My brother-in law, Doug Gardner, had a great morning on Big Hunting earlier this week.  Doug is an avid outdoorsman and a photographer for “Wired Outdoors”.  “Living to Fish TV” is a new segment for Wired Outdoors.  I would encourage you to check out the videos.

We switched rolls on this trip as Doug fished and I was the photographer (with some coaching). Doug hooked up with at least a dozen fish on an attractor fly – all wild browns with a couple rainbows mixed in.

Big Hunting is catch and release fly fishing only.  It is a classic freestone stream with rocks, boulders. riffles and runs into pockets and pools.  The tree canopy helps keep the water cool during the summer.  If you like “pocket water” fishing , this is a great place to fish.

Doug fishing a Big Hunting “pocket”

Big Hunting Wild
Brown

We spent another 10 days during the first 2 weeks of June at the Rough Cut Lodge in Gaines PA. The weather was great. We caught lots of fish ( a few big ones) and watched our younger family members enjoy the outdoors and go fly fishing.

We missed the Green Drakes but had plenty of surface activity using #18 gray hackle flies, small sulfurs, slate drakes and dredged a few using parachute Adams and the Crackleback.

My brother-in-law caught 2 woppers on the Allegheny River (above Coudersport) and the First Fork of the Sinnemahoning. Pine Creek was very productive and we also fished Kettle Creek and Slate Run.

We always look forward to this outing in early June and will do it again next year.

Ron Hill with 17 ” Brown on First Fork

Ron Hill with 20″ Rainbow Allegheny River

John and Hunter Haney with a nice catch on Pine

Hunter fishing Slate Run

Big Hunting is a freestone mountain stream in the Catoctin Mountains. It’s best described as “pocket water” fishing and holds wild browns and stocked fish.

Had a great day on Big Hunting. Water levels were perfect, overcast and water temperature 60 degrees. It seemed as if every “fishy” spot either was a catch or miss.

I caught all wild browns except for a couple stocked rainbows. My fly of choice was Mr. Rapidan which is a #16 parachute fly from Mossy Creek fly shop.

Wild Brown

Big Hunting Creek

My best catch was a 13″ wild brown which slipped away from me before I get a picture.

Our annual Pine Creek outing is next, Stay tuned!