Even warmwater streams are still carrying stocked trout

[wollybugger]

Today, Sunday- After sooo much rain, I wasn't getting too excited but hit the road at 8:00 am for the Brandywine....ended up picking a cozy spot off of Creek Rd right off Rt. 1...

Great weather, not a soul anywhere except some bicyclists. I brought a bunch of gear in the car as I did not know what I would find, and where I would find it...Ended up throwing some small mouth popper flies on a Sage "Bluegill" Rod, complete with the Sage 3 wt. reel and line...sweet set-up....

I ended up catching something like 25 Bluegills (These were monster BG's....big & beefy...gave the Rod a nice work out.

After getting a bit 'bored", I switched and downsized to my Sage TXL 2 wt, with my Abel 0 wt. reel....holy #OOPS#...the BG's and small mouth were like taking on a bonefish...but the rod held well and no problems....so much fun getting to experiment with different sizes, wt's, and all the other #OOPS# we carry around!

May go back tomorrow 🙂

Rich P.

 

[englishprof]

a fun day. Fish the West Branch every week and catch some of those "lunker" bluegills. Plenty of smallmouth, but not much size. Still fun. Oh, and an occasional 20" rainbow, God forbid.

 

[jayL]

englishprof wrote:
Oh, and an occasional 20" rainbow, God forbid.

You always make these comments about rainbows. Why? What do you mean?

Just curious...

 

[englishprof]

Because the stocked rainbow, God forbid, seems to be considered "fishona non grata" in this forum. Just having a little fun.

 

[Mike]

If you are finding those lunker RT within a mile of the confluence of the two branches, it is highly likely that they are coming form an annual stocking (private) that occurs in that area.

 

[Heberly]

Hopefully I have the correct map, but in response...astonishingly, yes until east of about 81, then its quite the contrary.

Edit: RE: Chaz comment

 

[englishprof]

we know their origin. Our question is how many, if any, hold over? That's why I asked if. in your position as a biologist (State or otherwise), we could schedule a sampling of the West Branch from Northbrook to the confluence with East and sections of the main stem. I have at least four helpers lined up. Let's do it!!!!!

 

[Mike]

We already know what we need to know about that stretch of the West Branch Brandywine. While we were not really looking for trout, a couple of those RT were found stressed out with their noses in a spring. What we were really surveying is reported below in the description of 10 SE Pa warmwater streams' fish populations....

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/images/fisheries/afm/2008/6x09_08wwcw.htm

 

[PSUFishMenace]

Hopefully I have the correct map, but in response...astonishingly, yes until east of about 81, then its quite the contrary.

A lot of that above average is from Friday and Saturday. many areas in E PA got 2-5" of rain just those two days. Correct me if I'm wrong but before the last two days SE PA at least was right around normal rainfall. What really has helped the stream temps and therefore the trout was the unusually cool weather in June & July.

 

[englishprof]

is exactly what most bureacrats know - nothing. I read that stupid report a year ago and it tells me as much now as it did then. nothing - except, of course, about those eels from the Sargasso. Happy to know you found a few trout in Darby Creek. Wow. Found a few of those rainbows with their noses up some spring? Explain the ones we caught in November and December last year. Or would that take too much effort for a bureaucrat?

 

[jayL]

englishprof wrote:
Because the stocked rainbow, God forbid, seems to be considered "fishona non grata" in this forum. Just having a little fun.

I don't see that.

I knew you were insinuating it, but I don't understand why. I enjoy rainbows, and I don't really know many here that don't. I think the issue is that fewer opportunities to catch wild bows exist, and people prefer wild trout.

 

[surveyor06]

Mike offered some information, and now because of it gets berrated. Why? Cause he works for the state? Or that he iasa biologist and knows alot more about trout and their habitats than we ever will. Why should the state waste money on information we already know. If mike said it was surveyed, why do it again, at our expense, just to prove a hunch you have englishprof.

 

[afishinado]

englishprof wrote:
is exactly what most bureacrats know - nothing. I read that stupid report a year ago and it tells me as much now as it did then. nothing - except, of course, about those eels from the Sargasso. Happy to know you found a few trout in Darby Creek. Wow. Found a few of those rainbows with their noses up some spring? Explain the ones we caught in November and December last year. Or would that take too much effort for a bureaucrat?

For an English Prof.....you still need some learnin'!! Mike is good enough post on this board (on his own time) to give us info and insight on PA FFing. He puts up with a lot of uncalled for abuse like your post, yet he keeps on posting. While I don't agree with everything the PFBC does, I don't blame Mike. I appreciate the info and insight he gives to us on the board. Your attack on him was completely uncalled for Prof.....go back to school and learn some manners Sir.

 

[afishinado]

Chaz wrote:
For the record rainfall amounts are normal this year, nothing out of the ordinary. You can look it up.

Here is the precip for the last 90 days. Eastern PA near double normal, Western PA slightly below normal.


http://water.weather.gov/index.php?layer%5B%5D=0&layer%5B%5D=1&layer%5B%5D=2&layer%5B%5D=3&layer%5B%5D=4&timetype=RECENT&loctype=STATE&units=engl&timeframe=last7days&timeYYYY=2007&timeMM=9&timeDD=1&product=observed&loc=statePA

 

[Fishidiot]

englishprof,
Mike is a valuable contributor to this forum and I find his posts to be informative and professional. The last study he posted, while from previous years, was far from "stupid." To the contrary, he posted it as a courtesy to those looking for some alternative fishing opportunities and this particular study can stand as a valuable resource for fishermen looking for places to fish. I check biologists surveys from past years all the time and they often mirror very closely what one can expect to find this year. There's always a few hardheads on this forum board who can't resist bashing Mike because he works as a fisheries biologist for an agency whose policies we don't always agree with. This bashing is inappropriate and uncalled for.

Afishinado is correct - you, Sir, need to go back to school.

 

[Will]

PFBC has limited budgets and staff available for stream surveys. Given that, it doesn't seem either surprising or inappropriate that Mike is not interested in dropping everything to rush down and re-survey a warmwater stream that has already been surveyed within the last two years just because someone found a few stocked rainbows that held over into August during a favorably cool and wet year (something which was already known to happen). The personal attack in response was not called for, IMHO.