Clarks, Dauphin Co, 3/24/10

[Squaretail]

Waters still plenty cold, mid forties would be the guess-timate, stoneflies still very present in a #16. No pile of fish stocked as usual up there anymore in the reg section but enough to keep you casting. Half my fish from the main stem were holdovers.
The good news was I met a nice feller named Tom up there that reminded me of Boyer but he didnt know him. An extra bonus was I actually caught a couple native brookies out of two of the tiny 2ft wide tribs that go into it in the regs section.
Its always nice to get out, but I guess the glory days of stockies up there are gone for good. 3 yrs straight now.

 

[AFISHN]

Squaretail says"Its always nice to get out, but I guess the glory days of stockies up there are gone for good. 3 yrs straight now."

what happened to that stocking program?
Tom

 

[PaulG]

They cut back a lot, a couple of years ago!

PaulG

 

[Fishidiot]

I wish they'd switch to fingerlings over much of Clarks. Over the next few years as wild fish proliferate, maybe taper off the adults and eventually taper off the fingerlings too. I suppose, considering the popularity of this waterway early in the season with the put and take crowd, they at least need to put adults in for opening day but a fingerling stocking in the fall would in my estimation be worth a try.

 

[Squaretail]

Paul is correct. Back when "Bigger and better" became the latest slogan, it seems all reg waters took more than their share of a stocking allotment cut. Especially larger fish. I dont even help stock anymore except for Stony.
With the way everyone still shows up after these minimal stockings, my best fishing has been in the open water after the opening day crowds cease.
Fingerlings or abandonment of the stocking all together in the regs area would serve me better but I also know thats a self centered statement.

 

[PaulG]

Squaretail wrote:
Waters still plenty cold, mid forties would be the guess-timate, stoneflies still very present in a #16. No pile of fish stocked as usual up there anymore in the reg section but enough to keep you casting. Half my fish from the main stem were holdovers.
The good news was I met a nice feller named Tom up there that reminded me of Boyer but he didnt know him. An extra bonus was I actually caught a couple native brookies out of two of the tiny 2ft wide tribs that go into it in the regs section.
Its always nice to get out, but I guess the glory days of stockies up there are gone for good. 3 yrs straight now.

Dan

Wait till the Sun warms and gets down on the water, and that water warms up some, and we start seeing some bugs, things will get better. Then break out the tresterials, don't forget the WMD.

 

[afishinado]

Squaretail wrote:

Its always nice to get out, but I guess the glory days of stockies up there are gone for good. 3 yrs straight now.

While I believe this is because of funding shortfalls and not a conscious effort by the FBC to convert some high quality stocked streams to mostly wild trout streams. By slowly cutting back on the number of trout stocked and the amount of times they are stocked, that's what results, and without the screaming from the C&K anglers, since it has been done gradually over a few seasons.

 

[Maurice]

Squaretail wrote:
Paul is correct. Back when "Bigger and better" became the latest slogan, it seems all reg waters took more than their share of a stocking allotment cut. Especially larger fish. I dont even help stock anymore except for Stony.
With the way everyone still shows up after these minimal stockings, my best fishing has been in the open water after the opening day crowds cease.
Fingerlings or abandonment of the stocking all together in the regs area would serve me better but I also know thats a self centered statement.

'
I would be curious to know just how many trout were stocked before the "Larger trout/fewer trout" program started and what is stocked now. Surely someone here knows these facts.

and what about the nursery at the bottom of the valley? Don't they contribute to the fly area on Clarks?

I'd kinda like to see clarks go to fingerlings too. Surely with the water temps its a perfect candidate with oversummer mortality minimal. And with smaller fish and more size distributiuon of holdovers, the poaching that is reported may be reduced.

If a creek is getting beat up by stocking allocation reductions its because no one is out there sticking up for it. Yer buddy with the busted foot is the one who made that stretch fish so well dragging floats through the dead falls, now he is laid up. Who picked up his slack? Who is the stream steward there for DFTU? Al Loskowski....I don't know him but he should know the answers...and if he don't some else should take over for him.

My guess is I am totally off base here and the numbers have not plummeted by more tha 10-15%, the fish just didn't get spread out well. You can all blame yourselves for not contributing to the effort or you can blame someone else, it is up to you.

 

[MattBoyer]

Maurice wrote:
Who is the stream steward there for DFTU? Al Loskowski....I don't know him but he should know the answers...and if he don't some else should take over for him.

He is extremely knowledgeable about this stream and cares a great deal about it. I had some questions about logging in the headwaters so I called him. I was talking to the WCO for that area within 15 minutes-not bad considering he is a tree farmer. As far as dragging floats through there, you have to be there very early and know somebody to be assigned that beat. Clark's is one stream where I've never seen a shortfall of stocking assistance, although I must admit that I haven't helped in a few years.

Boyer

 

[Maurice]

Yeah I was outta line pointing at the DFTU stream steward, my apologies to Mr Loskowski. But there must me a stocking coordinator for Clarks who works with the F&BC. They probably or should know the numbers regarding allocation and reductions. I know Todd did alot of float stocking there and it was a giant PITA. But he did it. Maybe they need some help there.

I also don't mean to plunk this all on Squaretails hed either. But As you know, I feel that if you live near a stream and rely on stocked fish you should be involved in the distribution.

Too often people sit back and complain about the way things are done and never get involved. The ones who are involved contribute an enormous amount of effort to arrange and execute these efforts. If it ain't happening the way it should maybe they need help. Find out who to talk to and help, thats all I am saying.

 

[Squaretail]

You're right about Todd, I've bumped into him more than once up there at the stockings.
The people I've seen do the coordinating up there is the Dauphin County Angtlers Association and they are the ones with the nursery. But I have never once seen them stock the regs waters with their trout. To be honest they for a VERY large part stock not just the kids section but other creeks (Stony, Manada, and even little Fishing creek) mostly for kids and grandkids. Which is good in my book and I still pay my dues every year anyway. They're put and take guys mostly it seems but I was at one time as well and ALOT of kids get enjoyment because of them. I'll just have to keep suffering with trips to Centre Co. for a couple months yet.
My report was true, my reply was true. And so were yours.