S8, Ep 17: Spring Awakening: George Costa on Central PA Fishing and Upcoming Hatches
Episode Overview
The Articulate Fly's Central PA Fishing Report returns with George Costa, manager at TCO Fly Shop in State College, Pennsylvania, delivering a timely early spring conditions update for central Pennsylvania's trout waters. This episode captures the region at a pivotal seasonal inflection point: after a long cold winter, rising water temperatures and the first notable olive hatches signal the transition from winter holding patterns to active spring feeding. Spring Creek, Penns Creek and the surrounding Centre County limestone streams are the focal waters, with wild trout as the primary target. George covers the full tactical picture for this particular window — the simultaneous emergence of blue-winged olives (sizes 18–22) and little black stoneflies, streamers in off-color rising water and the nymph game poised to accelerate through the coming months. Anglers will also find timely context on the grannom hatch timeline (late March into early April) and conditions outlook as a warming trend arrives on the heels of meaningful rainfall. George also previews upcoming classes at TCO and his impending Andros bonefish trip, providing a glimpse of the shop's spring momentum.
Key Takeaways
- How to read rising, off-color spring water conditions in Central PA as a trigger for switching to streamers in search of larger fish.
- Why small olives (sizes 18–22) and little black stoneflies (sizes 14–16) are the first dry fly opportunities worth targeting as winter transitions to spring.
- When to expect the grannom hatch on Central PA limestone streams — historically the last week of March into the first week of April, water and air temps permitting.
- How to structure your spring approach around three concurrent methods: dry flies during hatch windows, nymphing in the column as nymphs begin migrating, and streamers in stained water or on overcast days.
- Why a warming trend following a rain event is one of the best short-term conditions setups for early spring trout activity in Central PA.
Techniques & Gear Covered
George outlines three productive approaches for this early spring window. Dry fly fishing with small olives (sizes 18–22) and little black stonefly patterns (sizes 14–16) is the headline, with fish actively rising once the warmth triggers hatch activity. Nymphing gets an extended emphasis — George notes that nymphs are beginning to move around, setting up what he expects will be a productive two-month run for subsurface presentations. Streamer fishing in off-color, elevated water is flagged as the big-fish opportunity of the moment, with George specifically recommending streamers on cloudier days when visibility is reduced. No specific fly brands or rod/reel gear is discussed beyond fly pattern sizing, keeping the focus on approach and conditions reading.
Locations & Species
The episode centers on Central Pennsylvania's limestone stream corridor — Spring Creek, Penns Creek and the broader Centre County watershed around State College. These are primarily wild brown trout fisheries, and the discussion assumes year-round catch-and-release water or designated regulated sections rather than stocked water. Conditions at recording time show streams rising with slight color following recent rainfall, with a warming trend (high 60s) forecast for the following week. The grannom hatch discussion also points toward Penns Creek as a traditional anchor for the late-March/early-April caddis emergence that serves as Central PA's equivalent of the iconic Mother's Day caddis events found on other Mid-Atlantic and Southern Appalachian tailwaters.
FAQ / Key Questions Answered
What dry flies should I be fishing in Central PA during early spring?
Blue-winged olives in sizes 18–22 are the primary hatch driver right now, with little black stoneflies in sizes 14–16 providing additional topwater opportunity. George recommends keeping dries accessible as hatches are actively going off and fish are beginning to rise after a long winter.
When does the grannom hatch happen on Central PA streams?
George places the traditional grannom hatch in the last week of March through the first week of April, with timing dependent on water and air temperatures. He notes this event is still roughly two and a half to three weeks out from the time of recording, but characterizes it as right around the corner.
How should I adjust tactics when Central PA streams are running high and off-color?
Rising, off-color water is prime streamer water in Central PA, especially on overcast days. George recommends targeting bigger fish with streamer presentations in those conditions rather than dry fly or nymph presentations.
How long will the nymph bite be productive this spring?
George expects strong nymphing conditions to last through the next couple of months as insects ramp up activity and fish become increasingly aggressive after winter. Nymphs are beginning to move around in the column now, making this an excellent time to commit to subsurface presentations.
Is George's Andros bonefish trip relevant to the Central PA fishing audience?
While the bonefish trip is a brief aside, it provides useful context around saltwater fly fishing planning — specifically that wind is a constant variable in the Bahamas, and experienced anglers build their casting and guide communication strategies around that assumption rather than hoping for calm days.
Related Content
S8, Ep 4 – Chilly Waters and Crafty Flies: A New Year Fishing Report with George Costa
S7, Ep 36 – Central PA Fishing Report with George Costa of TCO Fly Shop
S6, Ep 30 – Central Pennsylvania Fishing Report with TCO Fly Shop
S6, Ep 48 – Rain or Shine: Central PA's Fishing Report with TCO Fly Shop
S7, Ep 49 – Rain, Hatches and Cicadas: A Central PA Fishing Update with George Costa
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Hey, folks, it's Marvin Cash, the host of The Articulate Fly.We're back with another Central PA Fishing Report with the man himself, George Costa of TCO Fly Shop in State College. George, how are you?
