SW PA Trip - Part 1

I've just recently returned from my annual trip to the Somerset/Fayette County portion of SW Pennsylvania know as the 'Laurel Highlands'. I had the chance to fish with a couple of good friends and was able to spend a week at my parents. Dad was feeling well enough to get a couple of days in with me, inspite of pulling a hamstring during the first week of the season fishing on the "Little J". Here's Dad rigging up after sacrificing a fly to the tree gods that protect the creek. We all made offerings over the course of the week and all I can say is I'm glad I tie my own!

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The weather was the typical mixed bag, sunny and warm for a couple of days, light rain and thunderstorms others and one day with 4" of snow. Man, you just have to love that Pennsylvania mountain weather! Didn't hurt the fishing much but you certainly had to be flexible with your tactics!

During the "warm" days we had pretty decent Hendrickson and BWO hatches with respectable Hendrickson spinner falls near dusk. The trout were taking from the surface and sight fishing to risers was the order of the day.

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Here's a nice Brooke my friend Kit caught.

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Kit plays out another fish in the small stream wonderland we call "home".

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One of several pools that were so nice to fish dry flies and emergers in during our fishing adventure.

To Be Continued.......

We had great fun during those first few warm days. My contribution, another dry fly crazed Brookie! They were steadily breaking the surface on the first couple of days, big fun on dries and emerger patterns while the weather held. Note - my net opening is 18".

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The next couple of days brought a change in the weather and a change in tactics. Streamers seemed to be the order of the day. Stripped in quick, 4" bursts seemed to turn the fish on and we had a tremendous day on the stream. Here's some of the fine fish brought to net that day.

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More to come...

The last couple of days were a mixed bag of nymphing and swinging wets. I had a great time fishing with Dad and really enjoyed watching the fish clobber his flies. The hot producers were Black Stone Fly nymphs and Dark Cahill wets. A nice brown fell to the swinging Dark Cahill that seem just too irresistible on that last day of fishing.

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All in all it was a great week in the woods. Spring's been slow to arrive in the Laurel Highlands this year. Winter gave, what we all hope was it's last gasp. We arrived to bare trees just starting to bud out. Over nine days we went from those dark, empty limbs that were just beginning to show color on the bud tips to that bright green of early leaf out that is the promise of spring. We witnessed the last of the Black Morels and saw the beginning of the Grays and Yellows coming on knowing that spring was at last and fully here in the mountains. Sunday and the trip back to Ohio came way too soon.

The good new though is we all plan to meet again during the first week of June to fish again. So in just about 30 days I'll have another opportunity to renew old friendships, get with Dad, and witness another miracle, this time of the late spring and the fabled Green Drake Hatch! Thanks for indulging me!

Joe -

"Indulging" you was no problem at all. Great report and pictures. Man, you guys stuck some NICE fish. It was obviously a ball getting to fish so many different flies and use so many different techniques. Hope you don't have to wait until June to get out again, but if you do, at least you have something very special to look forward to.

John

Thanks John! Got your PM too and any time your heading east let me know I've got a few places worth looking at if you're of a mind. As far as fishing locally I've got a great Brown Trout stream about an hours drive to the west that will keep me in tune for the trips to PA and West Virginia. We've also got some pretty good warm water fishing for smallmouth too. In a few weeks we've got a hatch of 17 year Cicada's that will guarantee some fantastic top water action on the smallies. Can't wait for that fun to begin! Presentation is basically slapping anything big and black that floats on the water and then hold on!

Nice pics and a great rundown of your fishing. Really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!!!:D