Defender Trout Adventures, Sullivan County, PA - Wooly Bugged

This is the first in a series of videos where I meet up with my friend Jared to take the Land Rover Defender into the backcountry of Pennsylvania in search of wild trout. In this episode, we hike 2 miles into a secret freestone stream and find a great population of wild brown and brook trout. This stream is typically difficult to fly fish because the fish are spooky in low water conditions. With recent rains in the area, the we find the stream full of water with heavily feeding trout.
99% of my videos are self-filmed. 99% of my videos are on water I've never fished. All streams are accessed on foot.
Learn more about the TroutRoutes app here: apps.apple.com...

[@MrNcturkey]

Great show today. I love fishing when the water is up after a rain storm.

[@WoolyBugged]

I do too!

[@michaelrichards5918]

Hidden gem! Hope it stays that way forever! I know that stream very well.

[@WoolyBugged]

I hope so too!

[@daverothrock8372]

Just up the road apiece, Mike. Good job!

[@WoolyBugged]

Thanks Dave, hope you're enjoying your summer!

[@blackflycreations]

Another epic adventure Mike! Excellent job filing and editing! Tight lines, Steve👌

[@WoolyBugged]

Thank you Steve!

[@jimreed3904]

The colors!!! incredible...thanks for taking us along...heaven on earth for sure...

[@WoolyBugged]

You bet Jim, thanks for watching.

[@thomasgibbons353]

This is one I did not see. Wonderful filming. Do you guys remember the first fly you beheld? Mine was the "Lady Beaverkill" from outside the shop window at the Sport Shop in Manville, N.J. I had no clue how it was used. I was 10 yrs. old. My brother Don and I went into the shop and purchased 3 dry's, the Hendrickson, an Olive Quill and a Royal Coachman. And the rest is lost memory. 20 yrs. later a guy loaned me a Phillipson 5wt. and gave me directions to the Big Flatbrook. In sum, there is not enough joy than holding a fly rod in a place where you will come to know God. Just like the place y'all just fished.

[@andyk914]

Mike, such incredible videos. Each one a piece of art. Each video gets better and better. I dream of brook trout at night before falling asleep. Your videos kept me sane during the Covid lock-down. Please keep them coming.

[@WoolyBugged]

Thank you Andy, really appreciate that.

[@curtbaker6593]

Very nice, Mike Keep them coming !!!

[@WoolyBugged]

Thank you Curt, appreciate you watching.

[@curtbaker6593]

Between you and Jon from dead drift outdoors, you keep me wanting more videos and pumped up to hit more streams

[@WoolyBugged]

@@curtbaker6593 thanks Curt!

[@balor7]

Love the sound of the water.

[@WoolyBugged]

Soothing to the soul.

[@paulgostkowski3960]

Extremely stealthy? That rules me out. Nice video, amazing fish and fishing techniques. I'd like to hear more about the Defender specs - nice vehicle!

[@WoolyBugged]

P400 hse! Thanks for watching!

[@theminnowmaster7816]

That's awesome! They are such cool fish. Someday I wanna try and fish for them!

[@WoolyBugged]

Give it a shot!

[@charlesgaither6965]

I'm surprised at the quantity of browns in such a small creek. Quality of brook trout too! Great film as always. Your the man Mike

[@WoolyBugged]

You’d never know how many are in there without that rain!

[@charlesgaither6965]

Some day we'll have to get together.

[@kimnielsen7449]

Great water, love the way they still have there parr marks .

[@WoolyBugged]

They're beautiful right.

[@RETCAP10]

Well done, Mike. You make it look all too easy.

[@WoolyBugged]

There are plenty of mishaps!

[@michaelhilinski7889]

Excellent job! This summer has been awesome for pa. Ive had great luck with browns since the rain has given the streams a nice tinge. maybe we'll run into each other one of these days

[@WoolyBugged]

Could happen!

[@scottnock5241]

Awesome trip!! Beautiful fish, water, footage and what a trout ride!!! Great job!!!

[@WoolyBugged]

Thanks for watching

[@troutmiester7441]

The full belly on that brown at 15:00! He was loving the rain, no doubt! I was up for the past week and hit some wilds when the conditions allowed. We had flash floods 4 out of 7 nights!

[@WoolyBugged]

Ya Jim, the rain has been unbelievable up that way. 7-8" in the last 10 days.

[@jarrettlandreth285]

Gorgeous stream and fish, glad to see that those browns haven’t completely pushed out the brookies into smaller tribs, I’ve seen that happen a lot! It’s amazing how they can adapt to coexist in certain watersheds, must have something to do with the food availability and the amount of trout-friendly habitat!

