Intro | Slate Run | Cedar Run | Hatches | Tackle

I worked my way upstream slowly, careful with each step not to send trout holding near the streambank fleeing for cover. Suddenly I spotted movement in the trees upstream from my position. A whitetail fawn, its reddish-tan sides and back dotted with pale spots, darted quickly back and forth trying to persuade its mother to drop her guard momentarily and join in a woodland game of chase. For now mother whitetail would have no part of it. In a few moments both deer crossed the stream only 20 yards above me and disappeared.

Distracted from my careful approach to the next pool, I savored the setting: the lush green forest, with tall hardwoods and spotty thick mountain laurel and rhododendron; the steep sloping mountainsides with no obvious sign of human encroachment; the inviting mix of pools, pockets, and riffles; the gin-clear water; and the wild trout. I was on Pennsylvania's Slate Run in early July, and I had high hopes of fooling a few stream-wise browns before darkness fell on the gentle flows.

Slate Run
North central Pennsylvania has a number of fine trout streams that provide challenging fly fishing, but two streams--Slate and Cedar runs--stand out among all the others. Located in the Pine Creek valley, Slate Run and Cedar Run, both special-regulation tributaries to Pine Creek, have carved their niche among the most well-known freestone trout streams of the eastern United States, and the little streams have reputations that extend far beyond the confines of the Keystone State. I've had streamside chats with fly fishers from as far away as Colorado who have come to meet a hatch on these productive runs.

Slate Run, a tributary to Pine Creek, offers a fine mix of pools, riffles, and runs.

The villages of Slate Run and Cedar Run are located where the respective runs meet Pine Creek, and with a distance of less than ten miles between the runs, the thress streams together provide an ideal destination for eastern fly fishers, whether for a weekend, a few days, or longer.

Slate Run is born with the confluence of Francis Branch and Cushman Branch in Tioga County. Both Francis and Cushman are fine litle mountain trout streams, producing brightly colored native brook trout and wild browns. From the point at which the branches merge, Slate Run flows about a half-mile before entering Lycoming County. From the Tioga-Lycoming county line to Pine Creek, Slate receives the cold flows of several other small tributaries, most significant of which are Morris Run and Manor Fork.

Access to Slate Run is from Slate Run Road off of Route 414 at the village of Slate Run or from Route 44. Slate Run Road is blacktop to the intersection with Francis Road; from there to Route 44 it is dirt surface (See Map.) Parking is available at the Hotel Manor just upstream from the mouth of Slate Run. From this area upstream Slate Run Road runs high above the stream. There are pull-off areas along the road, and trails lead down the mountainside to the stream. Francis Road provides the only access to the upper three miles of the stream to the county line and beyond.

The terrain through which Slate Run flows is breathtaking. Its slopes at places rise several hundred feet from the stream. No matter where you descend the mountainside, once you are onstream a glance either upstream or downstream reveals a fine mix of pools, riffles, and runs to explore. The stream's larger pools have been named, and it is not uncommon to encounter an angler who will relate his success at the Swimming Hole, Crooked Tree Pool, or Two Mile Pool.

The clear waters of both Slate (above) and Cedar run require the use of stealth and delicate presentations.

About seven miles of Slate Run, from its mouth upstream to the confluence of Cushman and Francis branches, are managed for fly-fishing-only and catch-and-release. No trout may be kept. Fishing hours are from one-half hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset. The season is open year-round.

Dave Rothrock, a fly tier and guide, lives in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania.

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