I live in Bellefonte on one of the hills that overlooks Spring Creek. As a kid growing up,on the first day of trout season we would go down to Spring Creek,to the same fishing hole and meet the same people year after year from far and near. The fishing was great then,then it started to go down hill for all kinds of reasons. But now it is better than ever.It gets stocked now and then by some flooding of the locial hacheries.I never left the area,became a Tool & Die Maker at the local brass plant.My favort hobbies are fly tying,fishing and building muzzle loaders.I give free fly tying classes to anyone that wants to learn.

I have been reading the fishing report section of this board for years and just recently got "hooked" on the discussion boards.  Another Hollidaysburg grad and Penn State guy here.  I graduated highschool in '85 and college in '90.  It is a small world and is made smaller by the internet.  I ended up living in Altoona.    My father originally taught me all that he knew about fishing and I have always been a fisherman at heart.  It seems that the pressures and distractions of life have often interfered with my ability to go fishing but never diminished my love of the sport. 
 
When I was in college I met a friend who taught me to stream fish.  Before that time, in my early teens, I had never drifted anything in any stream, creek, or river.  I never really got as good as my new friend at trout fishing but I did learn to love the sport even more.
 
I bought my first boat with my first commission check from my first real sales job.  My new wife and I used it a good bit, primarily at Glendale as we camped there as a newly married couple.  I found that my favorite fish to chase around was crappie, whole livewells full at times.  Other times when we were not keeping them we were still counting them. . .over a hundred a night, all small but fun none the less.
 
Fast forward to the next phase of life.  With young children, it is really hard to get away, sometimes it is even more painful to try to take them all of the time.  I sold the boat for a new hobby and completly restored the muscle car of my dreams.  During this time I did not even wet a line for 2 years.  Thank goodness I never sold my rods or the contents of my first boat.  After the car was done I decided that my son would enjoy some of the crappie fishing that I had done when he was a baby who was not eligable for the trips.  He was 9 yrs old at the time and me and some friends with boats set him on prespawn crappies at Sayers.  He then told me that he did not like the sports car as much as the boat!!  Obviously, young boys are pretty fickle with what they do like BUT that was a good excuse to get a new rig and I did.  I bought and fully finished a fishing/duck hunting boat in the style that I always wanted. . .full camo yet fully finished, the biggest modified jon boat I could find on the north east coast. 
 
About the time I was finishing the boat I became friends with the guy who had built the engine for my sports car project.   It turns out that he is an avid fisherman and specilized in a species that always eluded me. . .walleyes!  He is primarily a river wading fisherman so I needed some new equiptment.  With my new buddy's help I not only caught walleyes nearly every weekend for the next couple of years (excluding the dog days of summer and the coldest part of winter) but I learned about the big rainbows (aka steelhead) that lurked in the streams up north.  Well the friendship that was built around car engines and the prospects of catching legal sized walleyes continues to this day and hopefully future forward.  It has been a pleasure to mix new and old friends on a couple of outings. 
 
I typically fish the waters of the Juniata, Raystown branch and to a lesser extent the Little J  all with live bait and a 9'6" steelhead rod.  My boat is noticable on a lake as the whole thing is lit (including bow marker lights) with brite LED's, some people think that my boat, on the water, at night resembles a UFO!  This year I am thinking of wading less and targeting crappie, perch and walleyes on Lake Raystown.  I need to learn to fish that huge, twisty piece of water and I have a strong desire to do so!  If you see me and my crew say HI!
 
I have been richly blessed in many ways.  Good family, good career, good friends but never enough time to fish as much I would otherwise.  I hope to learn as much from many new "virtual" friends on this community.
 
If you graduated from H-burg in the early to mid 80's then you will likely remember me. . .I was always the tallest and biggest guy in the school but had NO athletic ability.
 
My name is Brent Brunner and I have not been fishing for 96 hours!
 
Regards

Too bad I had to move away when I was 13. Welcome aboard. 

Just happened to find this site while searching for fishing tackle. It was good to see there are some local people who know the streams around here. Guess I should introduce myself...I'm Jack and I live in Altoona (again!!) I was born and raised in this area and after I got out of the service I married and moved to the Carlisle area. I lived there forever it seems. I retired a few years ago and decided to move back "home". I've fished a lot of streams in this area..Blair Gap Run, Clover Creek, Canoe Creek (before they even thought about building a dam on that stream !!) Piney Creek .....just to name a few in this area. I won't even get into the streams in Huntingdon, Fulton, Franklin, Bedford, and Cumberland counties. I enjoy fishing any time of the year, but my favorite time is winter. While most guys are out pounding the woods for deer that aren't there anymore, you'll find me along the stream fishing for trout. Last deer season I met a fellow in the Beaver Dams area of Canoe Creek. He had been deer hunting and hadn't seen a thing (not surprising). When I told him I had been trout fishing he, in not so many words, said I was nuts because the stream was fished out. He didn't have much to say when I showed him three brown trout, none under 14", that I had caught from a "fished out" stream. Well, I guess that it for me. Hope everyone has a bent rod this season. Later

Hello everybody, my names Brian and I just found this forum and thought I'd introduce myself.
 
