Outdoors

Scenic upper Juniata is full of smallmouth bass

Over the past four weeks, we have showcased some of central Pennsylvania’s finest trout streams. In this fifth and final installment of the series, we will feature another remarkable waterway of our region: the upper Juniata River. The Juniata River begins at the junction of the Little Juniata River and the Frankstown Branch near the village of Alexandria in Huntingdon County, and 10 miles downstream, the Raystown Branch meets the Juniata main stem at the village of Ardenheim. From there, the Juniata River winds its way another 90 miles through Mifflin and Juniata counties to ...

First day of trout about more than fish

Back in winter, winter my son repeatedly asked me how many days remained until trout season would start. The first grader was eagerly awaiting the mentored youth trout day to arrive to shake his cabin fever. Seeing him excited for his opening day actually had me feeling the same way. I always look forward to taking the kids fishing on both the mentored day and the standard opener. The tradition of waking up early, having breakfast by the creek and watching them reel in fish with a big smile on their face is what I believe opening mornings should be about as a parent. With only one ...

Centre County’s Spring Creek is in a class by itself

Centre County’s Spring Creek is often rated as the top trout stream in Pennsylvania. Several factors contribute to the popularity of this fertile limestone stream. Foremost among them is its exceptional population of wild brown trout. Another is the ample availability of public access ...

Success afield

Clinton County’s ‘fishing creek’ is picturesque

Dozens of streams throughout Pennsylvania are named “Fishing Creek,” and some of those waterways do indeed produce good fishing. But one of the most interesting and popular of the Keystone State’s many “Fishing Creeks” is the one that flows through Clinton County. This Fishing ...

Burns planned on state game lands

HUNTINGDON — The Pennsylvania Game Commission plans to conduct controlled burning operations, weather permitting, on State Game Lands in the Southcentral Region this week. Among the area where burns are planned is State Game Lands 107 in Mifflin and Juniata counties. Lands in Centre and Bedford counties are also slated for controlled burns. Weather and forest site conditions will dictate which sites will be chosen. Controlled burns are used to rejuvenate lands and make them more beneficial for wildlife. These forested burns are targeted to improve habitat conditions by reducing ...