BFC- Big Fishing Creek PA, Summer Fly-Fishing

2024 Fourth of July week, we got a couple good rain events, brought the creeks up to nice levels, spread the fish out and gave us a few more creek options to fish. So, I headed up to BFC with my buddy Ryan, we fished all morning and a little into the afternoon, then took a long break for an early dinner with another friend, Mr. Dave Rothrock. Great fellowship during dinner made the fishing secondary, always fun exchanging stories and information over a good meal.

[@jeffs7773]

I live vicariously through you Scott

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

@@jeffs7773 Ha! You’re welcome and my pleasure. Stay tune for our next adventure. Appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@Fishin-Ipps]

Dude, I think you could get a rise in a parking lot puddle 😂 Great stuff, Scott. A little prayer, patience and a lot of skill & experience. - Chris

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hi Chris! You gotta have fun, even in times of struggle, also you probably learn the most on your tough days, which I experienced yesterday up on the Delaware, super tough, very very picky fish, but learning to wade carefully, be stealthy, get in good positions, make good presentations, choosing the right fly, wind blowing your line around, flows changing, all these factors are things that challenge us and changes the game every day. So when we get a hookup, big or small fish, I get super excited, you never know when your next bite is coming. I’m glad it shows in the video, ha! Appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@Fishin-Ipps]

@@pawoodsnwater7551 love it, man. One of my favorite parts of this passion we all share is that you never know what you’re going to get when you step in that water. I had the same experience at Spring Creek above Fisherman’s Paradise a couple of days ago. Drove 3 hours, fished 6 hours…and struggled to get a half dozen little wild brownies. And I still drove home with a smile on my face.

[@georgenaugle7827]

First time I saw that fish tatoo on your arm. You guys hammer them together. Awesome video again.

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Ha! On my right forearm, that’s my Scott’s Big Nymph about to get eaten by a big boy brownie. On my left forearm is my hunting arrow and my Jesus fish faith emblem. Yessir, everyone had a fun time, extra special with friends. Thanks George for watching and commenting.

[@jeromedwojak918]

Nice video Scott, really enjoyed the dry fly takes! Enjoyed the action! It pays to be observant as always when fishing! Thanks for sharing your experience on the water.

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Good morning Jerome! Hope you’re out there too having fun. Glad you enjoyed it. Appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@uni_shadow164]

Scott, Some nice dry action. It would be a little tough for me to dry fly fish at night. Hope you had a great Holiday weekend!

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hello Dave! I did have a great holiday but had to work the weekend 🙁. Yes, I’m sure night fishing isn’t possible for everyone, always safety first. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@chavety]

I tried to take all of Your advice and presentations about the West Branch. And Scott... I've never felt trout so strong in my life. My only error was that I left a 5x tippet on when a whale slammed it! Four feet out the water thrashing rainbow snapped off like fighting a carp on steroids! Fish was around 18-20 range but that was a thrill of a lifetime. (By the Shehawhen access near junction pool). Thank YOU!!! :)

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Ha! You put a big smile on my face and I’m laughing, but for joy for you and your experience. Absolutely nothing like a big wild trout from the Delaware or it’s branches. Now you’re caught! You’ll be going back for more. Thanks for sharing. Hope to meet you up there some day.

[@patricknoveski6409]

I so enjoy these videos. You have taught me to be much more observant, & mostly patient. Love that Brookie !

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hi Pat! Love hearing that, the main basis for the videos, to help guys in all ways fly fishing. That first Brookie WAS super pretty! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@toddwilcox142]

Nice work buddy. Great to see Ryan and Mr. Dave fishing alongside you. Great fish there at the end, to finish up the evening. Thanks for sharing.

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hey hey brother Todd! Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it. Soon we’ll get out together, looking forward to it. Appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@wags6122]

I am looking forward to the next video! I fish a lot of the streams in central Pa and maybe we will meet on one of those streams someday.

