Penns Creek Angler
Bruce Fisher
Article March 2007
Hello and welcome to “The Penns Creek Angler”. My name is Bruce Fisher and I’ll be your guide for what I hope will be and interesting read each month. I’ll do my best to write something special about Penns Creek or embellish one of my fishing adventures.
I learned to fish on a very small brook that starts near the top of Jacks Mountain and eventually empties into Penns Creek. It has taken many seasons fishing Penns to join together all of the water from Coburn to Glen Iron. There are so many pools and runs with names like Omaha Beach, Loves Pool, Rainbow Riffle, Aumillers, The Broad Water and the famous Butter Rocks and Spinning Wheel.
The most mentioned and elusive spot is Rainbow Riffle. If you were to ask ten anglers where Rainbow Riffle is located you would get ten different answers. I guess everyone has his or her own Rainbow Riffle or should I say Shangri-La. Over the years I’ve had the privilege of fishing this water and I’ve met the most generous and kind people. I should take some time now to thank you all for your friendship it’s a gift I could never repay.
My favorite section of water runs from Poe Patty State Park to the Cherry Run and is known locally as “The Project”. This is classic fly-fishing water with riffles, runs and pools that are perfect for casting flies. It’s not the size of the trout or the hatches it’s the true wild beauty that draws me to this area.
Around March 15th large #12 Brown Stoneflies will start to hatch and anglers will have good action in the late afternoon using imitations that skitter and skate on the waters surface. The real stoneflies crash into the waters surface to dislodge the eggs that are located at the end of their body. It can take several landings to get all of their eggs in the creek and the fish seem to know this. The trout love to chase these egg carrying flies in an attempt to eat them. I guess they know there’s more food value in a fly that’s full of eggs than in one that doesn’t have eggs. Sometimes the fish will come completely out of the water in an attempt to eat the fluttering stoneflies.
As I sit here writing its 8 degrees, the wind is steady out of the west at 20 mph and the creek is frozen over. I’m certainly one of those fishermen looking forward to spring and the Brown Stonefly hatch. Over the past year I made a decision to move to Millmont and become a permanent part of the scenery. I’ll be opening a tackle and hunting shop where the Stagecoach Stop is located on Rt. 45. I’m sure everyone is wondering what’s going on with all the construction. The new name will be Penns Creek Angler, I hope everyone stops in for a cup of coffee and to say hello.
“Catch you later”
Bruce Fisher
© 2008