Mothers Day Caddis on Casselman River

When:  Saturday April 25, 9:00 AM to Sunday April 26, 5:00 PM.
Where:  Casselman River, Near Grantsville, MD.

It's time for the Mother’s Day Caddis Outing on the Casselman River near Grantsville in Garret County, Maryland. If the weather is right, maybe we will get lucky this year, and the hatch will be on. There should be an intense emergence of #14/16 mottled brown/grey wing dark body American Grannon (genus Brachycentrus) Caddis flies from early to late afternoon. During the hatch, the caddis flies swarm up and down the river in fast flight, sometimes in a blizzard of flies with eventual egg laying taking place late afternoon and evening. Even during this swarming period there can be a mid-day lull in surface activity and a good time to switch to subsurface flies. This is one of the best spring hatches in Maryland and the classic dry fly experience. The river is mostly open, easy for casting.

This is scheduled as a 2-day outing, but it is possible to make it a one-day trip, for the Casselman River is about a 2 to 2 ½ hour drive from Baltimore. Let us know, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you plan on one or two days. For people staying overnight on Saturday, you can make reservations at the Casselman Inn, 113 Main St, Grantsville, MD 21536, (301) 895-5055), located just one mile west of the Casselman River on US 40 in Grantsville. Another place to stay is at the Comfort Inn, 2541 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Grantsville, MD, 21536, (301) 895-5993, just east of Grantsville. So please call the Inn and make your own reservations. We plan to meet for a nice group dinner at the Casselman Inn restaurant on Saturday night. Let me know if you plan on attending so I can make the arrangements for a table

On Saturday morning at 9:00, we will meet at the lower parking area of Penn Alps because the State Park is still closed for bridge construction (see the Casselman-Meeting-Map). Why so early? The Casselman can get crowded, and all the pull-offs can be full. If you are coming late, let me know by text or email so that I can keep track of people.

Directions: Getting there is about a 2 ½ hour drive from Silver Spring. Take Rt 270 to Frederick, then head west on I-70. At Hancock MD take the I-68 split and proceed west past Frostburg. When you reach Grantsville MD on I-68, take Exit #19. Go right to Grantsville and turn right onto Main Street (Rt 40). Continue on Main Street (Rt 40), you will go past the Casselman Inn and just after you cross the Casselman River take the first left at Penn Alps. Go thru the parking lot, then take the next left on Casselman Road and then a quick right into the parking lot where we will meet.

Meeting Area: We will meet in the overflow parking lot at Penn Alps on Saturday morning at 9:00 AM. The address is 180 Casselman Road, Grantsville, MD 21536. It is located off Rt 40 near the Casselman River and the State Park.

Food: For lunch, bring your own and store it in a cold ice chest in your car or visit one of the fast-food options listed below. Most of the fast-food places are at the Rt 219 exit (Chestnut Ridge Road) off I-68. Later Saturday, we plan on having a nice group dinner at the Casselman Inn restaurant on Saturday night at 7:00 (you are responsible for the cost of your dinner). Let me know if you plan on attending dinner so I can make the arrangements for a table. The Casselman Inn does not serve food on Sunday, so bring lunch for Sunday, or you can again go to one of the local fast-food places.

Local Fast-Food

• Big Dog’s Deli, 3223 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Grantsville, MD 21536
• Burger King, 2811 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Grantsville, MD 21536
• IHOP, 2815 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Grantsville, MD 21536
• Subway Sandwich Shop, 26 S Yoder St, Grantsville, MD 21536

Fly Fishing Guide to the Casselman River:

