Trout Scapes successfully bid to perform the construction for the Creamton Fly Fishing Club on Club owned waters on the West Branch of the Lackawaxen River in northeast, Pennsylvania. The design called for 15 sites over nearly one mile of river for fisheries enhancement, and Trout Scapes performed the work in about 10 days in the Summer of 2026. The work consisted of building access roads for construction initially, followed by in-stream work to build structures, improve riffles, runs and create pools.
Above: a before photo of a small, existing pool that experienced its sediment load dropping out due to the two large boulders in the stream where the cobbles agraded below the pool and braided the channel.
Below: the same pool post restoration. The agraded cobbles were lowered to form a riffle for insect production while the large boulder that had been redirecting flows on the left in the above photo was moved to help form a sheer for flows to plunge into the small pool, making it wider, longer and deeper.
The overreaching goals for our work were to improve fishing for Club members and will serve as the benchmark for future restoration and enhancement projects for this Club on other waters they own or lease.
Above, a left bank pool into a long run near the top of our project.
Below: a “J Hook” installed helps create a right bank pool
Below: another pool created using a boulder cross vane which is keyed in to both banks with a corresponding gravel (point) bar on the opposite side.
Our clients were thrilled with our work, having initially struggled to find a qualified construction firm that knows river work. We also participated in their ribbon cutting ceremony a week after the project was completed. Thanks to our friends at Creamton Fly Fishing Club for your faith in us and for another great project in the books!
