Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2013 - 13

Spring Creek
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typically average somewhere between 52 and 58 degrees F,
with only slight variations in summer and winter.”
“When freestoners are ice-covered, limestoners have open
water in the mid-40s,” said Greene.
“That’s a big part of their appeal,” said Paul Weamer,
manager of TCO Fly Shop in State College, and
coauthor with Charles Meck of the Pocket Guide to
Pennsylvania Hatches. “Some tailwaters offer winter
fishing, but that‘s unusual.”
Because the bedrock through it percolates is rich in
calcium carbonate, water on limestone streams is alkaline,
which helps buffer acid rain and create exceptionally fertile
habitat. “Limestoners are more productive than other
streams. They have a rich food base that fish benefit from,”
said Greene.
For this reason, they abound in great hatches of
aquatic insects—the cornerstone of the food web on any
trout stream.
“Penns Creek has almost every hatch found in
Pennsylvania,” said Meck, author of 15 books on fly fishing.
“Like Henry’s Fork in Idaho, Penns Creek is a bug factory.”
Two of the more famous hatches on central Pennsylvania
streams are the sulphur and the green drake, which typically
peak around Memorial Day weekend.
“The sulphur hatch on Spring Creek is on for a long
period time, but the green drake on Penns Creek is truly
outstanding,” said Greene, who is a trout angler. “It’s the best
in terms of abundance and the size of the flies.”
“Green Drakes are so large, they’re an eye-catcher for big
trout that may not surface for a smaller fly,” said Greene.
But that doesn’t mean the fishing is easy. In fact, because
there’s so much bug life on most limestoners, catching wild
brown trout can be more of a challenge.
“They don’t hurt for a meal, so they may not be as eager
to feed as they are on freestoners,” said Greene. “If they miss
a meal, they seem to know there’s another one coming by.”
Late spring through early summer may be prime time for
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fishing limestone hatches, but there’s bug life all year, even
during the coldest months, according to Steve Sywensky,
owner of Fly Fisher’s Paradise in State College. “We have
fishable midge hatches all through the winter, and the trout
populations are so strong, you’ll always find a few fish
feeding. It’s not atypical even, in January and February, to see
trout come to the surface.”
But while limestone streams are a vital part of
Pennsylvania’s heritage, those who manage and monitor their
water quality and aquatic life are focused on their future.
Agricultural runoff, suburban sprawl, water withdrawals
for natural gas development, climate change and uncertainty
about continued public access are real or looming threats to
central Pennsylvania’s limestone gems.
“Farmland pollution is pretty common on all limestone
streams, because the same geology that produces fertile
fisheries also produces high quality soil,” said Bryan Swistock,
a water resources specialist with Penn State Extension and an
avid fly angler.
Where there’s agricultural production, streams can suffer
from sedimentation and nutrient overload. In the Spring
Creek watershed, where I live, there’s a lot of work to do with
regard to stream bank fencing and other pollution controls.”
“Pollution in the aquifer—the underground layer of
permeable, water-bearing rock—is even more insidious,”
said Mark Hartle, PFBC’s Aquatic Resources Section Chief.
“The bacteria, nitrates and phosphorous from fertilizers
can contaminate the aquifer and discharge into streams. We
are already seeing the effects of this on some tributaries to
Spring Creek.”
Other problems within the same watershed are caused
by sprawl. An increase in paved surfaces exacerbates runoff
into streams.
“One of the reasons Penns Creek has remained prolific
is the absence of a nearby highway and the development it
would bring,” said Meck. “On streams near development,
heavy rainfall can send warm water into a stream quickly
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • March/April 2013

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