Trout Week; Day 3

Trout Week 2012

It's day three of trout week and it is time to take a look at possibly the most targeted trout of all in Pennsylvania.  You know you have tried to catch this fish as it is hard to miss in the water.  Rather than blending in with camouflage like the browns, brooks, and rainbows do of the Commonwealth, the Golden Rainbow (also known as the Palomino) trout is highly visible throughout stocked waterways. No matter if you are a fan of the golden rainbow trout or not, you must admit that you have thrown enough line at this trout to try to catch.

If you are curious regarding the taste I can tell you for a fact that golden rainbow trout do not taste differently than regular trout.  The result of this trout's color is due to a pigment gene mutation.  Originating from wild and wonderful West Virginia, the golden rainbow was a pure accident.  Drawing such intrigue and curiosity, the original golden rainbow was spawned with a regular healthy rainbow trout.  The result, was more golden rainbow trout.  The mutated pigment gene was prolific that all trout spawned from this strain lacked regular rainbow trout coloration.  With that being said, all golden rainbow trout that are stocked in PA are directly from the 1954 golden rainbow discovered in West Virginia.  For more golden rainbow info, check this out.

Today, you can find the golden rainbow stocked within most Pennsylvania streams with other rainbow trout.  But there is one stream that you can find golden rainbow all year long.  That stream is Spring Creek, located in Central Pennsylvania.  Spring Creek is a wild trout stream that begins in Boalsburg, meanders through Bellefonte, eventually entering into the Bald Eagle Creek in Milesburg.  Spring Creek mostly consists of wild brown trout, but all species of trout can be found throughout the stream.  Specifically, from the Bellefonte section through the outflow in Milesburg, all species, including the golden rainbow, persist.  The best part of Spring Creek is that the entire stream is catch and release.  So if you are looking to try and hook into a golden rainbow, you have a great opportunity.

Stream Name: Spring Creek

Stream Location: Centre County

Features:Wild catch and release trout waters, spring fed stream, generally consistent temperatures and water flow.

Target Trout: Golden Rainbow Trout

Weapon of choice: 5/6 weight fly rod.

Bait/Lure/Fly: Streamers in the early spring, scuds in the mid to late summer.

Section of Choice: The entire length of Spring Creek is outstanding fishing.  You cannot go wrong with where you chose to fish.  But if you want to attempt to catch a golden rainbow, you must head to Bellefonte.  Below the High Street bridge, this newly opened section is loaded with the golden beauties.  Many of which are 4 or 5 lbs, and some are even bigger!

X-tra Info: If you chose to fish this section of Spring Creek you got to be careful when parking.  The old Cero and neighboring properties are private and do not allow access to fishermen.  (I have been scorned numerous times when exiting/exiting the stream through this areas.)  The best place to park is at the Gamble Mill Restaurant and Brewery.  Not only is this parking lot free to the public, but after your day on the stream you can enjoy great food and amazing micro brew! 
 

 

  Spring Creek, Centre County, Pennsylvania
Although I have been fortunate to land a golden rainbow in Spring Creek, (picture above), I was not able to get that fish on film.  Below is a video I made of fishing for wild browns in Spring Creek.  This video depicts some of the browns that can be caught, but not the style of fishing that I indicated above, i.e. fly rod with streamers/scuds. 

 

Write this down!  Trout Week day 3 prize pack code: Golden Beauties