Barry Beck

Pennsylvania | The South | Colorado | California

Pennsylvania's Winter Fishing
For optimal comfort in the winter, wear layers (see the March 2001 Fly Fisherman), good socks, and wading boots that don't constrict your feet, and always remember the age-old angling adage that holds true any time of the year-the best time to fish is when it is most comfortable for you to do so. In winter, this means warmer days when the air temperatures climb above freezing and the sun warms the water enough for midges to hatch and fish to move. Across the U.S., at least in the areas we cover in this article, this happens frequently enough in late November to March to keep us coming back for more.

In the winter, fish streamers and nymphs slow and deep through the pools. Fish also feed in shallow tailouts that warm quickly in the winter sun.

From the historic limestone spring creeks to the abundance of classic freestone streams, Pennsylvania is rich in trout water. Most of the special-regulations water scattered throughout the state is open year-round, and the extended trout season on most approved trout waters stays open until March 1.

Our favorite destinations for winter fly fishing in Pennsylvania are the limestone spring creeks. For the most part, these streams stay ice-free through the winter. Midge activity continues throughout the winter, and the trout respond accordingly.

The Little Lehigh's special-regulation area, located near Allentown, is a prime example. There is no wading allowed, which means you stay warmer by not being in the water. And most importantly, fish feed day in and day out on midge larvae, pupae, and adults. The special-regulation section is well stocked, so look carefully through polarized glasses in the flat areas and calmer water for sipping fish.

On the Little Lehigh, we cover the three stages of the midge life cycle with simple #20-24 black and gray imitations of the larva, pupa, and adult. Generally we fish midge larva and pupa imitations in or just under the surface film. We like to trail a pupa or larva 6 inches behind an adult pattern such as Basini's Hatching Midge, which keeps the trailed pattern close to or suspended in the film. The Hatching Midge's CDC wing and synthetic post act as a strike indicator, and the fly often takes its share of fish. If we can use only one fly and the fish are feeding close to the surface, we'll often cut an adhesive-backed strike indicator in half and attach it 6 inches above the larva or pupa. On this stream, we use 3- and 4-weight rods and a 9- to 10-foot tapered leader with 7X tippet.

Centre County's Spring Creek is another top destination for winter fly fishing, and the regulated section known as Fishermen's Paradise is a good place to begin. The Paradise section lays claim to being Pennsylvania's first fly-fishing-only section. Legendary anglers like George Harvey, Charlie Meck, and Joe Humphreys helped popularize the project. Like the Little Lehigh, Paradise allows no wading, has great midge fishing, and supports a wild-trout population.

A winter-caught rainbow.

Cressbug imitations (#16-18) tied with a dubbed body of muskrat or a gray synthetic material are mainstays in our fly boxes for fishing Spring Creek. We fish these patterns on or near the bottom of the stream and often use a strike indicator.

The water is not as clear as the Little Lehigh, and a slowly retrieved streamer can sometimes produce one of the larger Spring Creek browns. Black, olive, and tan Super Buggers (#6-8) are our favorite winter searching patterns. Black is usually our first choice, olive is second, and we use tan on streams with crayfish in them. These streamers sink quickly and look alive in the water, even with the slow retrieves that are often necessary when winter water temperatures drop into the 50s or lower.

The Allenberry Resort's sizable stretch of the Yellow Breeches near the small village of Boiling Springs is another prime winter destination. The Breeches, as it is affectionately referred to by the host of regulars, produces some large fish thanks to the stocking programs from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) and the Yellow Breeches Anglers & Conservation Association. Top-notch anglers such as Ed Shenk and Tom Baltz have developed a host of patterns to deal with the resident trout. Shenk's Old Ugly has fooled more than one trophy fish, while Baltz is a wizard with the small stuff.

For guide Tom Baltz (Angling Adventures, 717-486-7438), the key to successfully fishing to midge-feeding fish on the Yellow Breeches is to watch where the fish feed in the water column. If they are not on or near the surface, Baltz recommends fishing a midge pupa or a small red worm imitation on the bottom. A conventional red Brassie or The Weapon will work. He also carries The Weapon in olive and brown to match midge larvae.

Basini Hatching Midge

Hook: #18-24 TMC 2487. Body: Gray Turkey or goose biot. Thorax: Grayish-brown dubbing. Wing: Natural CDC. Post: Antron or similar synthetic.

If fish are feeding at the surface, then Baltz uses an olive or black I.C.S.I. (I Can See It) Midge in #20-24. He also recommends using an L.T.S., a No-Name Midge, or a Gray Hackle Peacock (#24-28) if you notice fish feeding on spent midges in the surface film.

Baltz reports that little dark stoneflies (#14-16) hatch on warm, sunny afternoons on the Breeches in late February to March. On such days, fish the riffles with a dark-bodied Elk-hair Caddis or Stimulator for a change of pace from deep-winter midge fishing.

Another good place to fish is the little run that leaves the lake at Boiling Springs and eventually enters the Breeches. It's a short stretch of water but remains ice free and fishes well throughout the winter. Wading is allowed on the Yellow Breeches.

The Allenberry Resort is a short walk from the stream and offers the luxury of hot coffee, an excellent menu, and overnight accommodations.

Other limestone streams in the state, such as Clinton County's Fishing Creek, Penns Creek, the Letort, and Franklin County's Falling Spring Branch, are all good options. Big Spring in Newville is coming back since the hatchery closed down. Check with the local fly shops or log on to www.flyfisherman.com for up-to-date fishing reports and stream conditions.

Most freestone streams in Pennsylvania can also fish well in the winter. One of our favorites is our home stream, Fishing Creek, in the northeastern part of the state. Fishing Creek flows out of the Sullivan County mountains and runs south to the Susquehanna River near Bloomsburg. It has a new delayed harvest area, just north of the town of Benton, that is open year-round and stocked by both the PFBC and a local club.

Fishing Creek's delayed-harvest area just north of Benton, Pennsylvania, is open year-round and stocked by both the PFBC and a local club.

With the cold water temperatures, it's almost always necessary to put your fly right in front of the trout. Freestone fish are not going to move quickly or far in this cold water for something to eat. We rely on olive-bodied caddis larva patterns or a slowly retrieved black Super Bugger fished on the bottom to do the job. If we get a January thaw, midges or early little black stoneflies may hatch in significant numbers to bring fish to the surface.

If the cold weather is late and the air temperatures stay above freezing, many PFBC-stocked lakes offer exciting fishing. The PFBC normally initiates a winter stocking program for ice fishing, but if the lakes or even part of them remain open, they are good locations for fly fishing. Columbia County's Briar Creek Lake is a prime example. Owned and maintained by the Commission, it regularly receives a winter stocking. Sinking-tip lines and streamers will take fish as long as the lake remains ice-free. Check conditions on these lakes before you make the trip.

Basini Pupa

The PFBC's summary of fishing regulations and laws that comes with your Pennsylvania fishing license gives you a complete list of trout waters open to winter fishing.

We rely almost exclusively on two midge designs by Montana tier Buzz Busini. If you're not a fly tier, you can contact him at The Spring Creek Specialist, (406) 222-5664.

Barry and Cathy Beck's latest books are Pennsylvania Blue-Ribbon Fly-Fishing Guide (Amato) and Cathy Beck's Fly-Fishing Handbook (The Lyons Press). They live in Benton, Pennsylvania.

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