For the flyfisher whose looking for something different, a midsummer float down the Susquehanna River can give the serious angler pause to consider that life has something more to offer than the dedicated pursuit of trout.

    From its headwaters at Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, NY, and all along its 444-mile meander to the Chesapeake Bay, the Susquehanna provides anglers with a wide array of sportfishing opportunities – including the pursuit of tail-walking, smallmouth bass.

     For its first 100 miles, the Susquehanna winds it way from Cooperstown to Elmira, NY, dipping briefly into Pennsylvania along the way. It then flows back across the Pennsylvania border and snakes its way to Harrisburg, Pa., across fertile river valleys that line the Appalachian Mountains.

     From Harrisburg, the river cuts southeast through Maryland entering the Chesapeake Bay at Havre de Grace, where it dumps nearly 19 million gallons of fresh water per minute into the bay -- more than half the bay’s entire freshwater supply.

     This amazing water-way – the nation’s 13^th largest river -- is one of the environmental cornerstones of the Eastern seaboard. It supplies the water resources that support an enormous wildlife and migratory waterfowl population, as well as a commercial fishery that annually produces millions of pounds of fish and shellfish for East Coast markets.

     Near Binghamton, NY, the Susquehanna is a medium to large-sized river that flows across a sand, mud and stone bottom. Throughout a 20-mile stretch between Binghamton and Owego, the river is pocked with riffles, rapids and runs connected by long, relatively shallow pools. Occasionally, a deep, well-structured backwater cuts into the river’s edge, providing safe harbor to both fish and wildlife.

     Each year, this stretch of the river produces trophy-sized fish, including  smallmouth bass, northern and walleye pike and tiger muskies. And, while all of these fish have been taken on a fly, it is the smallmouth bass that provides the best and most consistent target for the flyfisher. For those who are willing to try their hand with a spinning rod, the pursuit of big fish can be significantly expanded to include the other species.

     In August, the river comes alive with huge hatches of White Mayflies, Ephoron leukon, and the small-mouths rise to the occasion. The white fly hatches occur throughout the day and into the evening, and the action can be fast and furious for long periods of time. Yet, while the white fly hatch is notable, the river supports an extraordinary array of insect life, and the flyfisher will have targets aplenty throughout the summer season.

     This 20-mile stretch of river is our warm-water playground and an outstanding fishery. A day spent floating or streamside fishing the Susquehanna’s waters can result in a trip that matches our trout outings in terms of action and excitement. And, like our trout outings, it all takes place in a near-idyllic countryside, where well-manicured farm fields nuzzle the river’s banks, and the low of cattle add a pleasing counterpoint to the ever-present birdsong.