#10: Match the Hatch in Pennsylvania

The first place we decided to fish in Pennsylvania was called Cedar Run. We were completely shocked at the sheer size and numbers of trout we saw in the stream. After we came up empty we did some research and found out that the fish are stocked at trophy size there. This means they are skittish and it is important to match the hatch and use bait that imitates exactly what the trout would be eating at that time of year.

This would be difficult with a spinning rod, which is what we were both using. One day we will be back to catch some of those trout, likely on a fly.

The next day we drove to maple run, another little creek, but this one was not stocked and so the brook trout population were completely naturally reproducing. We immediately noticed a difference, as the natural trout were much more aggressive. We ended up catching four total, most of them tiny but one of them was a decent size, around 12 inches. We decided to head down to West Virginia that night.