Green Spring Creek Fly Fishing Guiding and Instruction

Newville Pennsylvania

You may use these articles.  You can store them.  You can read them. You may not change, republish, sell or redistribute these articles in anyway for any monetary gain.  You may not add them to your collection and sell them etc.  These articles are copyrighted and we will strictly enforce the copyright. 

© 2007 E. P. Macri Jr.

Green Spring Creek outside of Newville, Pennsylvania has also had a rough time the last 30 years.  The stream suffers from sedimentation from farming as well as chemicals and urbanization on some stretches. There is also a commercial hatchery at the source of one of the branches that contributes high amounts of organics. At one time the stream had a great Sulfur hatch.  The stream still has Sulfurs as well as Blue Winged Olives and a few caddis but they no longer emerge in the blizzard fashion of yesteryear. Cress bugs and scuds dominate many areas of the stream bottom.  The fly area is also heavily poached in some sections.  The stream can however furnish some decent fishing on any given day.  Because of its decline it is not fished as heavily as it once was. (Photo shows fly zone stretch on Green Spring, Newville PA right of the bridge).

Green Spring visually is a cross between the Letort and Big Spring.  It shares areas that look like they belong on Big Spring and other areas look like you are on the Letort.  Other areas of the stream resemble a kindy of milky limestone stream that is not a total spring creek.  Light plays a major role in finding fish on this stream.  Part of the fly section is open while across the bridge there is a more wooded area.  The stream has enough deep holes and stretches that look like it should hold some big fish.  But in recent years I have no news of anyone catching a big brown.  I believe more poaching occurs on this stream than most because the stream has stretches that are isolated. It's too bad because there is just something very fishy about Green Spring waters. (This stretch is right before the bridge on Green Spring on Bullshead Rd)

Directions to Green Spring 

Green Spring is located a few miles west of Newville off of route 641 known as Green Spring Rd.  You make right onto Bullshead Rd. and follow it to Green Spring.  I have 2 maps which are in PDF to help you find the stream.  The first map is highway map and the second is a topo map.

Highway Map to Green Spring

Topo Map to Green Spring

Green Spring Evaluation

Score 2.3

Overall Ecological Condition: 2 out of 5

Fishery: 1.5 out of 5

Hatches: 2 out of 5

Fly Fishing Pressure: 3.5 out of 5 (higher number is better because it means less anglers)

Fly Anglers' Success Ratio 2.5 out of 5 (note this refers to a skilled fly angler)

Overall score 2.3 out of 5

Green Spring Notes

On any given day Green Spring could give you a nice days fishing.  I would like to think that some of that fishy water still has some nice size browns in it! You'll catch some decent fish on any given day and usually you won't find to many people fishing there.  It's definitely worth a few hours of your time.  Remember I'm evaluating these streams on rigorous standard.  This is to give you some perspective and comparison of all the spring creeks in the valley. I like streamers to find fish in some sections that look fishy.  Try the stream early in the morning you might get a surprise.

What Flies Should You Carry on These Streams?