Fishing Season: Year Round in C&R Area (Prime: April - mid-November, mid-Jan.-March)

Yellow Breeches Creek - PA

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

56

Tom Baltz/Endorsed Guide's Tip of the Week

> It's not too early to start watching for spawning trout. If you encounter fish paired up and either "fighting" or actually working gravel, don't waste your time trying to get them to bite. You'll more likely foul hook them, which is not a sporting act. > Step around any redds you do encounter They appear as depressions in the gravel, with a pile of gravel just to the rear. > Stream conditions are very low and clear so staying back a little bit from your fishing spots is a good idea. Adjust tactics accordingly. > Anglers should look for midges and later in the morning, perhaps tricos. Scattered light cahills and cinnamon caddis toward sunset, with Hebes (like a #18 light cahill) and little BWO's through the afternoon. What you see will be highly dependent on just what stretch of stream you are on! > Terrestrial patterns are go-to flies for daytime fishing. Try ants and various sized beetles. A #20 black beetle like a Lady Bug (hint) are worth a try. > Try a little tan hopper, about size 16 whenever a breeze showers the stream with leaves. There are crickets hiding in that stuff. > WATCH FOR FLYING ANTS! If they hit, having an imitation in the correct size is imperative! Primary sizes/colors are black, # 24 and cinnamon, #18. Having some black patterns in #18 is also a good idea. This is very exciting and exacting fishing! > Be sure to carry a few streamers with you. This is transition time of the season and big trout are on the move. Best opportunities are very early or late in the day or days with heavy overcast and some rain. > ALLENBERRY is OPEN! Anglers have been parking in the gravel lot at the bottom of the hill behind the Meadow Lodge. Check them out at www.allenberry.com or call (717) 258-3211 to see what the status of dining in and lodging are. Might also consider dropping a buck or two on a sandwich or beverage at some point to thank them for parking and access. > Parking access at the traditional spot, The Run, just downstream of Boiling Springs Lake is OPEN! If you go there, watch for the new traffic patterns. There is very limited parking off of Criswell Drive. Do not get creative with parking down there! There is room for maybe, three cars. Same goes for the rest of the Breeches. Almost all of the Breeches is private property and every year we are losing access to spots that have been open for many years. Fishing is allowed by the grace of the landowners.

Directions open in app

Map of Yellow Breeches Creek

Water Flow Data

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Tom Baltz

5-Day Outlook as of 10/29/24

It seems like we are in an extended summer. High pressure weather systems have dominated the region’s weather. Bluebird mornings alternate with warm afternoons. Leaves are perhaps just past peak color and starting to fall, but aren’t much of a hindrance to fishing unless you hit a breezy day. The Breeches is pretty low and really clear, so it behooves the angler to stay back a little bit from the targeted fishing area. Try using a little longer leader and small dry flies or nymphs with a dry/dropper or New Zealand indicator rig. It is possible to approach closer in riffles, where tightline tactics are so productive. There have been a few people still hitting the dawn patrol and deep nymphing with Zebra Midges and so forth but it's also a good plan to wait for the water to warm up a bit and fish through the afternoon. Dry fly prospects are likely to be better at that time. Watch for surface feeders or explore the various seams and pockets in the riffles. Keep an eye out for what types of insects are about and do your best match. In a pinch, a #16/18 ParaNymph, Iron X-Caddis, or ICSI Parachute ant are worth trying. When fishing along the Yellow Breeches, Please! DON'T LITTER! You might even consider policing the area when you are done fishing and pick up any trash left by others; the last guy in the lot gets the blame. Littering and illegal parking are the two biggest causes of landowners' posting their properties! So, anglers are asked to not be creative with parking along the Breeches! Almost all of the Breeches is private property, so all access is courtesy of the landowners. Contrary to what some anglers believe, the Yellow Breeches has not been adjudicated as being navigable. That means that any areas posted against trespass will mean "NO FISHING" by wading or otherwise, unless you want to be the test case. So, don't be that guy...If there is not obvious parking available perhaps looking for a different spot to fish is a good idea. While there are wild trout throughout the Yellow Breeches, some sections benefit greatly from supplemental stockings. For many years the Yellow Breeches Anglers have done an excellent job of stocking the C&R and other parts of the creek. If you fish the Breeches, you have likely caught some of their fish. Give something back and support them by joining the Club. Memberships are only $20 annually and are good for the calendar year. Send check to YBAC, Box 1, Boiling Springs, PA 17007-0001. Contributions to feed the fish are always welcome too. If you see anyone fishing bait or attempting to snag fish in the C&R area or elsewhere for that matter, take a pic and call Southcentral Region office at (717) 486-7087. For nefarious activity of a non-fishing nature call the Pennsylvania State Police at 717-243-4121. Enjoy the fishing and please be courteous to other anglers. And if you get into some fish show us a picture but please don't put the location on Facebook!! You don't wanna be a spot burner! General information is good! It always feels best when you earn it.

