Water flow: High and muddy
Visibility: 6 inches
Water temperature at mid-day: 56 Degrees F
Water condition: Muddy
Best time of day to fish: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Best stretch: Most popular stretch with fly fishers is the C&R area below Boiling Springs to vicinity of Allenberry Resort. There are trout in other sections of the stream too, both stocked holdovers and streambred.
Best access point: The "Little Run" and the top end of C&R Area is best accessed from the parking area at the southend of Boiling Springs Lake. To access the the lower C&R area, turn down the Allenberry entrance driveway and park on the left in the "Fisherman's Parking" lot. Walk down to the stream from there. PLEASE DO NOT PARK ON ALLENBERRY'S FIELD! Other stretches are accessed near bridges and roadside parking areas. PLEASE RESPECT landowner's yards!
Fly fishing hatches in order of importance:
>tan caddis, #16,18 >dun caddis, #18,20 >yellow craneflies, #16 >dark grey caddis, #18 >green midges, #24 NOTE: These reports are from observations/experiences up and down a fifteen mile stretch of stream and DO NOT necessarily apply to any given area. You may or may not see the same things as reported.
Fish species: Wild brown trout, stocked rainbows, browns, brook trout
Fishing season: Year Round (Prime: April - mid-November, mid-Jan.-March)
Nearest airport: Harrisburg International Airport - 45 minutes
Recommended fly fishing leader: 9 Foot Leader
Recommended fly fishing tippet: 5X Tippet
Best fly fishing rod: 8' 6" 4 Weight Fly Rod
Best floating fly line: Trout WF
Yellow Breeches Creek is one of the famous limestone trout streams of the Cumberland Valley in south-central Pennsylvania. Winding its way through a mixture of woodlots, farmlands and old residential or summer cottage areas for some 40 miles, its brushy, narrow upper reaches near Huntsdale rapidly gain volume from many limestone spring and freestone tributaries. Below the village of Boiling Springs the Breeches ...
Dries, wet flies, nymphs, and streamers are all taking trout now. Streamers/nymphs early in the day. Nymphs will be the big producers overall but with warmer weather watch for caddis, cranefly, or scattered mayfly activity in the morning and late afternoon hours and fish some dry flies in the shallower areas or to observed rises. Monday, we fished the C&R area and did well on #16 caddis dries. Quite a few wild brown trout on the dry flies, more stocked trout on nymphs. Guide trip today (Tuesday) several miles below Boiling Springs. Really good day, again, w/nymphs. Fair number of wild browns down there too including one real nice chunk thirteen inches, plus. Not a monster, but a real nice fish. Big yellow/orange fins and cherry red spots. Sweet!
FLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! An update to the rest of the report that I did late yeaterday. We got pounded somewhere upstream last night. Mountain Creek is ripping high and muddy. The middle and lower Breeches including the C&R area is high and pretty dirty. Weather Guy says good chance of T-storms this afternooon. These things are spotty but if the upper watershed gets hit again it will be a couple of days before things settle down. Slight rain up in the State Forest or upper Breeches watershed and the stream should be in fair to good shape by Friday. WATCH THE WEATHER! Breeches is fairly low and pretty clear for this time of the season. Weather Guy says it will rain a bit over the next few days, maybe into the seekend. Unless it really pours, rain should be beneficial. Tan caddis had been hatching mid-day over the last few overcast rainy days but with warmer and brighter weather look for them to show mornings and evenings. There were fair numbers of little olives during the overcast days and we recently observed quite a few tannish mayflies about size 12-14 in the catch & release area during late afternoon. Didn't see any the last two afternoons May 6-7) though. I think they could be the Pink Ladies but couldn't actually catch any to make a more positive identification. Still NO sulphurs but wouldn't be surprised to see them with in a week or so. Caddis are about the best deal right now, as outlined in recommended flies. Join or renew your membership(s) in the Yellow Breeches Anglers and Conservation Association. Send checks for $15 to YBAC, PO Box 1, Boiling Springs, PA 17007. Don't forget to note "new or renewal" and be sure to legibly print your name, address, phone and e-mail (if you wish). Tell them I (or this web report) sent you, please! They put a lot of fish in the Breeches, especially the C&R area. SUPPORT THEM!