1. This is a special regulation Catch and Release Stream between I-68 north and downstream to the PA border, a MD fishing license and trout stamp are required. See the Casselman Access Map for the many access points along the river. The Casselman River runs north into PA, so if you don't have a PA Fishing License take care you don't accidentally fish water you are not licensed for.
2. You can fish from I-68 to the historic Casselman Stone Bridge. To fish this section, go past the Casselman River State Park on Rt 40 and across the river. There will be a road on the right named Trout Run Road (across from Penn Alps). It is a short road with an angler parking lot at the end. There is a nice pool under the I-68 Bridge (provides good cover if it rains).
3. For the Penn Alps area, park in the overflow parking lot, the historic Stone Bridge is posted No Fishing Due to Construction (don’t fish under the bridge). Fishing is allowed downstream from the Stone Bridge continuing around to the Penn Alps area (not sure of the area below this, it may be private).
4. To fish the River Road access, continue down Rt 40 (past Penn Alps) to River Road on the left. River Road will cross the river at the Metal Bridge. Then travel down to River Road and fish at any of the pull-offs all the way to the PA line. There is good fishing at the metal bridge. Also on River Road, at the Metal Bridge, just upstream, there are some cabins for rent, and I am not sure if it is private fishing there. River Road follows the river northward into PA. Any pull off is great fishing.
5. The last place before the PA line is Farmers Lane (2960-2965 River Rd, Grantsville). Park off the road at the signs and not on the farmer’s driveway! Also be considerate of the Amish horse and buggies and Amish children walking on the road. For those not familiar with the Casselman River, Lou will eventually be at The Farmers Lane (very last place before PA State line) by late afternoon. This is a good place to meet if you are lost and near the end of the day.
6. Rods: 4 or 5wt, 9 ft rods are a good choice.
7. Recommended flies: Brown/grey/mottled wing dark body Caddis #14/#16 tied in either the Henryville realistic patterns, for slower water, or dark (black) Elk Hair style or peacock caddis for the faster riffles. Subsurface flies include herl and partridge and green butt soft hackles, Bird of Prey pupa, LaFontain Sparkle Pupa, other caddis pupa and larva type nymphs, and gold ribbed hare’s ears. Of course, don’t forget mop flies and San Juan worms.

Clothing: We have had snow in the past on this outing, so wear layers and be prepared.

During the outing, please take pictures of fish caught, chapter members, the stream, nature, etc. and send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Also let me know how many fish you caught, what flies you used, and any interesting happenings, for the outing report.

As with all our outings, we welcome new members and those new to fly fishing to come and join us. We also encourage everyone to bring their friends and family members. There will be seasoned fly anglers on hand to happily offer assistance to any new members. More details on the river, and a map of access points can be found in the excellent book “Guide To Maryland Trout Fishing. The Catch - And – Release Streams” written by Charlie Gelso and Larry Coburn (fellow PPTU Chapter members).

To Sign-up for the Outing: Please fill out the Registration/Liability form for the Outing. Go to the PPTU website at https://pptu.org/events/outingregistration and select Casselman River.

Hope to see you there. If you have any questions, please contact Ron K.

Ron Kerrick/Lou Reichel (Outing Coordinators)
(240) 423-8375
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May 2026 PPTU Outing - Spring Creek

Outing:  Sulphur hatch on Spring Creek, Bellefonte, PA.
When:  Friday May 15, 5:00 PM to Sunday May 17, 4:00 PM (3 days, 2 nights)
Where:  Spring Creek, near Bellefonte and State College, PA.

Spring Creek, as the name suggests, is a well-known spring creek in central PA between State College (Penn State campus is there) and Bellefonte, PA. This creek is considered the best limestone creek in PA. and is also a fly fishing destination for many fly fishermen from all over the country. Spring Creek has been fished by well-known fly fishermen like George Harvey, Joe Humphreys and George Daniel. One section of the creek is called Fisherman’s Paradise, a special regulated area that is a Catch and Release and Fly Fishing Only section where we will start. We will fish the prolific Sulphur Mayfly, and Blue Wing Olive hatch, mainly fishing for brown trout. Go to “A Home Water Love Affair: Fishing Spring Creek” for more details.

It’s about a 3 ½ hour trip from Silver Spring to State College/Bellefonte, PA, so it’s difficult to make this a one-day trip. We also want to fish the spinner fall from dusk to evening (7:30-8:30 PM), so meet at Fisherman’s Paradise by 5:00 PM on Friday. Of course, you can arrive earlier to fish but meet at parking lot. After fishing we will meet back at the parking lot by 8:30 PM. Then we will find a late-night restaurant (most places close around 9:00 PM) for dinner in the State College/Bellefonte area. If anybody knows this area, suggestions are welcomed. We have gone to a pizza place, Hofbrau Pizza ( 106 Bishop St, Bellefonte)

If you cannot make it on Friday, definitely come on Saturday (2 days, 1 night). Let me know so we can make plans for where to meet on Saturday. We generally eat breakfast at the Waffle Shop (127 W Bishop St, Bellefonte). No reason to start early, the trout are full from the previous evening hatch. Be aware that portions of stream do not have cell phone coverage.

In addition, you can stop at the famous TCO Fly Shop (PA 26 N/E College Ave, State College), on the way to Spring Creek for info and to spend money on extra flies. Don’t drive fast or you will miss it. Another fly shop is Flyfisher’s Paradise (2603 E College Ave, State College) which is not far from TCO. Not sure if it’s still open.

