This news is quite disheartening,As I too am primarily a smallmouth man.
And have never had probs having 200 plus fish days on these rivers....

The lower Penns is a little known ..(IMHO)..
Smallie Heaven,From say....The town of Penns Creek on down...there are a few spots where wade fishing can be a bit challenging...due to high steep banks..but the yaks that were mentioned by TyFlyer, Would be very handy in these waters...My only boat at present is a Hobbie Floatcat,But I am getting a sit-on-top yak by spring...To expand my horizions.I've owned a few water crafts of differing configurations....but I feel these two boats would cover all... my fishing needs perfectly...As Eric says...If you want to fish the penns,Weather it be to try your hand at the most challengeing Brown Trout fishing,You'll likely find in PA, Or the supriseingly Larger.....Smallies in the lower sections....Spring can give awesome oppertunities soon after iceout for Trophy size fish, that seem to disapear later in the season.....Takes a bit more patience and slowing your tactics...but can be worth it.....I'm sure arrangments can be made to meet someplace on these waters......

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"I've often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before" A.K.Best

Everyone wants to excel in this sport but at the same time we let traditionalists place restrictions on our tactics, methods, and ideas. I always assumed that fly fishing was a sport that allowed imagination, creation, adaptation, investigation, dedication, education, revelation? : Fox Statler, On Spinners (Not the dainty Dry Fly kind) "Spinner'd Minner Fly"

"Wish ya great fishing"

Bill