Techniques & Tips as of 10/29/24

> Conditions are excellent for dry fly fishing. > Watch for aquatic insect activity and if none is observed, go with assorted terrestrial patterns. > Nymphs are still taking plenty of trout too. Try your favorite techniques with respect for the low, clear stream conditions. > Midges are very important early in the morning. About sz. 22/24. > Watch for tricos after the midges. They could appear anywhere from 10 a.m., on. Station up in a long flat pool for either. > Daytime dry fly technique at this time of the season would entail prospecting with terrestrial imitations. > FLYING ANTS are a possibility any day, any time now. They are mostly very tiny, black, #24 tied small, with cinnamon #18's (females) mixed in. When a swarm hits the stream, they can trigger intense feeding on the part of trout. This is, however, very exacting fishing, a real challenge. > Dry/dropper combos are also killer now. Trail a small wet fly, caddis pupa, or mayfly type nymph 12 to 20 inches behind your favorite searching dry fly pattern. ParaNymphs and caddis patterns work well for this tactic... > It's always smart to carry a few streamers in the fly boxes. A basic selection will include a Muddler Minnow, something white like Ed Shenk's great white minnow pattern, and a dark Woolly Bugger.

Local Species Available Year Round in C&R Area (Prime: April - mid-November, mid-Jan.-March)

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    Wild brown trout

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    stocked rainbows and browns

Tom Baltz/Endorsed Guide's Recommended Fly Patterns

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Indicator Spinner - Trico Trico #20, 22
I Can See It Midge Fly black, grey #18-22
Hard Body Ant Wet Black #12-16
Light Cahill N/A #12-16
Baltz's ParaNymph natural #12-18
Baltz's I.C.S.I. Ant black #14-18
Elk Wing Caddis tan #12-16
Rosenbauer Parachute Beetle Black #14-18
Baltz's Iron X-Caddis N/A #14-16
Ed Shenk's White Minnow white #6-8

Indicator Spinner - Trico

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Item #11YK10

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Tom Baltz/Endorsed Guide's Recommended Gear

Description: About Yellow Breeches Creek

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 50 miles, its brushy, narrow upper reaches near Huntsdale rapidly gain volume from many limestone spring and freestone brook tributaries. Below the village of Boiling Springs the Breeches becomes a medium to large sized stream coursing eastward, eventually joining the Susquehanna River at New Cumberland. A low gradient stream of gentle riffles and long flat pools, good water quality and varied habitat enables the Breeches to host a broad spectrum of hatches over a virtually year-round season. Notable hatches include early black stoneflies, Hendricksons, Grannom and other caddis, sulphurs, Grey fox, assorted blue winged olives and of course, the White Fly, in August. Other mayflies from tricos to Hexagenia create fishing opportunities in addition to excellent midge and terrestrial action. Heavily stocked almost year round throughout its length, there is an extremely popular “catch and release” fishery on the Breeches between Boiling Springs and Allenberry Resort. Fishing is very good up and downstream from this area too, some stretches holding fair to excellent populations of wild brown trout.

Nearest Airport:

Harrisburg International Airport - 45 minutes

Hatches:

You might see the following... > Midges, sz. 22/24. early morning. > Tricos, size 22-24. mid to late morning, after midges. > Flying ants, sz. 18, cinnamon and sz, 24, black. Any time of day. Having some black patterns in sz. 16/18 is also a good idea. > For daytime fishing, terrestrials, ants and beetles, are the bugs of choice. > Assorted cinnamon, tan and dark colored small caddis flies, #14-20, sporadic, mornings and evenings... > Little blue wing olives (generically speaking), sz. 20/22, roughly...sporadic. One type (baetis sp. likely) are small dark flies that are quite difficult to see on the water. The lighter ones are not "small sulphurs"! Likely (what we used to call) Pseudocloeon sp. You may see them any time of the day from mid-morning, on... > Slate drakes, sz. 12/14. Sporadic, usually occur in fast riffles. > Hebe's, sz. 16/18. Like a small light cahill...afternoons. > Light Cahills, #12-14, and cinnamon caddis, right at dusk. > Tan caddis, sz. 14/16, Hatch during morning hours and mating flights in the evening. NOTE: Chasing hatches is like playing the lottery. Weather conditions are highly variable but very important to timing and intensity of aquatic insect activity. Only time on the water will allow the angler to be there when things get rolling. These reports are from observations/experiences up and down a thirty-mile stretch of stream and DO NOT necessarily apply to any given area. You may or may not see the same things as reported.

Best Time to Fish:

Pretty much all day.

Best Stretch:

There are hold over stocked trout scattered throughout the length of the Yellow Breeches and fair to very good numbers of wild brown trout in the reaches upstream of US Rt. 15 to the headwaters. There are areas holding wild trout downstream of there too. The mile long Special Regulations area beginning downstream of the big pool at the Ege Bridge at Boiling Springs is popular with fly fishers. > The Run parking area at the south end of Boiling Springs Lake is open and the best way to access the catch & release area. > Anglers have also been parking on the big gravel lot at the foot of the hill at Allenberry. Park against the hillside and stop up to Fairfield Hall once in a while to have a burger or a beer. Thank you Allenberry, for letting anglers park on your private properrty!!

Best Access:

There are access points scattered along the stream especially at or near bridges. Several are located in or at local parks. Please use common sense and respect land- owner's yards and property. We are losing access to the Yellow Breeches at a rapid rate! Don't be that guy! Access the Catch & Release area from the parking area on the south side of the stone bridge at the edge of Boiling Springs, or park in the redone lot at the south end of Boiling Springs Lake, near the iron furnace. Allenberry is OPEN for business. Their website is www.allenberry.com and phone # is (717) 258-3211. Anglers have been parking in the gravel lot at the bottom of the hill behind the Meadow Lodge. If you access the Yellow Breeches through the Allenberry property, you might consider checking out the restaurant for a sandwich and a beer afterwards.