[@WoolyBugged]

Yes, it does happen a lot and chances are they will eventually push the brookies far upstream.

[@jeromedwojak918]

Outstanding video, great fishing there! Beautiful scenery! Those native brooks and browns were definently unique for that fishery!

[@WoolyBugged]

Thanks for watching!

[@mattmorlock8819]

Wow! I’m so jealous of the wonderful wild trout streams in Pennsylvania! Great video as usual Mike. Keep em coming.

[@WoolyBugged]

The best on the east coast! IMO!

[@yankeedoodledandeefirecrac7518]

I visit from time to time the STROUDSBURG PA. rivers can you do a few videos of the best places there to Fly fish?

[@WoolyBugged]

Tim, I appreciate you watching. I only share the counties I visit, not the streams when fishing for the wild fish. Check out the PA trout webpage for more info on locations to start exploring.

[@roberthenley1399]

Such cool videos Mike, really enjoy watching them.

[@WoolyBugged]

Thank you Robert, I appreciate you watching.

[@unclefuddelmer9224]

Great video and new series guys! Having been born in Sullivan co and fished it much of my life that stream is Very typical, as the county's very hilly with many Many streams that size and speed. The water rises and falls quickly after a good rain. So I've found the faster you can get on it when the rain starts the more likely the trout will be active as they'll start feeding when the first few big drops hit the water.

[@WoolyBugged]

You are correct Elmer. The more I’ve fished streams following rains, I’m convinced that is one of the best windows you can target, especially in the summer.

[@tylerhathcote8986]

Beautiful work brother!

[@WoolyBugged]

Thank you Tyler!

[@brooktroutangler5917]

hope that thing came with a mechanic lol

[@WoolyBugged]

Maybe older Land Rovers, not accurate to the newer models.

[@brooktroutangler5917]

@@WoolyBugged well that will be the first reliable vehicle 🚙 they have ever made. Ok its a lease I guess. I have owned a couple and LR of the past are pure garbage.

[@yankeedoodledandeefirecrac7518]

why dont these ponds and streams hold bigger fish???

[@WoolyBugged]

The size of the streams and amount of available food limits the size the fish can grow to.

[@joeruffa2214]

Beautiful stream. Wish I had some more of a choice of wild trout water in Erie County. Great video.

[@WoolyBugged]

I hear ya Joe, that very northwestern PA area is tough for the brookies.

[@Droptineful]

Awesome stream! I’ve had great luck with chartreuse mop flies this year too!🙏🏻🇺🇸

[@WoolyBugged]

I'll be honest, I haven't fished the mop too much outside of steelhead but in this application, I was sold!

[@MrNcturkey]

What length is your rod Mike?

[@WoolyBugged]

Mike, the rod in this video is a 7.5' length.

[@AdiposePhin]

I took a motorbike ride this past weekend from Albany NY to the Gettysburg bike rally. We typically take side roads and avoid the highways. We passed many small streams and wondered if any were some that you hit up. Love the content! Keep it coming!

[@WoolyBugged]

Very good chance you passed over some I've walked. Thanks for watching and thinking of me!

[@vickvinegar5071]

From a guy who fishes northwestern nj, I dream of waters like this.

[@WoolyBugged]

Thanks for watching Vick!

[@blitzinstripes3788]

Another great video. We missed you when you didn't post for a while, Mike. Welcome back. Hope to see some more tributaries (browns, steelhead, salmon) videos this fall!

[@WoolyBugged]

You bet, I expect to film through the rest of the year.

[@D901694]

Love your channel, but you cracked me up at the beginning. Long drive (stretch) back to where you had previously placed your camera 😆🤣😂. That aside, your content is awesome! Keep doing what you do dude.

[@WoolyBugged]

Haha, thanks man. Gotta tell that story!

[@ianjones6910]

Great video as always. I just got back from Colorado, and it's amazing how the location determines the worth of a fish. I treasure brook trout when I fish in the Smokies or other areas in the East; in the West, where they have been introduced, they're almost trash fish - Colorado has liberal limits on brookies. They out-compete the native cutthroats. I fished a stream out there that has Colorado River cutts, but all I caught was brook trout. After digging around online, I discovered that there is a barrier waterfall about a mile up from where I was fishing - oh well. I did catch a fair amount of Rio Grande Cutthroat down in the San Juans. I just like native fish, in their native settings.

[@WoolyBugged]

Ian, ya that is an interesting point. I've encountered that too where the folks in the West disregard them.

[@collinchristner2211]

Was up that way this weekend. Just a hair further north than dushore

[@WoolyBugged]

Nice, love Dushore!

[@collinchristner2211]

@@WoolyBugged it's nice an quiet