This certainly has been one of the more popular questions asked at PaFlyFish.com. Truthfully the answer is bigger than the question and one worth exploring. There are hundreds of fantastic streams for all types of anglers in Pennsylvania. A little homework will yield you your own personal hot spots.

PaFlyFish.com is chocked full of maps, tips, news, stories and conversations already at you fingertips. Pennsylvania is a sizable state so starting with the Pa Trout Streams section under the site menu is a good place to begin. There are six regions with hundreds of stocked and special regulation streams that are ideal for fly fishing. Take advantage of the maps to explore the areas you want to travel.

A little searching with some of those new stream names in the forums and stream reports can usually yield a string of information. A host of highly regarded authors can be found in the Fly Fishing Books section. Some good old fashion book reading is worth some time.

A quick trek to the PFBC website can offer an additional collection of streams and detailed regulations.

Finally, time with your local fly shop and Trout Unlimited Chapter are wonderful places to meet up with others. They can provide any number of classes, workshops, and conservation opportunities.

With the arm chair work complete go explore the state. Some of the best places you’ll find will likely be the ones you didn’t set out for when you got started. There may not be an easy button here, but the journey is part of the catch.

Harrisburg, PA - Fish and Boat Commission Executive Director Doug Austen and Fisheries Management Chief Dave Miko will be the guests tonight on PCN’s live call-in program from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The program allows PCN viewers to speak directly with government officials and newsmakers on current issues affecting the Commonwealth.

Please check your local TV listings for the PCN channel in your area. Viewers may ask questions by dialing PCN’s toll-free number at 1-877-726-5001.

Classic results- mostly I beleive they are a secret because some people dont fish there.

Humm, looked like there might be some members who do not think the stream reports are a good idea. But then again 11% think they rule so are the results really reliable. I use stream reports for entertainment purposes.

Mark your gear
Easy enough to do, but often overlooked is marking your gear with a phone number. There is nothing worse than losing a flybox or leaving your vest in the brush and then driving home. Simple solution is a putting you phone number on all you gear with a Sharpie.

Practice casting
Take some time and tie a small piece of red yarn at the end of your fly line and give it a go in the backyard before you head out. This works well if this is your first time out or you have not gone out since last June. Confidence is king.

Know your knots
Practice and know when and where to use some of the basic fly knots. An Improved Clinch and Blood knots get me through many situations. Check out Grog's fishing knot index for more help.

Wednesday the House of Representatives passed the Ominbus Public Lands Bill with a final vote of 285-140. This sweeping public-lands bill protects millions of acres of habitat for fish and wildlife. The bills passage will touch the Salmon Wilderness in southern Oregon to Wild Monongahela Wilderness in West Virginia and many more locations across the United States.

Trout Unlimited as well as many outdoor and sporting organizations lauded the news with resounding support across the country. Trout Unlimited posted a press release providing more details to anglers.

Dwight is the author of the highly acclaimed book, Trout Streams of Pennsylvania: An Angler's Guide. He currently resides in Bellefonte, in Centre County, near Spring Creek.

Dave interviewed Dwight in March, 2009.




1 - Dave: Please tell me how and when you got started into flyfishing.

Dwight: My parents took us kids pond fishing for bluegills, beginning at a very early age. We fished with with no reels, just black nylon line wrapped around a bamboo pole, a big red & white bobber, hook and worms. I loved it, and still enjoy bluegill fishing today.

When I was about 14, two friends in the same grade in school were getting into flyfishing, and introduced me to it, and showed me the basics. They told me to buy a Fenwick fiberglass rod (this was before graphite rods). The rod cost $26, which I thought was very expensive.

The first fly I tied was a muskrat nymph, at a TU meeting where members helped beginners tie flies. A teacher at our high school started a fly fishing club, which was great. Having friends and mentors is a big plus when learning flyfishing. It’s not so easy to learn on your own.

CORRECTION - Please see the corrected press release below concerning where the new regulations apply.

