A Little Bit of Paradise by Cathy Beck
As a girl growing up on a farm in the Fishing Creek Valley of Central Penn- sylvania, I was surrounded by cows and chickens; seven brothers and sisters; and three spring ponds. Mornings be- gan with Mom frying bacon and eggs for breakfast. Afterward, her daily rou- tine continued with the baking of fresh bread and pies. My brother Ed had a pet rooster that crowed daily with the hus- tle and bustle of every new day on the farm. It was a different time back then for a young girl, with a slower pace – no internet, cell phones, or 24-hour news. The spring ponds in our back yard trickled through several neighboring farms before eventually forming Raven Creek, a small tributary of Fishing Creek.
Two of the ponds were home to trout, and several others held bass and blue- gills. My father had one rule when it came to the ponds – we could fish for the bass or bluegills, but never for the trout. I quickly learned that these fish were special, and now, years later, I tru- ly appreciate why Dad made that rule. Fishing Creek, a medium size trout stream, flows about 30 miles from top to bottom until it joins the Susquehanna River at Bloomsburg. Each spring, while on the way to school, I would see anglers casting their offerings into the mixed currents of the stream. Sitting on the bus, I never dreamed that one day I would marry a fly fish- erman whose life revolved specifically around trout fishing, or that I would get so caught up in the world of fly fishing. The Fishing Creek Valley’s streams and tributaries offer many opportunities for reeling in three native species of trout – brown, rainbow and brook. In its upper reaches, Fishing Creek has two branches that both contain wild trout. The west branch is the healthier of the two, as acid rain has caused some difficulties in the east branch. However, you can still find wild brook trout in many of its pools. SullivanFalls is locatedon theeast branch, just a short drive upstream from Jamison City. Wild brook trout can be caught at the bottom of the falls, but the hike down can be tricky. There is no established trail and it can be slippery and dangerous when wet. Jamison City might have been considered a small “city” at the turn of the century, but today it is just a quiet little community. Its big draw is the
Jamison City Hotel, sporting the Copper Penny Bar. It’s a popular stop for a drink and good food.
If you backtrack about a mile, you’ll find the village of Central and the Central Park Hotel. Many examples of preserved local critters line the walls of the hotel and offer company as you enjoy your dining experience. There are bobcats, deer, elf, mink, otters, fish, and even a buffalo. All have been there forever and our grandsons love to go for dinner just for the scenery. The hotel offers great food, but presently the hours are limited. Across the street you’ll find the west branch of Fishing Creek. The best fishing is upstream of the village in the adjacent community of Elk Grove. A state game land road parallels the stream, but it is open only during hunting season. There are a few year-round residents in Elk Grove, but as in Central and Jamison City, many of the cabins are seasonal and used only for hunting and fishing. Theeastandwestbranchesofthecreekmeet just below State Route 118, and head south toward the town of Benton, my hometown. Here we have the Benton Dam where kids and families gather to swim, or swing from a rope to drop into the cold gin clear water of Fishing Creek. Our little town has a well-maintained public park for picnicking, and sometimes we have free live entertainment on weekends. Just north of town are the rodeo grounds where professional riders compete annually in the Rodeo and Bull-A-Rama during Benton’s Frontier Days. Nearby, golfers can make use of the Mill Race Golf & RV Resort. Next to the golf course is a trout hatchery co-opted with the Fishing Creek Sportsmen’s Association and the
Cathy Beck
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