Fly Fishing Road Trips
Good People      Good Water       Good Fish

After years of research, two years, and four trips, I finally got my Maryland trip.  Thanks to my new buddy Matt from Swallow Falls State park, you introduced me to Bear Creek!  

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The first attempt was in May of 2021.  After 23 days on the road, I could only give Maryland about three hours of fishing time.  I mapped Herrington Run(39.4641, -79.44386) and Muddy Creek (39.50115, -79.41734). The rain blew out Herrington Run, and it was not fishable.  I couldn't find Muddy Creek because I decided not to pay the $5 entrance fee to the State Park.  The instruction from the booth girl got me lost going the back way.

 

The second attempt was in late October 2021, after a 9-hour drive from Chicago.  In the afternoon, I was one hour from Swallow Falls State Park in West Virginia to work at a Coffee Shop and fish Deckers Creek to try to catch my West Virginia.  It was sunny and 60 degrees in West Virginia, and it only took 30 minutes to catch a 14-inch rainbow.  So, it was off to Maryland; what could go wrong?  As the sun was about to set, I decided not to fish and go out for dinner, a big mistake.  As soon as I got out to the bar/restaurant, it poured for two days.  Trip canceled.
The third attempt was in August 2022.  I decided to give myself more time, so I budgeted three and a half days.  How can you not catch a trout in three and a half days? 

Well, that is what happened.  I tried everything, even six streams.
The fourth attempt was the charm.  I decided I needed to help and ask a buddy I met on my third trip.  Matt introduced me to Bear Creek.  On my third cast, I hooked a nice rainbow on Bear Creek in the exact location that produced nothing in August.  I lost it but got my confidence back. 
 
The next day, Matt met me at Bear Creek and gave insight into the stream.  It took about an hour, then I cast into a deep pool by accident and landed my first Maryland Rainbow.  It was a stocker and good enough to eat. 

I caught a couple of Wild Brook Trout upstream, which always makes me happy as the day ends.

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Maryland Done!