At the time of writing, I have no plans to fish in Pennsylvania in June. However, I’ll be in and around some of my favorite trout water for a handful of days. And, as the second leg of my road trip does include fishing, I’ll have a few fly rods in my car.

So you never really know what might happen.

Regardless, it will be good to be back in an area I called home for a number of years. More than home, it was where I learned to fly fish and where I really fine-tuned a lot of my angling skills. Driving over my favorite rivers and telling stories to my friends and my kids will be a suitable substitute for actually getting my feet wet.

Speaking of stories…

Below are three items from Casting Across’ archives about south central PA. One is a playlist-driven account of my teenage angling exploits. Another is my son’s  experience fly fishing in my footsteps. And third is a whirlwind introduction to why this area is so special.

Click on the title or image to go to the whole article:

Spring Creek on Repeat

The McDonald’s in downtown Gettysburg is at the far-right end of Hancock’s defensive position. Or, if you prefer, the far left edge of Pickett’s Charge. Regardless, this morning in the predawn hours they were playing synth-pop. Empty fast food restaurant music hits loudly. Especially at 6 in the morning. Alan wasn’t always as concerned about lunch as me. So I wanted hotcakes and sausage and anything that would allow me to survive until late afternoon. Plus, I was dead set on digging my heels in and catching a trout on the Letort. Neither of us had ever been. But we had read, heard, and fantasized. It was the stuff of Mid Atlantic angling legend.

Fishing Footsteps

Of all the angling destinations out there, why drive all the way from New Hampshire to south central Pennsylvania? Maine’s wild and expansive opportunities for fish are closer. So too are those of the Catskills, which had to be crossed to get down into the Mid-Atlantic. And even our home state has ample water of various kinds that could keep us occupied and into fish for as long as we’d like. But his choice wasn’t just fish. It was where I had fished; where I learned to fly fish and where I learned about fly fishing.

Podcast Ep. 29: Why You Should Fish the Cumberland Valley

In 25 minutes, I only scratch the surface of this historic fly fishing region. Situated in south central Pennsylvania, the Cumberland Valley boasts some remarkable spring creeks. Who doesn’t like big fish in small, beautiful water? While the rivers aren’t what they once were, they are still worth seeking out. Moreover, a great opportunity for trout, stewardship, and some real fly fishing history is only a short drive away for Eastern fly fishers.