It was cold. Very cold.
I arrived at the parking lot in front of The Run around 8:30 am and immediately stepped out to take a look at the water. I was supposed to meet Jin, who was driving down from New York City, at 10 am but made good time on the traffic-free interstate.
The Run was running clear and a bit higher than normal but the air temperature was hovering somewhere between 20 and 23 degrees with a slight breeze and a heavy, grey overcast sky. Nobody else was around because only wild animals or hardcore anglers bother to be outdoors when it's this cold.
About 20 minutes later a convoy of cars from Virginia rolled into the parking lot. It turned out to be a group of anglers from the Virginia chapter of Trout Unlimited plus another couple car loads of fishers from the state. So suddenly it goes from having the whole place to myself to sharing with 10-15 people. There was that frantic rush to pull on gear and get going that usually follows when anglers spot other anglers and want to get to their favorite spot--quickly. One guy was so in a rush that he almost busted his rod in two when he crossed the bridge, holding it upright as he tried to get his line off the reel and not seeing the low-hanging branches. Another quickly dressed an rushed off down river only to come back five minutes later to retrieve his vest.
Jin showed up after the rush was over and we geared up and started fishing The Run right in front of the parking lot. I tied on a tiny size 26 CDC dry and got a hit on my second drift. Jin fished the opposite bank and picked up a fish quickly. Everything was happening on top and the fish wanted something big, which Jin found out by using a size 14 dry and a beadhead dropper. Everything hit the dry. I was having so-so luck with the tiny fly so I switched to a large paranymph and got a couple of strikes.
We spent most of the day working the stream in front of the parking lot. But it was cold. I had to knock ice out of my guides and you dare not hold the fish out of the water for very long (never is better when it's this cold) or the gills will freeze. It was catch, quick release in the water, then back to fishing.
We called it a day around 2:30 pm and grabbed a quick lunch at Anile's Ristorante and Pizzeria in Boiling Springs.
EQUIPMENT: We used 3 and 4-weight rods with very long leaders tapering to 6x. The fish were hitting anything floating, large and buggy although a few others caught some fish using size 10 buggers in black or olive.
DIRECTIONS: From Virginia, head up US 15 into Pennsylvania, past Gettysburg and other tourist atrractions. 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. If you need equipment or flies the Yellow Breeches Outfitters is in the town of Boiling Springs.
