Fishing Outlook & Conditions
Water Temp:
59
Tom Baltz/Endorsed Guide's Tip of the Week
> Aside from avian poachers, there have been plenty of human ones in the C&R area this season. There is a phone number for Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Regional Headquarters at Huntsdale, PA towards the bottom part of the 7 day outlook section of this report. If you care about fishing in this area PUT THIS NUMBER IN YOUR PHONE DIRECTORY AND CALL THEM WITH A REPORT AS TO WHERE/WHEN, ETC. ?We do have a new Waterways Conservation Officer, and he seems to be working hard. If it's a weekend or he is unavailable, information you provide can help him establish a pattern, thus using his time more efficiently. > Midges are key early in the morning, with trico spinners flying later. Tricos like it nice and warm so look for them like, 10, 11 o'clock in the morning on sunny days. Tan caddis #16/18 are in the mix too. > We are getting closer to "that time", the time when wild trout will be spawning in the Yellow Breeches. This can occur anywhere along the entire length of the Breeches. On a recent guide trip, I spotted what I'm pretty sure was a recent redd (that is what the spot where trout eggs are deposited is called). TCO guide Neil Sunday reported an active spawning pair of brown trout in the upper Breeches on Saturday. In any case, if you encounter trout paired up or fresh-looking gravel patches, usually with a slight to very noticeable mound of gravel at the back edge, please try to avoid spooking for or fishing for them or stepping on the redd. > Just to remind anglers...we are now in the Extended Trout Season. That sets a reduced limit of three trout /day for those so inclined. It also limits keeping of any trout to Stocked Trout Waters only and does not include any tributaries or stream sections not specifically named as Stocked Trout Water. > If wind drops a bunch of leaves on the water, try a small Letort hopper. Slap it down! > Nymphs are a good choice. Make presentations more subtle than might be used in spring fishing. Try smaller flies and lighter indicators and dry/droppers. > ALLENBERRY is OPEN! Anglers have been parking in the gravel lot at the bottom of the hill behind the Meadow Lodge. PLEASE DO NOT PARK ON THE GRASS! WE DON'T WANT THIS AREA TO BE CLOSED!! 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
Water Flow Data
Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby
Tom Baltz5-Day Outlook as of 10/14/25
As we hit mid-October, the mountains are taking on some color and there's a nice chill on the morning breeze. The Breeches remains quite low and clear. The big storm was a non-event here. Fishing is actually pretty good though. There is a nice mix of dry fly action and nymphing. Smaller streamers could have their moments too, so keep a couple in the fly box. Falling leaves haven't been a huge problem to this point. There are some in the water, but the big leaf fall is usually e/o month. Weather Guy is predicting a nice week with the kind of weather you will want to be out in. While I do expect to guide some trips late fall and through the winter (conditions permitting) there is about three or four weeks of the mid-late fall fishing season left. Don't miss out on that last trip! 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, 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 10/14/25
> Fishing on the surface has decent prospects. Best bets are terrestrials like ants, beetles, and some of the odd but attractive creations like small Chubbies. Watch for aquatic hatches, midges, morning tricos, tan caddis, or tiny bwo's. > In the event you are lucky enough to encounter a flying ant fall you'll need to be prepared for some extremely exacting fly fishing. I VERY rarely fish lighter than 5X tippets but for the ants, you'll definitely need 7X. They are tiny! Black will be the most numerous, #24, tied small! Pick out a single fish and get a lot of drifts over it. > If you choose to fish nymphs, consider the New Zealand system (also see dry/dropper techniques) Try to fish it mostly upstream, rather than across stream. Foam indicators are better for cross-current presentations as they still float even with less than precise handling. > Learn to tightline the indicator, especially in faster water. Presentations are more precise and strikes more easily detected. > Use nymphs that suggest the various flies that are about to hatch. I must add here that stuff like Walt's Worms and pheasant tail jigs have been my most effective nymphs so far this season. > Dry/dropper combos. Trail a small wet fly, caddis pupa, mayfly type nymph, or ant pattern 12 to 20 inches behind your favorite searching dry fly pattern. ParaNymphs and caddis patterns and small Chubbies 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. Fish them with an appropriately sized split shot clinched onto the leader directly above the hook eye. This is the way these flies were intended to be fished by their inventors and is a more versatile way of weighting them than a bead or conehead. Fish them like tightline nymphs.
Local Species Available Year Round in C&R Area (Prime: April - mid-November, mid-Jan.-March)
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Wild browns
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stocked rainbows
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plus stocked browns below B.S.
Tom Baltz/Endorsed Guide's Recommended Fly Patterns
"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:
Name: | Colors: | Size(s): |
---|---|---|
I Can See It Midge Fly | grey, olive, black, | #20-24 |
Sulphur Parachute | N/A | #14-18 |
Tunghead Hot Spot Pheasant Tail Jig | N/A | #12-18 |
Bead Head Caddis Pupa | tan | #14,16 |
Baltz's ParaNymph | natural | #12-20 |
Baltz's I.C.S.I. parachute ant | black | #14-16 |
Indicator Spinner - Trico | N/A | #22-24 |
TH Zebra Midge | olive, black | #20-22 |
Baltz's Iron X-Caddis | N/A | #14-16 |
France flies (nymphs) | black, brown | #16,18 |
I Can See It Midge Fly
These midge flies are just what the optician ordered when it matters most.
2.99
Item #02RP
Tom Baltz/Endorsed Guide's Recommended Gear
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Best Leader:
Super Strong Plus Leaders
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Best Tippet:
SuperStrong Plus Tippet in 30- and 100-meter spools
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Best Fly Fishing Rod:
4-Weight 8' 6" Fly Rod
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Best Floating Fly Line:
WF Trout Fly Line