Chester Creek Along Creek Road to Locksley Road in Delco

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This is the new home of the Sporting Gentleman. Why this section of pristine water is not stocked is incomprehensible. Tons of public access and a hiking trail that hugs the stream with access at Locksley and Creek Road. Maybe Mike can weigh in on this. Sorry about the rotation of the pictures but don't know how to correct on this web site.
 

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It was stocked about 15 yr's ago, but it received very little angler activity, so it was removed from the stocking program after a few yr's.
 
I'll bet if it was turned in to DHALO it would see some activity.
 
It probably would and IMO that is hilarious considering the deflated proposal.
 
Looking back upon the PFBC performance, it may just fair better being forgotten.
 
You can stock less hatchery trout over native brookies in NC PA, and stock hatchery trout here instead.

 
I can tell ya one thing that sign is not 15 years old....
 
Maurice, you are correct and I suspect that the sign is from the stretch of that stream near the op's stretch that is still stocked. Either that or a cooperative nursery stocks it and posted the sign. The stretch that is still stocked seems to have an angler usage problem too, as only ten or so anglers were present on a "bluebird" Saturday morning the first Sat after the stream was stocked inseason. It does not receive a preseason stocking. That is comparatively poor use for an urban stream inseason stocking.
 
With that being said Mike the areas that are listed on the PFBC website where they list the stockings occur are not accurate because realistically they dump all the fish in at one location in each section. And the fish for the most part don't spread out to about this time in April. To me 10 anglers on this section of Chester Creek is plenty considering of how much the stream is being stocked (almost its entire length) and that area of the stream is not exactly wide either. I'm curious as to why the PFBC doesn't supply floats to the people that are there to help with the stocking. As far as I know the only area that gets float stocked in DELCO is the Fly only area because the local TU brings there own float .
 
The stretch that is still stocked seems to have an angler usage problem too, as only ten or so anglers were present on a "bluebird" Saturday morning the first Sat after the stream was stocked inseason. It does not receive a preseason stocking. That is comparatively poor use for an urban stream inseason stocking.

I'm curious as to if the "angler usage problem" was attempted to be observed on any other day. I do most my fishing on Sunday and Monday and weekday evenings. I would be willing to bet many retired anglers fish during the week to avoid "weekend warriors". I've seen it many times myself, older gents generally fish during the week. There is also people whom fish during the week in the evenings.

I think going to observe only on one beautiful Saturday could really skew your "data".
 
I would hazard a guess that activity will increase once the Sporting Gentleman makes its move to the building by the railroad station on Creek Road. I stopped by Saturday to look at the new digs and happened upon the owner of the property who was moving out after 36 years of living there. He said the State in years past routinely stocked the creek at the railroad bridge just outside his front door. In the attached picture the SG will be located in the building on the left. The building on the right is the train station. I think the fact that SG will privately stock should encourage the State to reintroduce stocking what is in my opinion, the nicest stretch of Chester Creek in Delco.
 

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Fortunately there are plenty of nice stretches of Chester that do get stocked and I've seen pretty fair usage even on week days. If we ever got real some serious rainfall it would really help redistribute the trout but it just keeps missing us. Today with the water low and clear I talked to a couple bait guys who were striking out on Darby, yet I had a tremendous time and never even changed patterns. My point being that the vast majority of anglers who can't catch trout regularly assume a stream is "fished out" and tend to only fish it near stocking days. Good for the rest of us but not so much for overall angler usage.
 
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