Books about PA streams ranked by you
- Thread starter JasonC
- Start date
wildtrout2
Well-known member
The Vanishing Trout, by Charles Lose, is the best I've come across. Takes you back to "the good ole days".
dryflyguy
Well-known member
How many books out there are devoted to strictly freestone streams?
I certainly can't seem to recall many - although I do know that there is a book by Joe Armstrong that's just about limestone streams.
Besides the already mentioned Vanishing Trout - I have a book by Jim Bashline called the Allegheny Angler, which is also about the north central streams. I believe it was written in the '60's, and I thought it was a very enjoyable read.
I certainly can't seem to recall many - although I do know that there is a book by Joe Armstrong that's just about limestone streams.
Besides the already mentioned Vanishing Trout - I have a book by Jim Bashline called the Allegheny Angler, which is also about the north central streams. I believe it was written in the '60's, and I thought it was a very enjoyable read.
TimMurphy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2006
- Messages
- 3,492
Dear Jason,
Get Dwight Landis' book, "Trout Streams of Pennsylvania", a DeLorme Atlas of Pennsylvania, a buddy, and a cooler full of beer and do it like we did in the olden days, when he didn't have "the" book or the DeLorme Atlas.
I understand that you are just asking for suggestions and I gave you mine. I didn't give them to be critical or as a wisecrack. There is a lot to be said about just taking a ride to see what you can find.
If you stop to fish a creek make sure you talk to people around the creek. Ask them about the creek. Be polite, be honest, and you'll get things back in return. Stop in fly shops and tackle shops along your way too.
I spent 15 years of my life bombing around back roads and burgs in PA with my brother Terry. If I could have known what I know without the road trips I would have said, "No, thank you!"
Get out and explore!
Regards,
Tim Murphy 🙂
Get Dwight Landis' book, "Trout Streams of Pennsylvania", a DeLorme Atlas of Pennsylvania, a buddy, and a cooler full of beer and do it like we did in the olden days, when he didn't have "the" book or the DeLorme Atlas.
I understand that you are just asking for suggestions and I gave you mine. I didn't give them to be critical or as a wisecrack. There is a lot to be said about just taking a ride to see what you can find.
If you stop to fish a creek make sure you talk to people around the creek. Ask them about the creek. Be polite, be honest, and you'll get things back in return. Stop in fly shops and tackle shops along your way too.
I spent 15 years of my life bombing around back roads and burgs in PA with my brother Terry. If I could have known what I know without the road trips I would have said, "No, thank you!"
Get out and explore!
Regards,
Tim Murphy 🙂
Acristickid
Well-known member
Trout streams of PA by Landis- good maps and some tips. Highly recommend.
Keystone Fly Fishing Guide- newer book by several experienced regional fly guys. One of my buddies is in the book. Nice pictures and adds a few streams not in other books.
Trout streams and hatches of Pennsylvania by Meck- several guys dont like his style which is fun for me to read their reactions. He puts ratings on streams he has been to once but does try to solicit local knowledge. He has visited several lesser streams that I eventually checked out.
Limestone streams of PA by Armstrong. It’s okay.
Fly fishers guide to Pennsylvania by Wolf. Little dated but has good warm water spots.
If you want to get granular to specific streams-
If your focus is the Delaware-
Fly-fishing Guide to the Upper Delaware River by Weimer. Lotsa good maps and info.
Dan Shields has books specific to Spring Creek and Penns Creek with nice color photos.
IMO if your a fly fisher in Pennsylvania, you will want to own these books along with a Gazetter. All of the books have a few streams mentioned that the others don’t. It not as much of a revelation nowadays with the advent of the internet.
The best deal is to fish streams with someone who has before. For me, I like to explore so driving hours in the car is something I am used too. It’s like mini adventures.
I can come up with a list of streams I still want to fish every year.
Muncy, Loyalsock, Lycoming, Pleasant Stream, Oswaygo, Lackawanna
If you dont want to own the books- use the libraries. In Allegheny Co (Pittsburgh) all the libraries are connected and you have access to hundreds of fishing books for PA and all over the world for free delivered to you local library.
