News & Views
Our Members Speak
"Solitude"
More people live between Boston and Washington, within an hour's drive of saltwater, than lived in the entire United States when my father was born. It is difficult to digest such velocities of change. Or their profound impact on us all.
The beauty and solitude of trout fishing are still a welcome antidote to discontent. But solitude itself is difficult to find. Public water is getting crowded. Anglers are forced to share with throngs of other fisherfolk, and with kayakers and float tubers and canoes. Such traffic is perilous and scatters the trout like quail. Many rivers have become a carnival of bad manners.
We are losing our trout streams to unplanned urban sprawl, sewage, industrial effluents, pesticides, herbicides, clear-cutting, and pavement. Such troubles are not confined to eastern waters. The Au Sable in Michigan is plagued with a daily parade of rented canoes, and the Bois Brule in Wisconsin is not far behind. Popular boat landings in Montana are getting so crowded that traffic cops are needed. The Opening Day celebrations near Denver and Salt Lake City and San Francisco are getting hopelessly crowded too. Solitude itself is endangered.
Fly-fishing still offers moments of quiet felicity, a sense of serenity and introspection, and the time to sort through things. Fishing is the least important thing about fishing. Solitude is clearly more important.
One can still find such things on the riffling shallows of Spruce Creek, the still reaches of Warrior's Mark Run, the crystalline headwaters of Penns Creek, and the big sycamore-shaded flats of the Espy Farm. I have come to love these reaches of the Little Juniata, with the trees like pale-trunked ghosts in the gathering darkness, and the three-star belt of Orion in the twilight sky. Upstream in the gathering darkness, with spent flies pinioned in the film, there are circles in the water. And solitude.
More Testimonials
"When it comes to fishing at the Club," says Mike. "I'm very much in favor of variety and enjoy the challenges of trying to figure out various stretches of water. It's hard to pick a favorite, but it's difficult to beat the Little J during a good sulfur hatch. There is quite an adrenaline rush that comes from watching the V-wake of a big Spruce Creek trout in pursuit of a skittering caddis! As a member, I enjoy access to these top-flight waters without fighting the crowds. Best of all, the waters will not see the daily fishing pressure that comes with a commercial outfitting operation. I worry about the unavoidable impact on these limited resources. I've seen it already on many of my favorite eastern and western streams. It won't get better in the future. I'm willing to pay for the privilege of uncrowded fishing on pristine streams that will be maintained properly."
"My favorite kind of fishing is sight fishing for selective trout with small dries and nymphs," says Tom. "I frequent spring creeks and tailwater fisheries throughout the country. My favorite piece of Club water is the Little Juniata. I enjoy the solitude and natural beauty of the lower flat, the variety of hatches, and the larger size of this water. This stretch of water has a 'wildness' which is rare for a fishery of this size and quality anywhere in the Lower 48. In the final analysis, my decision to become a founding member of Spring Ridge Club is about providing a legacy to my family. I also believe that the Spring Ridge Club is continuing the vision of the landowners and the management practices of the stream keepers who recognized the unique beauty of these properties. The legacy of Spring Ridge Club will be to conserve these resources and protect and improve these environmentally sensitive ecosystems for future generations."
"I continue to take several fly-fishing trips a year to various 'Blue-Ribbon' destinations such as Alaska and Montana, but I find that, in many respects, we have everything they have to offer and more right here in central Pennsylvania."
"I joined Spring Ridge Club because I wanted a place to bring my family to fish and I wanted a place where we could always be assured of great water to fish. I appreciated the fact that the organization and people are dedicated to keeping the waters and surrounding areas as best they can. All that has helped to create some fond memories for us."
"The cost to join and fish many different locations at Spring Ridge, which is also available year 'round, is only a fraction of what we would spend for our own place on or near a trout stream, and we have no maintenance worries for a house, land, or stream. The fishing is as good as (or better than) you will find almost anywhere else, and continues to improve because of the ongoing stream maintenance being done by the outstanding Spring Ridge staff."
"As you know, I have been fly-fishing for 67 of my 85 years and have had the opportunity to fish for trout in some of the most fabulous spots in the world, from Chile to New Zealand. I've caught more trout than I can possibly count. But June 29, 2004 was the VERY BEST day of trout fishing I have ever had. I was fishing with my friend on the Club's Six Springs stretch of Spruce Creek. When we were walking to the stream, our guide, Joe McMullen, noticed a lot of Japanese beetles flying from the bushes. So he suggested we start fishing with his special version of it. We tied Japanese Beetles on and started fishing at 7:45 a.m. The fish went crazy. The next six hours were unbelievable. To the best of our accounting, by 2:30, we had hooked between 30 and 40 trout over sixteen inches and landed somewhere around twenty (and broke off six or seven monster trout). It was everything Joe could do to keep up with the net. At 2:30 p.m., the action slowed a bit and we were about to hit the road when Joe noticed a couple of big trout feeding below the surface near some watercress beds. He decided to tie on a size 20 scud dropper onto my Japanese beetle. With my first cast, a HUGE wild brown trout took the scud and raced to the head of the Home Pool. Suddenly, he turned and raced like a rocket to the opposite end of the 70-yard-long pool. After more than 20 minutes of fierce fighting, Joe got in position to net a beautiful, buttery-colored male brown that went every bit of 25 inches and weighed between seven and eight pounds. What a perfect ending to my very best day of trout fishing anywhere in the world...I'm glad I joined this club!"
"So my bone-fishing buddy from Turks and Caicos is visiting upstate New York last weekend and I want to show him what our lake-run steelhead and brown trout fishery is like up here in the semi-frozen north. I decide to book my first adventure with Karl on Spring Ridge Club's water on the Lake Erie tributaries. Big mistake! We catch 42, yes, 42 trout between three and ten pounds in six hours of fishing. Over eight double-hook-ups! Biggest fish just shy of 30 inches, completely chromed and fresh. How can I ever take this guy fishing again? Can you see us on the Salmon River, elbow-to-elbow in the wade-only section, with me trying to convince him that three steelies is a "very good day?" RIGHT! 42...Insane. Thanks for putting together this incredible opportunity for the Club."
"I used to fish the famous Babine River in British Columbia for Steelhead for a dozen years and I did better in one day on your stretch of 20-Mile Creek than I did in the whole twelve years combined. In one day at the Club, I made up for all that lost time on the Babine. I caught more than 30 fish from five to fifteen pounds. My arms ached, my back hurt...it was great!"
"My uncle, from Alaska, has places in both Alaska and New Zealand, and never thought he would see the kind of fishing we have here, East of the Mississippi. He's already planning his business next year to tie into coming back to the Club."
"We both had a great weekend at Spring Ridge and we didn't even catch a fish! We enjoyed having a facial and the yoga. The massages on Saturday morning were just what we needed to get us ready for a hike. Judy packed us lunches (a great service) and we hiked out the road, past the pavilion, and to the gate at Rothrock State Forest. That is a nice, easy hike and is about a two-hour round trip. I appreciated all the brochures you provided but we simply ran out of time. The area is beautiful and your facility is very accommodating. I look forward to seeing all of you again soon. The weekend was perfect!"
