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Hooked on Fly Fishing at Nemacolin

Fly Fishing at Nemacolin - foggy stream
Fly Fishing at Nemacolin

Settle in, and take a journey with us for a few moments. We can’t ask you to close your eyes or you wouldn’t be able to read the text of this article, so please journey through the words … and pause … and imagine with us for a few phrases:

You are standing in a gently flowing stream.

You feel the movement of the current around your legs, and your footing is firm.

Through your waders, the coolness of the water refreshes.

The water surrounds you with swirls and eddies, creating a rolling harmony.

Songbirds sing in the canopy above.

The air is fresh and crisp, and the lifting fog awakens your senses as you breathe in deeply.

The sun’s rays are playing with the stream … and you look around to take it all in.

Hooked?

We’re sure of it. Your fly-fishing adventure awaits at Nemacolin. In fact, fly fishing might just be one of the greatest outdoor activities you’ll experience.

The Nemacolin Times chatted it up with the Rod & Range Club Manager Mike Steiner, a long-time, Orvis-endorsed fly-fishing professional and instructor who has been guiding the streams and rivers of the Laurel Highlands for more than 15 years. We asked him about the serene connection made with the outdoors, about what guests and members of the resort are requesting, and about the streams Nemacolin uses.

Here’s what he had to say:

THE NEMACOLIN TIMES:  Do you have to know what you’re doing to fly fish at Nemacolin?
MIKE STEINER:  Our fly-fishing guests are unique, and we see all levels of experience. Each individual trip is tailored and customized to fit what our guests are looking for. This can range from focusing on the basics of fly fishing, learning specific techniques, or goaling to catch a particular species of trout. No matter the level of experience, the biggest common denominator is enjoying the outdoors to enhance or learn a new skill.

TNT: What are guests, members, and clients looking for in a fly-fishing experience?
STEINER: Our fly-fishing guests are looking to be outside enjoying nature while we teach them, enhance their experience, and put a few fish in the net. Some are looking to improve their casting form or specific fishing techniques like dry fly fishing or European-style nymphing. We can accommodate any kind of angler to provide the experience they are looking for.

TNT: What streams are used when fly fishing through a Nemacolin experience?
STEINER: Our fly-fishing guests are looking to be outside enjoying nature while we teach them, enhance their experience, and put a few fish in the net. Some are looking to improve their casting form or specific fishing techniques like dry fly fishing or European-style nymphing. We can accommodate any kind of angler to provide the experience they are looking for. At Nemacolin, we are blessed to have multiple rivers and streams in the Laurel Highlands and Western Maryland that we utilize for guiding. These streams range from small, freestone mountain streams to large tailwater rivers with excellent angling opportunities. They are all top-notch; if they weren’t we wouldn’t use them.

We have a private section of Meadow Run where Nemacolin manages a ½ mile stretch of the stream. This section was enhanced specifically for trout fishing by Clearwater Restoration group of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They renovated and restored this stretch of stream to optimize the trout habitat and spawning area.

The Casselman River, in Grantsville, Maryland, is great for all experience levels, and fishing in the Youghiogheny River (the Yough, for short), you enjoy a large tailwater river that offers year-round trout fishing, rivaling any river across the United States.

Beaver Creek is another memorable adventure, where the sights and sounds of nature come alive with mountain waters that cut through rocks in the stream, creating quiet pools and churning rapids where the fish hide and run.

Fly Fishing at Nemacolin - rod and reel
Fly Fishing at Nemacolin

TNT: Fishing with Nemacolin is catch and release. Tell us how this helps with river conservation.
STEINER: All of our guided trips are catch and release trips. The best explanation is the simplest: The more fish that are in the rivers and streams, the greater our chances to catch them and enjoy them multiple times. This also allows for generations of anglers coming after us to have the same quality fisheries that we have now and to enjoy the same experiences we are currently enjoying.

TNT: What else can a fly-fishing trip deliver?
STEINER: The scenery and natural beauty of these areas are incredible with old-growth forests, waterfalls, canopies of mountain laurel, and more. There’s a chance you’ll also see other local wildlife like mink, kingfishers, eagles, deer, wild turkey, grouse, and the occasional black bear. Not only do you have the chance to make a memory you will never forget, but you also have the ability to capture that scene with great photos as well.

TNT: We’re hooked! Who can enjoy fly fishing at Nemacolin’s Rod & Range Club?
STEINER: All experiences at the Rod & Range Club are open to the general public, overnight guests, The Woodlands Club members, and members of the Rod & Range Club, too. Give us a call at 724.329.6770, and we’ll help you discover one of the greatest outdoor activities you can imagine.

 

UPDATE: Orvis Fly-Fishing Schools are taking place throughout 2024. For the details and list of dates from April-September, click HERE.

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