Looking for fishing buddies

[WaterScientist]

Hey all,

I started a topic a few weeks ago asking for fishing advice in SEPA due to a relocating. I am now settled in Doylestown (Bucks County) and have spoken to the locals at a fly shop. They informed me that lake fishing locally is great for warm water species, as is making the trek to the Pocono’s, or even down to the shore for the striper run. Problem is that I don’t have anyone to go with and, although exploring a new area solo is sometimes nice, enjoying it with someone else is preferable (and safer).

I learned to fly fish in south central PA on those lovely legendary chalk streams for trout but am looking to get into all forms of fly fishing, be it lake, river, or salt. Send me a PM if interested.

Thanks,
Pete
int:

 

[Chaz]

Try Durham Creek (Cooks Creek) in Upper Bucks County it is great during the fall particularly after Oct. but all through the fall. Otherwise the Little Lehigh Saucon Creek, Monocacy Creek and the Bush Kill in Easton are great too. You have moved to a prime trout fishing location enjoy it. I'd be glad to show you some of my haunts. I've fished nearly all of the SE PA Stream and several hundred throughout PA.

 

[trout48]

WaterScientist give me a holler off line at trout48@aol.com and maybe we can hook up and do some fishing.

 

[afishinado]

Pete,

I am tied up for the next few weekends. Am available weekend of Sep 30th / Oct 1st. PM me if you want to wet a line.

Tom C.

 

[Montcopo]

Hi Waterscientist. I just moved away from your area and now live in central PA. But, if you want to meet some new guys who are very active fishermen, get over to Angler's Pro Shop, Old Bethlehem Pike, Souderton, PA on Thursday evenings. They have a regular fly tying night and beer bash every week and all make arrangements for weekend fishing trips. They are great guys, and welcome newcomers especially if you want to learn flytying. 215-721-4909. Get there around 7:30 and hang out until 9:00. Tell them I sent you. :-D

 

[sandfly]

I dion't know why people post cooks creek it is 99% private and unlees you get permission they owners are having you thrown off.try going to the buck's co. T.U. meetings the first thursday of the month at the Bucks co. rod and gun club off of wells road near the doylestown twp. building.. there you should be able to hook up with someone..ask for Lou and tell him I sent you.. :-D

 

[Chaz]

Because much of it is open now with purchase by the Heritage Conservancy of major tracts of riparian land. I've never had a problem while fishing there.

 

[LouM]

MOST OF IT IS STILL PRIVATE AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE PUTTING THIS IN YOUR POSTS. yOU STILL HAVE TO GET PERMISSION FROM THE LANDOWNER TO FISH THERE. OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE OR FINED FOR TRESPASSING.

 

[sandfly]

My family owns a large stretch of water and unless you have permission to fish you will be ask to leave.we only allow so many a year. Also the people down on the lower end are tired of people walking in from the bridge and fishing on their land. Why do some people just think that they have permission to fish some parts that its all opened to them and everone..

 

[JackM]

sandfly wrote:
....Why do some people just think that they have permission to fish some parts that its all opened to them and everone..

As a member of the group "some people" I'll offer my two cents on this topic, which tends to crop up once in a while:

I have never and probably will never fish Cooks Creek, so there is no need to worry about me trespassing on private land there. However, I fish many creeks where fishing is by-and-large not restricted by landowners, but is well-known to the public. In these circumstances, I believe that unless the creek passes very close to a developed portion of the land, where there are out-buildings or manicured or cultivated lands, the landowner should take the initiative to post their intentions with respect to persons fishing on the creek.

Whether you as a landowner appreciate it or not, watercourses are viewed differently than land in the eyes of the public and in the law as well. If I drove by a level field I would not consider pulling over with my son and a frisbee and making use of the field without seeking permission. However, if there is a stream near the roadway without NO TRESPASSING signs, I would consider, and often do, fish there without seeking out the landowner for specific permission. I always respect landowner wishes, whether they are communicated with signage or directly.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that I, or other "some people" have any right to assume landowner assent in the absense of signage. However, I think the assumption of such a privilege to use the stream in a respectful and courteous manner is at least understandable. If I were a consenting landowner, willing to share the resource that is encompassed by my property, I wouldn't want to be further inconvenienced by having to answer the doorbell or telephone everytime someone wanted to fish on my land. At the same time, if I were a landowner wishing to retain the privacy and exclusive use rights that come with ownership, I also would prefer not to be inconvenienced by requests that I would be denying. Considering it this way, it seems more reasonable that persons wishing to exclude others from using the resource encompassed by private land should post their intentions, rather than allowing a perception of permission to exist, when the opposite is in fact the case.

