slate Run | Cedar Run | Hatches | Tackle

Small-stream Tackle
In the early season the heavier stream flows on Slate and Cedar runs allow you to approach good holding water with relative ease and work with casts of 40 feet or less. Rods from seven to nine feet long with 4- to 6-weight lines are fine for early-season fishing, but as the season progresses and flows drop to summer levels, gin-clear water and spooky trout require a change in tactics. Lines in the 1- to 3-weight range work best for making the delicate presentations that are necessary to avoid spooking trout.

A combination of heavy fishing pressure and natural predators puts the runs' trout in a state of alert, so they scoot for cover at the slightest hint of danger. You need long leaders (12 feet or more, tapered to 6X to 8X), and you must approach the fish carefully--a real challenge, since they spook easily. Keep a low profile and move very slowly. To conceal your presence, wear drab-colored clothing that blends in with the greens, bleached tans and grays of the streamside.

Because they are mountain freestoners, Slate and Cedar can experience extreme variations in flow and temperature. With a lack of significant precipitation over a prolonged period these streams lose much of their flow, causing the trout to congregate in the deeper pools. They are highly susceptible to predation during drought conditions. I prefer to pursue opportunities elsewhere when the water is low and warm. With water temperatures as high as the mid-70s, trout become overly stressed and mortality rates can rise dramatically, even if anglers practice catch-and-release.

By mid-September water temperatures drop and stream levels are usually back to a more desirable level. While the resident trout of Slate and Cedar runs remain skittish, they are not impossible to catch.

Planning a Trip
The Pine Creek valley, Slate Run, and Cedar Run are within a five-hour drive of New York City, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland. With the popularity of these streams and the limited lodging facilities in the immediate area, you should make reservations well in advance. Lodging is available at the Blackwell Hotel in Blackwell, Cedar Run Inn in Cedar Run, and Hotel Manor in Slate Run. Other possibilities include the Penn Hotel at Morris, the Waterville Hotel at Waterville, and Happy Acres near Waterville. Wellsboro offers hotels, but it is farther from Slate and Cedar runs, but it's a good place to stay if you fish Pine Creek in Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon, a beautiful gorge with overlooks on both sides.

Camping facilities are available at Colton Point and Leonard Harrison state parks near Ansonia, Petticoat Junction Campground at Cedar Run, Pine Creek Campground at Slate Run, and Happy Acres Campground near Waterville.

Tom and Debbie Finkbiner, owners of Wolfe's General Store and Slate Run Tackle Shop, (717) 753-8551, can provide up-to-date information on stream conditions and hatch activity for the runs and Pine Creek. Another source of stream information is Fred Reese's Trout Shop in Jersey Shore, (717) 398-3016.

Guide services are available through Slate Run Tackle Shop and Don Bastian, (717) 998-2481, an independent guide and knowledgeable fly fisherman.

By mid-September water temperatures drop and stream levels are usually back to a more desirable level. While the resident trout of Slate and Cedar runs remain skittish, they are not impossible to catch.

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