Dkile I couldnt agree more. Thank you....

The debate is just so played out! We get it already. Every thread w/ a stream name in it doesn't need to turn into a freaking war. Many people, I think, will not miss the debates. I've only been a member since August and if I had a dollar for every time this debate has popped up since joining, I'd be a fish bum.

Anyway, good news, and I want to go back to Big Spring soon!

I have never fished it. but since moving to harrisburg from huntingdon a month ago its on my list when work allows it. I enjoy the technicality that it and other streams around here present. Sometimes they frustrate me more than when I am at college in idaho and fishing the Henrys fork!

My first trip was with Sal, who is like, the spring creek jedi master. I think he caught 7 or 8....I caught 2, and both fit into the palm of my hand! Still, I was proud of that, considering it was my first attempt. Such a great stream. Those streams, they make you better for sure.

The irony is that the most read thread on Big Spring was only as big as it was because GW refused to let it die. Is it about the stream or about you getting in the last word when you keep a post going for a week or more about a stream you are "trying to keep on the d/l"? Think about that for a few minutes, then tell me who is bringing all the pressure to this creek.

Thank you for the gauntlet throw Dave! I almost never post a report for the very selfish reason that I don't like to fish near other people, just like these two, I just don't wear a suit of armor on a white horse while I'm being greedy. I don't post because I don't like to draw attention to "my" streams, but it would be dumb of me to drag out a post about it in the public eye in order to keep the information quiet, or bully people into doing as I do on a forum where I am a guest of the owner, who clearly has an opposing opinion. It's simply in bad taste and rude imho.

Now that I think about it, I might just hit Big Spring tomorrow instead of my original plans. I've never been there, but all this talk about it has made me want to go there. It's full of big tasty trouts, right?

Boyer

GW,
I take a longer view of the history of Big Spring than you do.

Thank you Dave. MattBoyer has the right idea. If you don't want to post, don't post but thank God we now will have peace for those who do!

Let see, stream name, county, date, and helpful information. Whats the problem? This is the stream report section right? Honestly, are any streams ok to talk about? What is it about Big Spring that upsets certain people so much? People talk about the letort, penns, spruce, etc... and we dont usually get all freaked out about those(as much as BS). When I first joined this forum, I made a trip to BS and posted it here. A certain member PM'd me not to do it again. Out of respect, I haven't, but I really didn't see the harm. I did not go there because of this site, but because it is listed in every PAfly fishing book made, as well as Macri's various websites. Now because of fly fisherman support, the hatchery is gone and BS is much better than it once was. I enjoy the stream reports section. If you do not, refrain from reading.

I think comparing the the books of old and the internet today is a great comparison. When I was fly fishing back in the 80's I would read books from Meck, Landis and Sajna. I would review stream locations, hatches and plan my trips. If conditions changed I would look at my books get out my Atlas and drive someplace new.

The Internet today provides so of that some data, just in real-time. It was one of the reasons I started the site to share that real-time information.

In 1997 I started allowing Stream Reports to be added and spent countless hours edit through the posts. The stream reports area good way to get timely fly fishing conditions across the state.

Not sure if anyone has noticed by fishing has been on the decline since 1982. Since I introduce Stream Reports in 1997 you will see that fishing has declined as well. So Stream reports have actually helped reduce the amount of anglers on the streams.

I say we add more stream reports.

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Thank you dkile!

During my last visit to BS, I talked with a gentleman who lives on Log Cabin Road and used to fish BS regularly, but doesn't anymore. He was there with a friend and his son, showing him the stream at the headwaters. We chatted for a bit and he told me about what BS used to be like with the hatchery, etc. He also told me about the Mennonite kids who used to pull up in vans and clean fish out of "The Ditch".

Attention and publicity to a stream isn't always a bad thing and perhaps having more anglers on a stream isn't a detriment. BS is no secret by any stretch of the imagination. The same as the Letort, Yellow Breeches, Falling Spring Branch, and others aren't.

This may be an unpopular position, but I say ditch the stream report section. It seems to me a lot of belly aching and spot buring finger pointing is the only thing coming out of this section.

Have I heard of the Yellow Breeches, Big Spring, Letort, etc, yes, who hasn't? I don't need gps coord and landmarks. I'll figure it out myself.

Those that need instant gratifaction and want to land them hand over fist can look elsewhere. These streams are not easy and are only tougher with more limp rods looking to bang out numbers.