Harrisburg, PA – Licensed Pennsylvania anglers fishing the Delaware River and Estuary can now harvest striped bass and hybrid striped bass from April 1 through May 31, a season which has been closed by the Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) since 1992.

Under the new regulations, adopted by the PFBC at its January quarterly meeting, anglers can harvest two striped bass per day between 20-26 inches during the two-month season. The change is the result of the successful restoration of the striped bass population along the Atlantic Coast. The regulations are designed to allow some harvest of male striped bass, while still protecting most of the spawning female striped bass. For the rest of the year, there is a 28-inch minimum length and a two fish per day creel limit.

The following seasons, sizes and creel limits apply to the Delaware River from the Pennsylvania line upstream to the Calhoun Street Bridge.

Jan. 1 - March 31 and June 1 - Dec. 31: Minimum - 28 inches, creel limit - 2 per day

April 1 through May 31: Size - 20-26 inches, creel limit - 2 per day

The PFBC reminds anglers that these regulations differ from the striped bass regulations enforced by the N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife in the four months January, February, April and May.

by Woody Banks



Fly selection can be most complex for the fly fisher during an insect hatch. During a hatch the fish feed selectively on the most abundant insect form in or on the water. To be armed with the perfect imitation, in size, form, and color, for each phase of every hatch he may encounter, the fly fisherman would need hundreds of fly patterns in dozens of sizes. One current catalog lists forty-six patterns in five sizes to imitate the phases of one mayfly's life cycle.

Mayfly color can vary considerably, even during the same hatch on the same riffle. Under different light and water conditions, a fly can take a variety of manifestations to the trout. Flies appear differently to fish on cloudy days,on bright days, under the direct light at noon, and in the low angle light of morning and evening. Fish perceive flies differently on riffles than on smooth slicks. Murky water following a rain will alter the trouts view of a fly.

Spring Creek in Centre County is one of Pennsylvania’s premier limestone streams. The stream provides a wonderful source of cold and fertile water year round for this Class A wild trout stream. A favorite for many in the state and highly regarded for those who travel to Pennsylvania for a rewarding fly-fishing experience.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) provided an update and report on changes that have occurred on the stream in the past couple of years. The removal of the McCoy-Linn Dam was one of the biggest changes that happen in September of 2007. A dam had been at the location since the 1700’s. The initial trout survey in July of 2008 showed about a threefold increase in biomass following the dam’s removal.

Several more habitat improvement projects are planned over the next couple of years on Spring Creek. Review the full report on the PFBC website: Spring Creek Biologist Report.

There are several new waterproof cameras that have been announced and released recently. Digital cameras have been making significant advances and anglers are taking advantage of those new features. Most notably waterproof features that protect cameras and even provide add new functionality over older models.

Canon launched the PowerShot D10, its first waterproof digital compact. It touts to be waterproof up to 30 feet, freeze proof up to -10 degrees, shockproof when dropped from a height of just over three feet. The Canon camera provides a 12.1MegaPixal sensor; 3x optical zoom, 2.5" LCD, Smart Auto Mode, Blink Detection, movies and Face Self-timer. It uses a rechargeable Li-ion battery. Canon claims to have an underwater scene mode that would be fun to try out. The street price is $329.

The Fujifilm Z33WP is design and styled more for the younger set the feature that works for angler is the waterproof capabilities to 10 feet. Fujifilm likes the style and size as its big difference. Fujifilm offers many nice features that include: movies, underwater scenes, 10 Megapixel sensor, and Li-ion battery. The suggested street price is $199.

These cameras offer a lot for the price. Both cameras provide JPEG pictures, but not any RAW format options. Anyone looking for a new waterproof camera should look into these new offerings.

Thanks to Nittspike for the topic.

For many of you newer fly fishing anglers who are just getting started, there are a few videos from Orvis providing some techniques for casting and other principles. They can be found on You Tube and can provide some basic concepts that are hard to visualize from a book. Since about 50% of all anglers on this site have started on their own, the first time angler might like a little extra help.