Trout Source

Introduction

Yellow Breeches is a classic Pennsylvania limestone spring creek that is loaded with insects and picky brown trout, along with rainbows and brookies.  This world famous creek boasts dry fly fishing nearly year-round (and it is always open to fishing), with the most famous being the blizzard White Mayfly hatch in late summer.  The one-mile Catch-and-Release stretch can become crowded during major hatches.  Trout are a hodge podge of wild, stocked and carryovers.

River Character and Access

In the heart of Pennsylvania’s limestone belt, Yellow Breeches runs 30 miles from Lee’s Crossroads to the Susquehanna River at York Haven.  In summer, the water warms to unfishable levels in many sections.  Key exceptions are near cold feeder streams, with the most important being Boiling Springs Run, which marks the start of a one mile Catch and Release section that ends at the famous Allenberry Resort and Playhouse in Allenberry.  “The run” (Boiling Springs Run), as it’s often called, is critical to the health of the Yellow Breeches due to its extremely cold water year-round, and is itself a great fishery.  Boiling Springs is a very short creek that originates in a giant spring which forms Children's Lake.  The section where the Boiling Springs and Yellow Breeches come together is called "The Junction."  In summer, the Catch and Release section of Yellow Breeches can get intense fishing pressure due to its superior water temperature compared to the rest of the creek.  It is arguably the most intensely fished section of water in the state when the White Mayfly hatches (or explodes).  Just below the Allenberry Playhouse, there are some minor falls that create holding water for some big browns.  Below this water, the river begins warming and fish tend to congregate along the bank where there is shade and some pools.  At 30-60 feet wide, and flowing at a gentle pace, Penns Creek is easy to wade.

Access to Yellow Breeches is easy via route 174 in the upper sections above Allenberry.  There is Access from the Allenbery parking lot is about as simple as it gets.  Below Allenberry, Creek Road parallels much of the lower section.

The upper section, from Lees Cross Roads to New Cumberland has some quality water, but it heats up quickly in the summer.  Access is limited due to posted property.

When and How to Fish

With the exception of the Catch and Release section from Boiling Springs to Allenberry, summer constricts the fishable water at Yellow Breeches due to the heat.  However, due to the fertile limestone water, the creek has an almost overwhelming number of hatches.  Hatches begin in March with BWO's and Little Black Stones.  April brings Blue Quills, Red Quills and Hendricksons.  In May, you can fish March Browns, Gray Foxes, Sulphurs, Slate Drakes and more BWO's.  June brings the Light Cahill and Yellow Drake.  In July, the much-heralded White Mayfly arrives (sometimes called the White Fly), along with Tricos and Large Slate Drakes.  BWO's return again in August and September.  Terrestrials are critical from late June through mid-September. 

In terms of technique, most fishing is on the surface, since you can almost always find fish rising.  Drag-free presentations and proper tippet selection are at a premium because the current is fairly slow, and you're fishing predominantly for picky browns.  While not as difficult as nearby Letort Spring Run (another excellent fishery), trout on the Yellow Breeches are more selective than most.

 

Troutsource highly recommends the services of a local fly fishing guide.  We've listed the best ones below, and you can contact all of them at once using our e-mail form.  A guide can be the difference between getting skunked and catching 20 fish.   Remember, getting the right fly is only half the battle.  You need to know exactly where to put it, and how -- and this is where guides earn their money.   A customary tip is 15%.