Mountain River Angling

... opening day of trout season hereabouts is just a few weeks off - some great trout fishing to be had  along the Yough River - 'best' is anywhere above the 'South Connellsville Dam' and the mountains south - below the dam and to the north the trout gotta' compete more with larger gamefish such as bass, walleye and 'musky' that lurk in the deep holes between Connellsville and McKeesport - a buddy years ago caught a 32 inch 'musky' below the 'West Jaw' trestle using small frogs for bait - returned the next day and caught a 33 inch on the same...

... personally, have always preferred the trout fishing in the mountain areas, though - until they constructed the 'Yough River Bike/Hike Trail (YRT), was a pretty desolate area - particularly the stretch between 'Bruner Run' and the 'South Connellsville Rod & Gun Club' (SCRGC) - for the most part, though, it still is... 

( OT Note: there's a hard boulder problem that goes up the face of the rock in the foreground)

... other than the the 'Bruner Run' takeout or near 'Camp Carmel' (and a few areas which shall remain unknown), there's really no easy access to launch a boat...

... and other than 'Camp Carmel', a bit of whitewater paddling experience is advised - we've salvaged lost gear and tackle from more than one unwary "crew" - and two or three years ago a guy drowned less than several hundred yards into his river "trip" after flipping his 'Dicks Sporting Goods' flat water kayak shortly after launch about a half-mile above 'Bruner Run' - considering the water level as I recall,  > 4ft OPG, he had two sets bordering Class 4 yet to navigate...

... but once through the "rough water", there's probably not a more beautiful or isolated stretch of water around...

... with great trout fishing 'ta boot - that's local guys Jerry Craig and Chuck Ansell pictured - from a fishing/paddling trip a few years back (scanned film prints - explains the slightly grainy and flawed images) - Jerry's workin' one here...

... Chuck with one catch...

... and another - were using 'spinning tackle' and a combination of artificial and live bait as usual - take along at least a 'Rapala Minnow' or 'Daredevil' - live minnows for trout - flip over some rocks and grab a few live 'crayfish' or 'hellgrammites' to catch some big bass (not sayin' where)...

... BRILLIANT!!...

... or break out the fly rod...

... preferred!...

... you can experiment around with 'hatches' - 'Sulfur Mayflies' are big on the 'Yough' Spring thru Fall  (wasn't fishing at the time, but paddled one day thru a hatch so large that it looked like it was snowing in reverse) - but if ya' stick with the 'Streamers', ya' can't go wrong (as long as "they're bitin'") - 'Muddler Minnow' preferred - 'Woolly Bugger' - or any small 'Bead Head Nymph'-type fly (in reality a 'shiner')...

... this guy's havin' too much fun...

... "whippin' 'em out there!"...

... fly fishing pro - 'Sy' Miller...

... gotta' close with this guy - 'MR. RICHTER - ain't wearin' no 'Coon-Skin Cap' or 'Buckskins' - or even carryin' a 'Flintlock Rifle' - but the 'real deal!! - those prior 90+ posts are all filler...

"... Make your life go here, son... here's where the people is... them mountains is for Indians and wild men!"... "Mother Gue" I says, "these here is God's finest sculpturing! And there ain't no laws for the brave ones! And there ain't no asylums for the crazy ones! And there ain't no churches, except for right here! And there ain't no priests excepting the birds!... By God... I are a mountain man!!!..."

- Del Gue (from 'Jeremiah Johnson')

... can't wait to get on the river...