Little Sandy & Caldwell C&R Fly Only

[Putyaonagurney]

Anyone know what's going on with these 2 creeks? I know the past couple of years they only stocked fingerlings in the Fly Only sections. But this year I do not see either of them getting any kind of stocking. Are they being stocked with fingerlings or adult trout? Has anyone fished either lately?

Thanks!

 

[PennKev]

I don't think WB Caldwell has been stocked for many years.

LSC is still getting fingerlings and TU stocks adult fish. The general regs areas on the creek get adult fish.

 

[streamerguy]

I believe this is the final year of the fingerling program in the FFO areas(the last stocking was this past October). Not sure what they're going to do next year.

To sum it up, the program failed on both streams.

The ATW sections on both Caldwell and WB Caldwell are still receiving adult stockies as well. Fwiw, I got a big hatchery rainbow last spring in the unstocked portion of the WB.

 

[Putyaonagurney]

I just find it weird that they were listed on the website in past years as getting fingerling stockings, and not listed for this year.

I fished Little Sandy last year after they must have stocked some fingerlings. They were all dumped at either the pumphouse, or down by 62. There must have been 100 in the hole by the parking lot on 62. That doesn't seem like a recipe for success.

 

[PennKev]

Fwiw, the WB Caldwell special regs area is also Class A. Not sure why its any surprise to not see stocking in that stretch.

 

[Sylvaneous]

Little Sandy could hardly be managed more poorly. It already has wild browns. It got hit hard by a flood late last spring. Really scoured some of the water, not that it has much cover to begin with. Most structures placed recently are just pointless now. The water above 62 that actually had habitat and wild fish was effected a lot by the flood. The last time I fished it, you could see all the rocks were light colored and were all very lose. I mostly fished Lil Sandy early, like now, when the early black stone flies were on. It's OK for terrestrials too. Not sure now.

 

[streamerguy]

Putyaonagurney wrote:
I just find it weird that they were listed on the website in past years as getting fingerling stockings, and not listed for this year.

I fished Little Sandy last year after they must have stocked some fingerlings. They were all dumped at either the pumphouse, or down by 62. There must have been 100 in the hole by the parking lot on 62. That doesn't seem like a recipe for success.

It's not listed for this year because it was stocked with fingerlings back in October......so technically this year is still part of the fingerling program. They'll likely shock it again this summer and go from there.

Most of the fingerlings are moving to the areas with better habitat, or moving out the stream altogether. Same situation with both LS and Caldwell. Even in the areas with better habitat, there's still very few fingerling stockies.

PennKev wrote:
Fwiw, the WB Caldwell special regs area is also Class A. Not sure why its any surprise to not see stocking in that stretch.

Correct. The unstocked section is Class A, and shouldn't be stocked. No surprise. Upstream of the Class A portion is stocked though.....

Sylvaneous wrote:
The water above 62 that actually had habitat and wild fish was effected a lot by the flood.

I only fished the FFO section a couple times last year. 2 or 3 times in March/April, and again in August. There were definitely some big changes in the section from the dam to 62. Honestly I thought it changed for the better.......but it was pretty high that day in August. It was a memorable day. Not sure what it looks like now with normal flows.....so maybe it did change for the worse......idk.

Little Sandy could hardly be managed more poorly

If the habitat can't be improved, I guess I'm ok with dumping a few stockies around the pumphouse and maybe off 62, but other than that I'd leave the stream alone.

As far as the ATW sections go.......I'd leave it as is. Upstream of where the stockings end is all posted, and I fear more posted signs would pop up if stockings were ended.

 

[PennKev]

Eh, I forgot the main stem of Caldwell had a special regs area.

 

[Shadow]

We used to love fishing little sandy. Once they stopped stocking as many adults and switched over to fingerlings it just went downhill and we stopped going. Used to be able to stand under the train trestle all day and pull out stockies. Was a blast and was great catching them on top during the stone hatches.

Will make the drive again if they switch back.