Flies for Trout -Western PA

It won't be long til the opening of trout season here in PA. Played with the fly rod last year, but that was for panfish. What flies should I be using (or at least have with me)? I know they say the stocked trout aren't very picky, at least at first, but most of the guys I've talked to are spincasters who will use grubs and worms. I'm determined to catch mine with a fly rod this time! I've got a good supply of midges and nymphs but might need some smaller sizes. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Fishin Bill,
Try this site [url=http://www.paflyfish.com:db570]http://www.paflyfish.com[/url:db570] and click on stream reports. Where in western Pa.are you fishing? I was born and raised in Mercer County.

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Eric "nighthawk"

Pennsylvania is rich in natural resources , as well as online flyfishing resources.

Check out Len Gorneys flyfishing page for all of Pennsylvania at:
<< ww.kings.edu/lsgorney/fishpennsylvania.htm>>

Or for more regionalized information, follow the link to Western Pa. anglers , and go to the "fish site" for information about just those organizations/ guides that specialize in flyfishing,at :
<< ww.western-pa-anglers.com/fishing_info.htm >>

Between both of those websites , you will have more information than you can possibly digest before opening day !

Tight lines,
Bright fish, and
screaming reels !

Dadflyer

Thanks for the info - both helpful! BTW I'm just south of Pittsburgh near the Monongahela River - lots of fish there, but not many trout. Though there are lots of samll streams. I'll be out this afternoon walking the water and turning over some rocks. it should be fun.

THanks again.

if you south of PGH and next to the mon your close to some goo trout fishing. 1st the yough at west newton is good as is around connelsville to smithton. streamers and woolybuggers as are larger nymphs ie sz 12 hares ears, pheasant tails or caddis larvea, and also stoneflys. use sucker spawn, glo balls, and greenie weenies. cruise over to confluence down to oihiopyle and check that out too. that's just the yough. for streams laurel hill, meadow run, indian, casselman, loyalhanna, dunbar and even jabobs. for dries BWO, brown or tan caddis, hendricks, adams, wulffs, march brown, blue dunn.

Pick up a copy of Dave Wolf's book Flyfisher's Guide to Pennsylvania. He has some good hatch charts in there for most of the major trout streams in the Commonwealth.

I'm from West Newton, PA (within walking distance of the Youghigheny River - actually I can see it outside of my window right now).

Anyway, if you're fishing this area or the beatiful trout stream of the Laural Mountains here's what I'd recommend for this time of year:

Blue Winged Olive #20 and #18
Olive Woolly Bugger #10
Adams (can't ever go wrong with the Adams) #14, #16 and #18
Royal Wulff #14 and #16
March Brown #16
Little Black Stonefly #18 and #20
Hare's Ear Soft Hackle Nymph #14
Pheasant Tail Nymph #14, #16, #18
Blue Quill #18
Gray Ghost #8

In a few weeks you'll want to add some Caddis flies.

Hope this helps.

-Darryl


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All along this path I tread, my heart betrays my weary head
With nothing but my love to save, from the cradle to the grave

I'm from Western PA also. I generally use spinning outfits and rooster tails early in the season, but I think I'll go with flies this year. I fish stocked rainbows in Thorn, Buffalo, Connoquenessing, and Bonnie Brook. I fish Thorn the most and it is mostly mud bottom, with some brush. It averages about 3 feet, with some riffles. In the past, I'va caught trout there using wolly buggers, mickey finns, and copper johns, and Clouser minnows in the pools. I've found that in the evening they bite grasshoppers really well. Hope this helps.

I am also from pa, Latrobe. If your fishing for stockies, i agree that at times they don't seem so hard catch. I hit the streams with flies on first day too, although its crowded there is something kind of fun to me about first day. My have to have list on first day stockie streams is:

#12-#14 yellow, pink sucker spawn
#12 Green Weenie
#8-#12 Prince Nymph, Natural or Black Hare's Ears, with beadheads being even more productive
#6-#10 Montana Stones, or any stonefly nymphs
#8 streamers, just about any although the Marabou Coachman has been gaining my confidence
#10-#14 Attractor Dries
#14 caddis dries
If your on a quality stream and get lucky you might catch an early glimpse of the "early four"-Hendrickson, Quill Gordon, Blue Quill, BWO

Good Luck Saturday man


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