This is just a fact of life and as a landowner, it would be advisable to post the property if you don't want people coming onto it to utilize the watercourse. I'm sorry if this offends you or any other person who own streamside property, but I think it tells it like it is in terms of what the public attitude is in interpreting the absence of signage when deciding whether and where to fish.

 

[LouM]

Jack, Cooks was opened to the public and was stocked by pfc. However due to extreme abuse of the property owners rights and property, the landowners closed their property to fishing. Those who are familiar with this, do not fish without their permission. They have made it clear that they want to know who is on their property and ask that you obtain their permission. With all due respect to you, you are not aware of the situation and your opinion although valid does not in my opinion appy here. Those who occasionally fish there limit it to once or twice a year,so as to not abuse their hosts. By the way I have not fished cooks in over 3 years. Chaz has a thing about sending people to fish there without alerting them of the requirements. All that is asked is that you obtain permission.

 

[JackM]

Lou, you are right, I don't know the situation at Cooks, and I'm not stepping into this on behalf of Chaz. Sandfly asked why people think they can fish on private land without getting permission and I tried to explain why. If you and he think that the "situation" on Cooks and/or the wishes of the landowners are so widely, universally and publicly know as to not require signage, that's one thing, but I would ask you to consider the possibility that you are mistaken about how widespread that perception really is.

Now, if the lands are all posted sufficiently and those posted areas are such a large majority of the available creek (such as is the case, for instance, of Spruce Creek in Huntingdon County), then it would make sense for anyone who suggests the creek to another angler to explain where the "open" areas are located. If someone asks about Spruce Creek, I will direct them to the PSU-George Harvey Project waters, and to no where else.

 

[sandfly]

Seems like we go through this every year with people, cooks is listed in the pfc site but is on private land..99% of the land is posted if not 100.People think that because there is a bridge that gives them the right to fish..Or if someone gets permission from one person that doesn't mean they can fish for a half mile or so, if the land owner only owns a 100 ft. of land along the water way. A lot of owners were my customers when i worked at Mainstream Outfitters, and would come in to buy stuff ( not fishing related) but would complain about all the fishermen on their property.Just because bucks co T.U is doing some work there also doesnt mean its an open water way. Cooks is one of those places that should not be put on a forum, If someone has permission then thats ok, and wants to share with a close friend but to advertise it is nuts. I saw a lot of fish taken out of there by baiters and a few flyfishermen since it became a big thing again....Its not going to last.....there are enough other streams around...............

 

[Wulff-Man]

sandfly wrote:
..99% of the land is posted if not 100.....Just because bucks co T.U is doing some work there also doesnt mean its an open water way.

Why would Bucks Co. TU do work on a private stream that isn't open to the public? Just wonderin'......

 

[Stone_Fly]

Good question. Shame on them if they did the work on a closed section. And even worse, if it was open and is now closed.

 

[sandfly]

Whats the diff if they do, at least they are doing something.. it should'nt matter if its public or private as long as t.u. does what it is intended to do.

 

[JackM]

I don't believe that TU is "intended to" improve private property, is it? I can see doing work on property that is private if it benefits the water or habitat in areas open to the public. But as I understand the present discussion, you are saying that very little of the creek is open to the general public, so it does seem to make a "diff" in this situation, no? On the other hand, if the Chapter accomplishes stream improvements without public grants or money raised from the general public, then I can't see how anyone can complain about them feathering their own nest in this manner.

 

[Padraic]

Stone_Fly wrote:
Good question. Shame on them if they did the work on a closed section. And even worse, if it was open and is now closed.

I can think of several TU projects that have taken place on private property.

They all were to improve water quality on a trib that was adversely impacting a larger stream that was open to the public. By taking on these projects the chapter improves fishing opportunities for the public, albeit not on the actual project area. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission funds water quality improvement projects in cases like these because of their downstream benefits.

 

[sandfly]

I totally agree pad.
If the project helps the waterways then be it.cooks is on private land and yes there are people who do not let you fish. the big arguement here in my case is just dont tell people to go fish cooks...If some one wants to fish it it then by all means knock on doors..the proplem is there has been to many knocks in the last 2 years, and landowners are getting tired of the publicity. I know of a lot of tu projects that have gone on private land also...Lets see whats the name of that stream liletz is it...