This part of PA has many other trout streams in the area. Within an hour drive, you can fish Penns Creek, Little Juniata, Eagle Creek, and Spruce Creek. So, this is a good area to become familiar with.

As mentioned earlier, we will initially fish in a section known as Fisherman’s Paradise. This is a special regulated section, about 2 miles, that is a Catch and Release Area and Fly Fishing Only. At the parking lot, and downstream, the stream is a No Wading area and does hold a fair number of trout. Just a little upstream, there is a sign where wading starts and is allowed. A good wide path follows the creek. At some places the wide path ventures away from the creek, but you can follow a narrower path near the creek. The farthest I have gone is at least a mile up the path, past the Gun Firing Range (pop, zip, duck), to a foot bridge that crosses the creek. Crossing the bridge gives better access to the creek.

After fishing in the Fisherman’s Paradise section on Friday, we can fish the other sections of the creek on Saturday and Sunday but still target the evening spinner hatch. One suggestion is at Benner Spring Fish Hatchery off Shiloh Road. A large parking lot is on the north side of creek. Most fishing during the day can be tough, since most of the trout have their stomachs full from previous evening hatch and are waiting for the sulfur spinner fall in the evening. So we don’t have to start fishing too early, but I have seen hatches during the afternoon with rising brown trout and don’t forget there is sometimes a large BWO hatch.

I suggest staying at the Econo Lodge (about $80-100 per night) at 3482 Benner Pike, Bellefonte, PA. This Hotel is close to the creek, outside of State College, and not too expensive. You may also find many motels/hotels in State College, but they are somewhat expensive. There is a KOA campground in Bellefonte PA, which do have some small, rugged cabins. So, start making your plans and reservations now and finding your roommate if desired. There is a New Tru Hilton on Benner Pike, few blocks from Econo Lodge, in $150 range. Other options are the Sleep Inn at 111 Village Drive, or the Best Western Plus on 115 Premiere Drive. If you make room reservations, make sure you can check-in after 11:00 PM, for we may be late. Go to Hotels-for-Spring-Creek.pdf for other accommodations. 

Directions: The drive is about 3 ½ hours from Silver Spring. Take I-83 N to York and Harrisburg PA. At Harrisburg stay on I-83 N/E around Harrisburg. Take exit 51A to I-81 S/US 322 W to Carlisle/Lewiston. Take exit 67B to US 22 W/US 322 W to Lewiston. Continue on US 322 W to State College. At State College take the exit for PA 26 N/E College Ave. Will see TCO Fly Shop on right after 2-3 lights. Further on merge left onto Rt 150 (Benner Pike). Will see Brothers Pizza on left. Follow Rt 150, go under I-99, shortly afterwards at the light turn left onto Paradise Hill Rd. At the end of the road, turn left onto Spring Creek Rd to the Fisherman’s Paradise parking area.

Meeting Area:  We will meet at Fisherman’s Paradise (115004 Spring Creek Road, Bellefonte, PA) at 5:00 PM on Friday. You may want to eat something because we will be fishing late.

Fly Fishing Guide:

1. Required: A Pennsylvania fishing license and Trout Stamp.
2. Bring a light: head lamp, for night-time.
3. Rods: 4 or 5 wt., 9 ft rods should be good.
4. Recommended Flies: Sulfur dry fly (#14-#16), BWO dry fly (#16-20), emergers, spinners (rusty spinner), nymphs, soft hackles including partridge and orange, hares ear nymph, and pheasant tail nymph. This is a spring creek so don’t forget scuds and cress bugs. Also, there can be a good hatch of hydropsyche caddis #16 (tan and olive).
5. Lunch: You may want to bring your lunch for Saturday and Sunday.

During the outing, please take pictures of fish caught, people, the stream, nature, etc. and send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. I have seen more Baltimore Orioles at Spring Creek than I see at home in Baltimore.

As with all our outings, we welcome new members and those new to fly fishing to come and join us. We also encourage everyone to bring their friends and family members. There will be seasoned fly anglers available to happily offer assistance to any new members. 

To Sign-up for the Outing: Please fill out the Registration/Liability form for the Outing. Go to the PPTU website at https://pptu.org/events/outingregistration and select Spring Creek, PA.

Hope to see you there. If you have any questions, please contact Lou Reichel.

Lou Reichel
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
cell 443-745-0313