George CostaI am amazing as always. Marvin, how are you?
Marvin CashAnd as always, I'm just trying to stay out of trouble. And you're eagerly awaiting a trip to the islands.
George CostaI am, I am. I will be on a plane in a couple days down to Andros with a group of clients to get catch some bonefish. It should be a most excellent time.
Marvin CashYeah, it should be good, right, because you're not, you know, it shouldn't be super windy yet because that's going to happen in what, about a month?
George CostaIt's always windy down there. I mean, I don't really, you know, pay much attention to the winds. I just assume it's going to be windy.You know, you just hope the guide puts your back cast on that way and you make do. You make do.
Marvin CashYeah. I was just thinking about like, the shoulder seasons where it's like, let's just say, Wendy squared.
George CostaYeah, that's usually right around now. It's. I always, I always get ready for the wind down there and just deal with it. You got to just deal with it.
Marvin CashFair enough. And for all the folks that are.You're going to leave behind in State College, you know, you've gotten some rain and I think you're kind of on the same kind of warming trend we are maybe a little bit later. But what we're seeing down here in the mid Atlantic.
George CostaYeah, we've definitely got a bunch of rain the next couple of days. We're supposed to get, you know, maybe close to an inch of rain in the next couple of days here. It's been raining for the past two days.Creeks are up on the low side, but definitely coming up. Spring Creek had a little bit of color today, and I'm assuming everything else has got a little color and is on the rise if we do get.I know today they're forecasting possibly three quarters of an inch. They're definitely going to get bumped up and off color, but, you know, we'll take it now. It's not a bad time of year to get that. That bump of water.We do have some warming weather coming up. Looks like it's supposed to start getting warm a couple days in the high 60s forecast for next week.And we have definitely been seeing some olives cranking. There's been a bunch. They are going off. Fish starting to eat on top We've got some little black stone flies here and there as well.So bug activity is just getting underway here and the fish are definitely going to start responding after a long cold winter. So keep your dries handy.Those small olives, 18 through 22s, some smaller little black stone flies and like 14 or 16, they're going to get fish on top. Nymphs are going to start really moving around. So the nymph game is going to be good for the next, you know, couple of months for sure.And guys were doing pretty good on streamers the other day with the water being up and off color. If you want to look for some bigger fish, throw stream around, especially in those cloudier days. So fishing is picking up. We're. We're looking good.
Marvin CashYeah. And do you guys get kind of the. Something akin to the Mother's Day caddis hatch, like what we get down here on the Watauga?
George CostaThat is going to be more of the granum hatch, I think is what we're going to associate that with. And that's going to be probably about a month away.End of March, early April is when we're going to start seeing those heavy caddis hatches and granums should, you know, traditionally, I would say last week of March, first week of April is when they're going to start depending on the water, temps, air temps. So we're still a few weeks away from that. I would say a good two and a half to three weeks out until we start seeing them.But they're right around the corner.
Marvin CashGot it. And what you got going on in the shop, you should let folks know about.
George CostaJust the usual shenanigans. All the new spring stuff's hitting all the stores here. We've got a couple sales going on.We've got a lot of good stuff on our used gear program right now. Can check that out on our website. Tons of rods, tons of reels, you know, some really good prices on some used and demo gear right now.Other than that, just the latest and the greatest. All the good stuff rolling in for spring. You know, some new fly patterns, you know, some new odds and ends.So getting ready to gear up and have another busy year here.
Marvin CashYeah. And what about on the class front?
George CostaClass front here? We do have a couple still kind of coming up.Our classes are kind of starting to wind down for the year now as we roll into our busy season, but we still have some stuff here in state college. Most of our state college ones I think are pretty much sold out. We've got a couple more time classes, we might have one or two spots left.I've got my beginners class all year long. There's some spots left, I think, for maybe the May and June slots are available, but those are pretty much full.The other stores have a bunch of other classes going on, too, but definitely getting out of class season and more into fishing season.
Marvin CashGotcha. And you know, folks, we love questions. You should send us questions because it makes George happy and we want to keep George happy, right? Yes. Yeah.And if you send them to me, DM me on Instagram or shoot me an email, and if we use your question, I will send you some articulate fly stickers when you're drawing for something cool from the shop. And before I let you pack your bags for the Caribbean, you want to let folks know shop hours and all that kind of good stuff.
George CostaAbsolutely. Here in State College, we are open Monday through Saturday, 9 to 6, Sundays, 9 to 3. All of our other stores are open similar hours.You can catch us on the web at tcoflyfishing.com and.
Marvin CashWell, there you go. And I know you won't be there, but a lot of the TCO crew will be in Lancaster next weekend, right?
George CostaOh, my, yes, indeed.
Marvin CashWe'll be there in. In force. Well, listen, folks, if it's warm enough to get out, get out and catch a few. Otherwise, tie flies. Tight lines, everybody. Tight lines, George
George CostaTake it easy, Marv.