I live in Chambersburg PA.  I've been fishing as long as long as I can rember thanks to my dad.  We would always go to Cowans Gap or the Medow Grounds to do some bass fishing or hit the Conococheague to go trout fishing.  Fast forward to now and I've been mainly trout fishing the last couple of years (with spinning tackle), I would normally only fish the Conococheague but several years ago I had enough with all of the fisherman who would insist on fishing right beside me.  So now I've only been fishing for native brook trout, I've yet to see another guy fishing any of the streams I've been on in the last two years.  i haven't become very good at it yet but I'm getting there.
 
Last year I bought my first fly rod, I took it out a couple of times and actually caught a stocker the first time out, that would be the only trout I caught on it so far.  I really want to head out to some of the Limestone streams in my area but they are a bit imtimidating.... sometime this year I'm just going to put away the spinning gear and focus on fly fishing.... one of these days.
 
I'm going to star ta thread in the fly fishing forum if anyone would have a ny tips for me about fishing on limestone streams.

your PM inbox is full...

Hi Guys and Gals,
 
Jim here from N Huntingdon (near Pittsburgh).
 
I've been fishing for a long time mostly in this area,  But for the last few years I've been going up to BE creek.  Wwould like to fish other streams in the area but don't really know where they are at.
 
I've fished Spring Creek a couple of times with some friends and caught some fish.  Only use lures.  Would like to try fly fishing this year but not sure if I should get a fly rod kit from****s Sporting Goods or get something from Gander Mountain or Cabellas. (Ive got the start of arthritus in both hands).
 

Hello all,

As my screen name indicates I grew up in Bedford County. I currently live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of VA. The trout fishing down here does not compare to PA. If I drive fast I can be in Everett in 2 hours so I go home to fish frequently. When I feel the need to catch trout I fish the headwaters of Bob's Creek, Cove Creek, and Yellow Creek. The rest of my time is spent on the Raystown Branch catching bass. I also go up to Erie for the occasional steelhead adventure when my wallet permits. I enjoy flyfisning as much as bait fishing. Here in Virginia I kill time bass and catfish fishing on both forks of the Shenandoah. Both are beautiful rivers but the south fork is laden with PCB. It makes me grateful that alot of PA. waters are not toxified.

Hi; My name is Jack and I live in Berlin; retired from Alcoa in Frederick Md. Did live in Fairfield, Adams Co. while working. Fish Wills, Brush. and any local water that has fish. Also fish Deep Creek Md. from a pontoon for wall-eye and pan fish. Head to N.Y. every fall for BIG browns and King Salmon on a fly rod. The kings are fun, but the only fish to leave with us has been browns large enough for the wall. 20 lb. and up kings and browns that average 7 to 8 lbs. are the reason I put bow season on hold the last week of oct. "Its a tough job, but some-body has to do it."

Hi to all, my name is Tony and I am from Trumbull Ct. I am new to the site, although I like to visit fishing sites to see whats going on. I have been coming to the Salmon river for over 10 years with my three buddies to fly fish. We mostly fish DSR the last few times but like to go to other parts of the river when our knees are good. Coming up again this year but two of my friends cannot come because of family issues. We have the Douglaston Manor house (3br) for oct 23,24,25. This includes private access parking to the river and fishing passes to DSR. We are willing to Share the house with one or two fly fishermen to share the cost. Happy fishing

Thank you Jeremy for the sugestion and the welcome.

Three over 10# sounds pretty cool. I've never been there. I would like to some time- it's just never happened yet.
My boys are young- we'll get up there soon I hope. I do have a thing for Big Browns rather they be from the Ocean, Lake, Stream, or where ever. They're the best.
Any pics?

Yeah- that time of year again. I drown my camera in Texas this past Summer & still haven't replaced it.
My wife has a Nikon. I'll be taking pics. of spawners with it very soon.

ORIGINAL: kozzy

Hey all, Gallitzin guy here. I grew up in Johnstown. I will fish anywhere. You will never know when you can find a new favorite spot. I have taken up fly fishing lately, well this past week. A friend of mine talked me into trying it.....hope I will get better. I am way to young to retire and nowhere good enough to be a professional. Drop me a line.
Ken

Cool dude. It takes a while, but if you're a decent bait fisherman you'll be ok.
Welcome aboard!

Small world kozzy. I am also from Gallitzin. This is a great forum. I am new so let me tell you all a little bit about myself. I was born and raised in Loretto. I use to go to the river(Susquehanna) with my dad every weekend until i was eight years old when he was killed in a mining accident. With no one to take me anymore i started fishing the small streams around my house. I missed my dad so much and was mad at God for taking him at such a young age. He was only 38. To cope with his death i went fishing. I felt that I was closest to him when i was on the stream or out in the woods. Fast forward a few years now i'm 39 and I'm married with a son of my own. My son loves to fish. We mostly fish for trout and crappie. I also love to run and hunt rabbits with my beagles. I see that alot of you have graduated from Pennstate. I have worked for Pennstate Altoona  for 15 years a landscaper/equipement operator. I would love to learn to fish for walleye. I'm sure this board will be a great help.