They are great blue herons, and there's plenty of them.

www.pabirds.org/pabirds/CurrentSample/V22N3_GBH_Article.pdf

Boy if we could only get the Fish Commission to put the Native Brook Trout on the endangered species list....maybe we could see the brook trout range increase like this.

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Didn't see blue heron on the list.Endangered, threatened and enxtinct list for PA

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They are not on any of those lists. "They are Protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. It is illegal to capture, possess, or cause harm to a Great Blue Heron or its nest or eggs."

According to the Act, a person, association, partnership or corporation which violates the Act or its regulations is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of up to $500, jail up to six months, or both. Anyone who knowingly takes a migratory bird and intends to, offers to, or actually sells or barters the bird is guilty of a felony, with fines up to $2,000, jail up to two years, or both. (Permissible fines are increased significantly by the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, as amended in 1987, which is summarized separately in this Handbook.)

So if you kill it its a misdemeanor but if you sell it its a felony? Is that correct?

They are protected under the Birds of conservation concern act.

Birds of conservation concern

It took a while to find this but there is also a link to a man who was arrested and fined for killing one.

Man arrested article

Under the Birds of conservation concern explanation it states "Populations sensitive to water quality and prey availability"

Not anymore...they've learned how to follow the big white truck like everyone else...

So they on the state and federal level.

HA, I missed that one! thanks

One of those Tully bows. The fishing was great over winter and even a bit more exciting now.

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Here's one of my photos from our TU website: www.tullytu.org

From my experience the herons on the Tully are very polite and willing to take their turn at the best pools.

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I'm sure I've told this at least once before, but I'm getting to that age you just have to put up with it:

I was at the Yough tailrace, below the bridges and I stumbled upon a small run that must have had a few dozen freshly stocked trout. After about my third fish in a short time, I noticed a GBH had siddled up along the shore about thirty yards or so downstream. He patiently watched me land a couple more and each time I released the fish, he would cock his head to the side as if to say "What the heck!?"

I started up a conversation, letting it know this was my hole and the fish had just turned on and I wasn't looking for any trouble. I further suggested to it that it find its own spot. During our one-sided conversation, as I continued to cast, I noticed he wandered ever closer each time I turned my attention to the drift.

I caught another and it was all he could take. Having observed the location of my last few hookups, he took to wing low over the water and perched just on shore of the run. Needless to say, the action turned off completely and I was forced to move on.

Well you cant blame the birds. Its is what they are and fish are what they eat. I like that picture scott. I like that alot

Slowly im becoming more tolerant of these birds. Like i said its not their fault and they can be entertaining to watch. They are far better fisherman than we are. More over i had a pair of sissors I used to cut tippet. They were very small and in the shape of a heron. ive come to expect to see these birds and in doing so, it means im on the stream doing my favorite thing, just as they are

i since lost those sissors in the center of the Lititz Run steambed. Any one finds them enjoy

I fished the Tully again at Reber's Bridge today. I picked up 3 on a size 18 bead head zebra midge. The flow was still normal despite the snow run off. They put a lot of nice sized fish in when they stocked, thanks to everyone who helped. As for the bird "problem" what the hell guys? This is nuts. For christ's sakes these birds are just eating to survive. The trout are stocked in there by people and most are released. I for one am actually thankful for the birds to even out the population. I saw a blue heron today and it really got me thinking of this thread. I love trout but I deeply respect nature. Don't kill the birds to enhance fishing which is just a sport, dude that's not cool.

Believe it or not, I found two dead blue herons along the stream today. It looks like someone took matters into their own hands. I would like to think they were not killed by an "angler" trying to defend his fishin' hole. The "sportsman" that did it is nothing more than a criminal. Laws should be followed, whether we agree with them or not. If we disagree with a law, we should work to change the law, not break the law, IMO.

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Wow that is horrible. If I found someone taking the law into their own hands and killing a heron, I wouldn't hesitate to take matters into my own hands and kick their ass

yesterday was one of the toughest fishing days i had still managed 7 and it was work for all of them, the temp change killed it a little