My additional thoughts- Southwestern PA is poorly represented in all of these books. Yes, I know the area is the dearth of PA flyfishing but there could be 20 more streams in the Laurel Highlands added to these books. In my lifetime (49 years) the Laurel Highlands is an area that has only gotten better over this time.
Keystone Fly Fishing Guide- newer book by several experienced regional fly guys. One of my buddies is in the book. Nice pictures and adds a few streams not in other books.
Trout streams and hatches of Pennsylvania by Meck- several guys dont like his style which is fun for me to read their reactions. He puts ratings on streams he has been to once but does try to solicit local knowledge. He has visited several lesser streams that I eventually checked out.
Limestone streams of PA by Armstrong. It’s okay.
Fly fishers guide to Pennsylvania by Wolf. Little dated but has good warm water spots.
If you want to get granular to specific streams-
If your focus is the Delaware-
Fly-fishing Guide to the Upper Delaware River by Weimer. Lotsa good maps and info.
Dan Shields has books specific to Spring Creek and Penns Creek with nice color photos.
IMO if your a fly fisher in Pennsylvania, you will want to own these books along with a Gazetter. All of the books have a few streams mentioned that the others don’t. It not as much of a revelation nowadays with the advent of the internet.
The best deal is to fish streams with someone who has before. For me, I like to explore so driving hours in the car is something I am used too. It’s like mini adventures.
I can come up with a list of streams I still want to fish every year.
Muncy, Loyalsock, Lycoming, Pleasant Stream, Oswaygo, Lackawanna
If you dont want to own the books- use the libraries. In Allegheny Co (Pittsburgh) all the libraries are connected and you have access to hundreds of fishing books for PA and all over the world for free delivered to you local library.
My additional thoughts- Southwestern PA is poorly represented in all of these books. Yes, I know the area is the dearth of PA flyfishing but there could be 20 more streams in the Laurel Highlands added to these books. In my lifetime (49 years) the Laurel Highlands is an area that has only gotten better over this time.
I am not much of a book guy but I think Paul (above) covers it well. I did wear out several sets of tires and two editions of Mecks book and a couple gazateers in a ragtop wrangler in the late 80s and 90s with my brother. Escaping every weekend from the trout poor SWPA coal mine criks. Those were fun and rewarding times.
One thing we did learn was that while books are a great guide to finding the fishing, they don't quite compare to meeting someone local and being given the down low while on stream. a personal tour so to speak. Kind of a free guide service to those who have the courage to meet someone they've never met before.
Thats what you can get here if you put in the time and have the courage to ask. I have met numerous board members over the years in their local haunts. Beats driving around dead end forest roads for hours walking in a mile only to find a paved road you coulda drove to.
So I guess exploring is fun and rewarding but now that I am one who shares local knowledge I look for a reciprocity rather than research.
So my my number one book would be PAflyfish.com.
One thing we did learn was that while books are a great guide to finding the fishing, they don't quite compare to meeting someone local and being given the down low while on stream. a personal tour so to speak. Kind of a free guide service to those who have the courage to meet someone they've never met before.
Thats what you can get here if you put in the time and have the courage to ask. I have met numerous board members over the years in their local haunts. Beats driving around dead end forest roads for hours walking in a mile only to find a paved road you coulda drove to.
So I guess exploring is fun and rewarding but now that I am one who shares local knowledge I look for a reciprocity rather than research.
So my my number one book would be PAflyfish.com.
Good list by a-kid.
For those looking for reference books describing specific streams and where/how to fish them, these two books are the top of the pack. Both have top notch maps. The new Keystone book is fresh and very well done.
Acristickid
Well-known member
I was unaware of the Wentz’s book.
How is it? What is it like?
Also I have not looked at Tom Gilmore book- Flyfishers guide to Pennsylvania. Thoughts on this book??
How is it? What is it like?
Also I have not looked at Tom Gilmore book- Flyfishers guide to Pennsylvania. Thoughts on this book??