Case in point is the Little Lehigh. I see a boat load of guys there now at the Heritage area. Besides the named kiddie pool (never heard it named this, but so true) I see noone else hooking anything unless they're lifting fish. It makes me sick. And some guys try to "teach" their kids to do the same in the name of fly fishing. I've seen jackwagons let their kids fish up under the bridge at the hatchery with a fly rod. Why not hand them a box full of dynamite instead?

Try your luck at the bruisers at the foot bridge, most will move on quickly. And since the no wading rule has been eliminated, there's more yahoos banging the water than ever. I'd share some pointers but most guys just want to try and squeeze you out of your spot before they talk to you.

Don't get me wrong, I love this sport more than anyone on this site. I wish more would learn to love the sport, the outdoors, and other fellow anglers. I do however believe the sporting end of ff has been lost. Therefore I say cut the babes from the teat, let 'em learn the hard way. Shut 'er down. Other ff sites have done the same due to similar outrage over spot burning.

The internet has crowded these streams with guys that don't respect the history, culture, or the streams. Those that say otherwise are delusional.

My 2 cents.

Quote:

I agree, there is nothing wrong with fly fishermen posting on this site! I used to, now I'm afraid to post!

History lesson: A long time ago there was a wonderful site called "River Smallies". Many would post of all the bass they would catch in our local worldclass Susquehanna.
I was the "Rocker" and my good friend the "Rock Hopper" would post almost every day. Twenty years ago with a fly rod in my hand, or a L action spin, I would always catch over 100 beautiful smallmouth bass while wet wading.
Then with this Global Warming droughts and floods, nitrates, farm runoff, fracking runoff, and all the hormones in the river causing uni-sexing the bass decreased by 95%. The idiot crybabies complained that is was the folks who posted reports who wrecked the river!! LOL Soon the few that still posted reports would scramble the background so you couldn't see where they were fishing.
Now River Smallies is shut down. Such a shame.
Only ten years ago, I found a few on the internet who "used to" fly fish at Wrightsville and we would have a ball with the abundant bass and channel cats. So many fine memories of the great white fly hatch!! No fish hurt, no spots burned!
All gone now, and the folks who posted had nothing to do with it.
The pollution and illegals keeping everything has a impact........ not the wonderful fly guys who read these fishing posts.
I like to take pix of the fish I catch and I like to post reports. These are wonderful memories for me. I must have a million on my computer..... gives me hope in the winter!
Just like opening day on a public trout stream, the idiots will trash the area and kill most of the fish....... but these guys don't read the reports on this site. They all leave in a couple days, and I really like to see a couple seasoned trout fly guys on the stream. It gives me hope.
My vote is: post on!!! It won't spot burn?
.

the Light Weight

I've always supported the Stream Reports section, and I give it AND this site a large chunk of the credit for crafting me into a fly fisherman. I read many reports and I post my own when I have something worthwhile to share.

I did not appreciate having to 'defend' my doing that, and I am very glad to see that spot burning discussions are now barred from this forum.

So much of this sport reeks of 'the good old days.' Well, many of us simply weren't alive for what or whenever those happened to be. Fly fishing - and fishing in general - have been on the downward spiral of unpopularity for the better part of a century. I wish it wasn't the case, but my father, grandfather, anyone in my world, didn't know a spin reel from a fly. This is probably a situation that most young ffers face. We've had to teach ourselves every facet of the sport.

Every ounce of help amassing the knowledge necessary to be successful is appreciated beyond description. Even then, all the information in the world still won't catch a fish for you. There is a physical microverse to this sport that takes years to master. As a budding ffer myself, I've scared away 100x the fish than I have ever hooked. Posts of success on nearby streams give people like me the confidence of mind that there is at least a chance of a successful day. And, frankly, for a lot of things, that's the difference between giving up forever and thinking "maybe, just maybe we'll give it one more try."

Thanks to all who have posted, and all who will continue to share their knowledge to those who might pick up the sport and lease it another lifetime's worth of enjoyment.

As I have said a dozen times, posting a stream report is one thing, posting a glory give me high five posts is completely different. It is funny that the biggest offenders come out and mass and fall at Dk's feet.

Questioning someone's taste for putting places on blast is harrassment? Come on man. If people can sling mud all over places other people appreciate how do you expect people not to get upset or stick up for places. BS was completely ruined by the reports on this website, now, that being said there are AS I MENTIONED lots of good aspects to stream reports, my only point is that when they are needed do it tastefully.

Don't post in your report you saw tons of anglers and didn't like it AND POST A REPORT! Think a little.

I agree to a huge extent that the internet makes information access easy. But that doesn't mean you have to spoon feed the dickins out of people either.