Author Topic: If you could fish somewhere (semi) local for one week... (Read 1006 times)

Jordan Ewing · « **on:** December 10, 2009, 10:17:45 PM »

...where would it be? I'm thinking of taking a week off of work in the spring and just going somewhere about day's drive away and just fish. No lodges, no guides. As for location, I want it to be a day's drive from NYC (I'm about 45 minutes away.)

Nick Naclerio · « **Reply #1 on:** December 10, 2009, 10:38:25 PM »

Central PA. The only reason I undoubtly picked that over the Catskills is cause we fish there all the time. I've only been out to Central PA once
(I'm dying to go back out there) but it seems like the type of place you could easly spend a week and not even scratch the surface.

Chris Smorul · « **Reply #2 on:** December 10, 2009, 11:47:33 PM »

I'd love to go to north west pa and hit some of the streams I fished as a kid with my Dad.

Dejon Hamann · « **Reply #3 on:** December 11, 2009, 12:11:52 AM »

Hit the TL outing and just stay for another 5days!

Chris Smorul · « **Reply #4 on:** December 11, 2009, 12:18:44 AM »

I'd probably stay for a month. I'd just break into an old friend's cabin up in tidioute pa and live the trout bum life!

Rashed Abdullah · « **Reply #5 on:** December 11, 2009, 12:35:08 AM »

Quote from: jordanfstop on December 10, 2009, 10:17:45 PM

...where would it be? I'm thinking of taking a week off of work in the spring and just going somewhere about day's drive away and just fish. No lodges, no guides. As for location, I want it to be a day's drive from NYC (I'm about 45 minutes away.)

45 min would put you:

going north in Northern putnam county..I would try the croton res system of creeks and tail water fishing.

Going East...you could try some of the spring creeks in long island.

You could try some of the rivers in the northwestern CT area Just north of brewster

you could Try some of the creeks in Northern Jersey or just go a bit north and hit some of those well kept secrets in Rockland county.

Don't know too much about the creeks in central jersey so cant help you there...

The 45 min limit kinda screws you though. If you were looking to just another 30 min, you could get into a tons more good trout fishing.

Sorry I didn't give you exact creek names but if you look at the DEC website and go county by county, you will find the creeks.

Hope that helps

Mark Hanes · « **Reply #6 on:** December 11, 2009, 12:59:10 AM »

I would head to Potter County PA. Wild trout and lots of wilderness. More trout water than any county in PA. Its also very wild and lots of great scenery. You could spend a life time there and never fish every wild trout stream.

Jordan Ewing · « **Reply #7 on:** December 11, 2009, 06:37:37 AM »

Rashed, sorry for the confusion. I meant that I live 45 minutes away from NYC, but I'm willing to take a day or so to get somewhere. Thanks!

Dejon, haha, I wanted to try to get out a little further away from the area as a whole, as this will be my "vacation" for the year.

Mark, thank you for that. That's looking like a good possibility.

Frank Muscente · « **Reply #8 on:** December 11, 2009, 09:20:27 AM »

Chrie,

Central PA and Potter County are awsome places to go . Here is a pretty cool website for the area http://www.centralpaflyfishing.com/index.html

Good Luck!

Jordan Ewing · « **Reply #9 on:** December 11, 2009, 09:40:14 AM »

Frank,

Thanks for the link. I'll do some reading up on the local forums and try to get as much info stored up as possible. I should try to do a "creek-a-day" trip and work one creek a day.

Chris Smith · « **Reply #10 on:** December 11, 2009, 09:49:30 AM »

Central PA or WV.

There's an article in this month's Fly Fisherman about four great rivers in the Mountain State.

I fish them once or twice every year. You couldn't go wrong, although I'd put the Elk and the Cranberry on the top of the list.

Robert Jordan · « **Reply #11 on:** December 11, 2009, 12:36:23 PM »

Quote from: Dejon Hamann on December 11, 2009, 12:11:52 AM

Hit the TL outing and just stay for another 5days!

now that is a good plan!

Rashed Abdullah · « **Reply #12 on:** December 12, 2009, 02:14:54 AM »

you could always come up for winter steel!!

This is what fishing in lake effect snow looked like today.

R

Chris Smorul · « **Reply #13 on:** December 12, 2009, 02:26:03 AM »

you are getting me homesick for lake erie.

Andy Rafter · « **Reply #14 on:** December 12, 2009, 06:12:27 PM »

Have you ever been to the Smoky Mountains? There's a ton of water so you'd never be bored and really high fish per mile numbers. Not really the place to go looking for massive bruisers but the scenery is absolutely beautiful and the rivers are chock full of wild fish. I really like backcountry trips and there are some amazing ones to be had down there. When I went we hiked about 5 miles in and camped at a backcountry campsite for 4 nights and fished the Little River and Fish Camp Prong - that's the Tennesse side of the park. On the North Carolina side there are a bunch of streams that drain into Fontana Lake. Usually people hire a boat to ferry them across the lake and drop them off at the bottom of the river and there are trails and campsites along each of the streams. Hazel Creek is one of the larger ones but there is plenty of water to choose from. If you're not into the backcountry there are an amazing number of day trip options and plenty of water that is easily accessible.

Chris Smorul · « **Reply #15 on:** December 13, 2009, 11:40:15 AM »

Andy, that sounds likr one heck of an adventure. I've always wanted to see the Smokies, even before I started fly fishing. I have to put that on my list.

Preston Springer · « **Reply #16 on:** December 13, 2009, 02:46:51 PM »

I am a NC resident and biased, but if you are into the day drive, hit up the Smokies.
You might as well go somewhere DIFFERENT, than just driving up the road a bit. Make it count.

VA would not be a terrible distance, and would provide some great geographical change from the fishing you are used too.

Jordan Ewing · « **Reply #17 on:** December 14, 2009, 11:31:26 AM »

Thanks all for the ideas. I'm pretty sure I've settled on The Great Smoky Mountains. As far as exactly where, I'm not quite sure. I've always wanted to visit them and the twelve hour drive is just right. Some of my fishing buddies make weekend trips out of Central PA, so I figure I'll be able to do that any other time. Now I just have to find somebody to split the gas and driving.

Andy Rafter · « **Reply #18 on:** December 14, 2009, 08:21:13 PM »

Great choice Jordan, you'll love it. I'm happy to help out, I researched the Smokies obsessively when I was planning my trip last year so I should be able to help a little. I can also point you to some great local discussion boards where members were super helpful and gave me some great pointers. I'm looking forward to living vicariously through your reports in the spring.

Jordan Ewing · « **Reply #19 on:** December 14, 2009, 10:07:59 PM »

Andy and East, that sounds great! It also sounds like it would save me a lot of my backbreaking work, haha...

I'll be sure to photograph and document as much as possible, which should end up being a lot.