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hello Dennis! Happy you’re enjoying the channel, if you ever think you see me on stream, please stop to chat and/or fish a while together. Appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@alexandergeiser3854]

Amazing video. I took my mom out on the 4th since it's a fish for free day and got her into a few trout on the pin setup

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Thank you Alex! Great idea, I bet Mom had fun👍🏻. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@patricknoveski6409]

That's cool that u took your Mom, bro. Just cool 😎

[@snookmcdermott6894]

Great video as always Scott Its always nice to see friends fishing together Stay safe

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hey Snook! Yes, I agree. If you look back through my 8 years of videos, I’m sure you’ll see I have many many videos of me fishing with someone. I’m pretty social and not a loner, so even if the person isn’t with me, I don’t mind fishing seeing other anglers or chatting for a little. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@michaelcapurso]

Long day of fishing Scott. God bless you for making that a day trip, I would need to spend the night in town.

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hi Michael! I’m getting there, those long day trips are getting less and less common, my body’s is changing hitting 60yrs. old. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@williamgunn1076]

Living in Florida, I always look forward to being refreshed by your fishing adventures. I usually fish the narrows, but I'll put the town on my bucket list. Stay hooked! Bill

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hey Bill! Florida, wow! I’m guessing you’re originally from PA? Sure, BFC is a lot of fun! I loved it in the narrows 90s and early 2000s, but the narrows , to me, had gone way downhill in the past 15 years. I’ve heard several theories why, but would like to hear the Fish Commission’s reason because it’s drastically different from back then. I have fished it in recent years but not at all with the old results. Maybe next time up there I’ll try the narrows again. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@williamgunn1076]

@@pawoodsnwater7551 Born in Pittsburgh, but Daddy was a Navy Commander and I changed schools 9 times between K and 12th grade. Live in Middletown as a young man for awhile. But I've been traveling to PA to spend time fishing and hunting since 1975. Will be in Spring Mills for 6 weeks in Sept to early November. Hope to catch you onstream sometime. Best, Bill

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

@@williamgunn1076 Wow, interesting life story, would be cool to meet up sometime. My brother retired from the Navy as a Commander. At a different post every three years for 23 years, I get it. Thanks for sharing.

[@BIGJ3748]

Thanks Scott. As usual, enjoyed the video.

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

@@BIGJ3748 Hey Big J! Thank you brother, glad you enjoyed it.

[@eddobbins6245]

Beautiful brownie Scott..congrats..well worth the trip!

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hey Ed! Yes, a couple nice wild big boys. Love fishing up there, fishing in town isn’t ideal, but great water and fish there. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@troutstrike]

The night game!!! The big boys eat after dark! I was messing with the little ones on Spring! I’m heading there next time!

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

You betcha Jeff! I prefer there in the Summer vs Spring, think you’ll enjoy it. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@michaelzobrist8846]

Good evening Scott. What a beautiful day you had fishing. I was surprised that you didn’t succeed with the iso and dry dropper that look like a great set up to me. It looked like the water didn’t get any deeper than three or 4 feet for the temperature to be 60°. That’s awesome thanks again Scott for a nice video, I’m hoping to get out fishing this Friday. Not sure if I will drive to PA or stay in New York, but I’ll probably start off with a dry dropper rig. I do have one question how are you able to tell the difference between a stocked brown and home grown brown? I’m guessing it has to do with brighter colors. Be well my friend

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hi Michael! The dry/dropper hasn’t been that productive for me that much this year, yet! I don’t know why, I’m perplexed. In this stream, there’s only rainbows stocked, so any brown or Brookie here is wild. Now on streams that have both wild and stocked browns, it’s not always easy to recognize the differences, but sometimes it is, especially with their fins, usually wilds are much bigger, perfectly shaped, usually translucent, also their body coloration is much prettier and than the stockies in there, wilds usually have bigger and sharper teeth, and their fight is night and day different, wilds are much stronger. These are generalizations, not concrete noticeable differences, but if you catch enough of them out of the same stream, I bet you’d be able to tell in short time. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@michaelzobrist8846]

