Pennsylvania Fishing Guides Tell Fly Anglers:  There Aren't Many Trout in Big Spring;

Don't Waste Your Time!

Yes, the headline is correct!  Recently while I was instructing I was told that many guides and some fly shops are telling customers, "We don't waste our time on Big Spring.  There aren't many trout there!"  In fact, this has happened many times in the last few months.  I guess greater than 350 pounds per acre of trout and so forth aren't enough for these people. Okay, now it's time for the truth:  Many of the people who claim to be guides are not very accomplished at fly fishing and many are absolutely terrible.  To put it bluntly THEY CAN'T CATCH THE WILD TROUT ON BIG SPRING (or the trout on other spring creeks either); IN FACT, THEY CAN'T GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO THEM WITHOUT SCARIING THEM!!!!  These so called experts can catch hatchery trout (but who can't).  That's one of the reasons they all want to go the Yellow Breeches...because it's stocked so heavily!

Now the secret is out!  I've kept my mouth shut for years on this subject but now it's time to talk.  I won't mention any names.  Some of the guides are actually pretty good but there are only a few that are skilled enough on how to fish on these limestone spring creeks.  First truth you should find out:  You don't need a guide...you need an INSTRUCTOR!  That's right!  You actually need someone to show you how to fish, what to use, which methods work best and how to use these techniques on these streams.(These photos are wild brook trout from the Big Spring that are being surveyed by PA. Fish and Boat. There are close to 500 trout in the so called ditch area. But I'm sorry they are so wild that they hide much of the time and the ones that do come out are extremely hard to catch). 

I should know because that's what I do when I take you out on these streams.  I don't tell you that you'll catch fish because you may not.  The guides and shops that tell you that you'll catch fish won't take you to Big Spring or similar streams because even their guides can't catch trout in these streams. 

The next problem is that the many of these so called guides won't actually teach you anything.  They just want to tell you go and fish there...throw your fly there etc.  The reason for this is that they don't want you to learn too much about the stream because they want you to keep calling them to go out.  I have heard this from over 50 fly anglers this year alone.

Here's what has happened in the fly fishing world in the last 20 years.  People who are coming into the arena have little or no previous fishing or outdoor experience.  These are the people who will buy the $700 graphite and a $300 reel if you know what I mean.  Because in America everything is instanteous gratification these people have the money to pay for the type of fishing such as Donnie Beaver's or other easy fishing streams with large stocked trout ( I really don't have a problem with pay per fishing; it's just that no one tells these people that they won't be able to catch wild trout this way).  Now these people think they are going be able to catch trout on spring creeks like Big Spring and when they can't the guides have to tell them.....the stream is no good.  They won't tell them that it takes years to master some of these techniques and methods in order to be successful on these streams but I will. (A massive brown from the ditch area of Big Spring.  Yes there are few of these lunkers still there but guess what...they hide too.  The ones that suvived are there because they reverted back to their wild behaviors).

So what do these so called guides and even some Trout Unlilmited people want to see on Big Spring?  They want another Yellow Breeches!  That's right they want it like it was when the stream was nothing more than a hatchery extension!  This is what they desire and I have heard this over and over again!  The last thing they want is wild trout that hide and are extremely difficult to catch.  The same is true for many fly fishermen.  I have been slandered and libeled so many times on the net and in their conversations over this that it's not even funny anymore.  I never promised anyone the fish would be easy to catch....I just promised that the wild brook trout would come back...and they have in large numbers.  Too bad they can't catch them. Fly fishermen say they want wild trout but the truth is that most fly anglers have a difficult time catching wild trout. It's like someone who reads the stuff on this site and says that I rigged it or I'm biased.  They won't believe the data (even though it's the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's own data).  What they should do is open up the hatchery raceways for fishing.  This way some of these guides and their clients can catch some fish.  Furthermore, it would save the PFBC a lot transportation costs and labor! (Note the size of this massive rainbow from Big Spring. A beautiful fish from any stream in the country but these rainbows are wary and smart).

If you want actual teaching and instruction on how to fish these spring creeks please contact me.  You can also check out www.limestoner.com for a complete rundown and analysis of these limestoners. You can also stop at www.flyfisher.com for more great articles, history, and fly patterns.