According to the weather guys, it was supposed to be a nice day for fishing.
It was raining when I got up and it continued to sporadically sprinkle all the way to the fly fishing parking lot at the Allenberry Resort and Inn and the Yellow Breeches creek. It was going to be soggy out there, but fishing is usually great on a wet and overcast day. And there is also a bad weather bonus--it keeps a lot of fair-weather anglers at home, warming the sofa in front of the teletube.
I was right. There was only one other angler who was entering the water when I arrived and he was heading up the creek to fish at the small waterfall in front of the stone house on the Allenberry property. I decided to begin fishing at one of my usual spots, tied on a size 18 paranymph and began prospecting the water.
I started off close to shore and was rewarded with an immediate take, which I promptly missed. Fish were picking off insects on the surface, and doing it consistently in one spot, making it easy to place your fly for a drift. However, the rain soon began and with that the dry fly action was over.
I took a break and rigged up for nymphing. Instead of using a Thingamabobber or foam football indicator I used the New Zealand wool indicator. This item is easy to use and you can build whatever size indicator you need. It also does not kink the line as badly as a Thingamabobber, floats decently, lands softly and is fairly easy to cast. After heavy use it may begin to lay down flat on the surface film but at that point I just pinch out the excess water and dress it with some silicone fly floatant or dust it with magic fly powder and it's good to cast.
I began picking off fish in the deeper sections of the Breeches, all of them were browns despite a recent stocking of rainbows. I also caught a couple of small Fall Fish--one went airborne when I set the hook and I had something very big chase after another as I was playing it in.
I moved past the Allenberry fly fishing class being taught by Eric Stroup and Thomas Baltz. They were practicing their casts and were about to take a lunch break before resuming with knot-tying instruction followed by dry fly casting and presentation.
Further down there was another angler nymphing a deeper section of the creek. I asked him if he was working his way up or down the creek, since I didn't want to poach on water he was planning on fishing. He looked right at me and said, "Both."
Huh? What? He said he was doing a big circle, moving both up AND down the creek. He indicated a section of water that was about 100 yards in length. I asked him if I could pass through to fish further down the Breeches and he said he had no problem with that.
I made sure to put a lot of distance between myself and this guy before I started to fish again. There was plenty of trout around, so I had no problem fishing the lower section of the Breeches where there were no other anglers around.
It began raining again and the bite had tapered off so I decided to call it a day and head for home.
EQUIPMENT: I used a medium action 9 foot 4 weight rod, a weight forward line and a variety of dry flies and nymphs, most in size 16 to 18.
DIRECTIONS: From Virginia, head up US 15 into Pennsylvania, past Gettysburg and other tourist attractions. Make a left turn onto US 74 outside of Harrisburg. The intersection is in a small town, with a Getty gas station across the intersection where you will make your turn and a Wendy's restaurant on the left. Follow US 74 until you come to US 174, an intersection with a local graveyard on your left. Turn left here and follow Boiling Springs Road one mile to Allenberry Resort and Inn and the Yellow Breeches. There is a parking lot for fly fisherfolk but keep in mind that the road leading to the parking lot is ONE WAY. You have to circle around the inn to reach the exit. To fish 'The Run', continue past Allenberry Inn and Resort and make a left on Bucher Hill Road. Follow the road for a short distance until you see the parking lot on your left. To fish the upper reaches of the Yellow Breeches, continue up US 174 and look for parking spots along the roadside. If you need equipment, flies or information you should stop in at the Yellow Breeches Outfitters in Boiling Springs.