Good morning Scott I was just wondering how I could send you a picture or short video of a beautiful brown trout i caught on a blue size 14 copper John the wire was blue. I also caught a 18 inch rainbow on the same nymph. This was on the east branch of the clarion. Looking forward to your next video. Be well my friend

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hey Michael! That’s awesome and congratulations! You can send it to my email, [e-mail] I’d love to get up to the Clarion again, maybe in the Fall. Nice cool water from that east branch tailwater. Blue you know is one of my favorite perdigon colors, good to see it’s working for you too. Thanks for sharing. 👍🏻

I week ago before we left for vacation in Ireland ,caught my personal best in NJ , Raritain river. 23" Cow rainbow on my GLoomis 8.6 foot 4 wt nymph rod 5X tippet. By myself. No help. I was exhausted getting her in. Measuring 23" from the butt end to the first section of my rod. No time for weight. Snapped a few pics , dropped my phone but it recorded me walking over the wet cam to release her (two hands) asap. I have pics of the fish flopping way over the not big enough net.

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Congratulations buddy! Nice job, good you were able to get a couple pics, I’m sure it’s one of highlights you won’t forget 👏. Thanks for sharing.

@@pawoodsnwater7551 Thank you Scott !only you and everyone on your channel can truly understand the experience. 🎣

[@Pwrcritter]

The nighttime is the right time..

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Ha! If you can swing it, try it, I think it’s fun, but very challenging, something like fishing with your eyes closed 😅. Appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@foxchaser21]

yo scott, nice video from there. testing out the variety at some point pays off in fly selection. you hooked into a few dandy's at that. how far from potter is that creek? might try and hit that one some time, poho gets old after several times, lol

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hey Mike! Well, I don’t know, guess it depends on what route you take. For me it’s a good 2.5hr drive, just Google Map it. Nymphing does well there but we’ve been keeping it only dries this summer so far, don’t know how much longer I’m gonna hold out, think I’ll break my streak if I head up to the Delaware. Gotta do, what I gotta do, ha! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@erikb1861]

Hi Scott, when John and I were at the westbranch we saw a guy heading into the river at midnight what do you think he was using at that time? Mouse, streamers? We did well there not big numbers but quality fish. Most of mine were on the wooly bugger.

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hi Erik! Well, just guessing, I’d say yes, mouse or streamers, not many people just heading into the water at midnight for bugs. Dave said you guys got into some nice fish, nice job! Quality over quantity, ha! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@chiptitus7398]

Hi Scott! That was some nice fishing. Big fishing creek always seems to be tough. At least it is for me, lol. You caught a couple of really nice ones. I did notice I have been catching more and more brookies lately, especially on the upper end of big fishing creek. What day did you end up coming up to my neck of the woods?

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hi Chip! We went up on Tuesday before the 4th, crazy we had to wear hoodies in the morning, was a brisk cool morning until around 10am, then had to shed the hoodie. We had a long early dinner from 1-4pm at the golf course, very relaxing alongside the creek. Appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@chiptitus7398]

@pawoodsnwater7551 Gotta. I was working. Ok. Yeah, that's 9 iron on the golf course, and yes, it's very relaxing in the back by the creek. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself.

[@sholomklein1704]

The biggest always wait for dark...

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Good morning Mr. Klein! Yessir, the freaks come out at night 😊. When I’m staying up in any area that I’m fishing, I’ll usually fish even later, really until the bite stops. I like eating an early dinner and saving the nighttime for the fishies when I’m able. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@douglasrandall6737]

Nice video Scott, did you say that that was a lime stoner?

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

@@douglasrandall6737 Hi Doug ! Yes it is, more so above the narrows, but down in town has a little more freestone influence. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@johnduffy8532]

Is this a tailwater?

[@pawoodsnwater7551]

Hi John! No, this is a strong limestone influenced stream, many springs throughout it’s length. Thanks for watching and commenting.