The PFBC stocked for decades above the fly stretch, but finally abandoned the stocking program there....first preseason stockings then later the in season stockings. Poor trout residency, most likely due to poor overhead cover combined with Heron predation of pre stocked fish was the reason. Later, in season stockings ended due to posting. This was the first stocked stream in Pa. In which the preseason stocked trout residency problem was identified and documented. Contrary to popular belief, it was not in NE or NC Pa.
Donegal Creek, Lancaster Co, 12/1/12
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raftman
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Hit up the Donegal this morning - Stopped in by the red barn and fished that run right below the bamboo. Caught two bows - one around 7-8 inches, the other more like 12-14 on brown woolly buggers. Had a few nice hits on a greenie weenie, but couldn't land them (I blame my frozen fingers). My guides froze up a few times, with the water temp around 44. Beautiful day, all in all. Great way to end the year.
Love this stream and am a bit disappointed to find out it won't be stocked anymore (at least that's what I gathered from the previous posts - correct me if I'm wrong).
Love this stream and am a bit disappointed to find out it won't be stocked anymore (at least that's what I gathered from the previous posts - correct me if I'm wrong).
salmonoid
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I wish I had registered this post in my brain; I tied up a few white buggers, with the exact same idea of targeting some brownies, and I fished one of them there on Sunday afternoon. I was trying to catch my 598th through 600th trout of the year and I only picked up the first one of that lot (a small wild brown). I did, however, catch at least seven chubs. No pics of the chubs (sorry squatch..)
Fingerling trout stockings are composed of sub-legal trout (less than the statewide minimum length limit of 7 inches). As part of Pennsylvania’s Trout Management Program, fingerling trout are used to provide angling opportunities on waters that have the potential to provide a trout fishery on a put-grow-take basis. The receiving waters must meet the general life requirements of trout on a year-round basis.
http://fishandboat.com/stock_fingerling.htm
Like the Tully used to be. Hopefully it works out. Much better fish and fishery with fingerlings.
http://fishandboat.com/stock_fingerling.htm
Like the Tully used to be. Hopefully it works out. Much better fish and fishery with fingerlings.
Maurice
Well-known member
Except its FFO and there is no takey.....
Simple rationale: A few of the Commissioners were particularly interested in further exploring fingerling stocking as a substitute for adult trout stocking in select waters. Waters were selected in which fingerling stockings might have the best chance of surviving and providing a fishery, where there would be a broad regional distribution, and where such stockings, I suspect, had never been tried before. Certainly, that was true for Donegal, as the PFBC had not tried fingerlings in that stream. Suitable FFO's were in large part chosen because fly anglers had often expressed interest in such stockings. My note: from an experimental standpoint, largely removing harvest (without stream closure) as a factor affecting measurement of survival would also seem to be potentially beneficial.
unforgiven
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I certainly hope the fingerling stockings are successful. The Donegal has a lot of potential, but IMO is hit hard by poachers. In fact, right after this year's spring stocking, I "caught" two bait guys taking out 6 just stocked 'bows. I told them they were in a catch-and-release area. They replied that they didn't know. Right, it's only posted every 20-30 yards or so. Also, I agree that the Blue Herons are a problem. I see at least one per visit ( I try to fish the Donegal 2-3 times a month).
Went out today above the 772 bridge and caught 2 beautiful Browns, 4 "holdover" 'Bows and about 4,000 Chubs!!! Oh, and
a Sunny. Sunny hit my streamer and a Chub hit my trailer. 2 fish
with one cast 🙂 I had to snip my trailer off because I was catching
Chubs on every freakin' cast!!!!
Went out today above the 772 bridge and caught 2 beautiful Browns, 4 "holdover" 'Bows and about 4,000 Chubs!!! Oh, and
a Sunny. Sunny hit my streamer and a Chub hit my trailer. 2 fish
with one cast 🙂 I had to snip my trailer off because I was catching
Chubs on every freakin' cast!!!!
albud1962
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I wish the Pa FBC would talk more about its efforts to reduce poaching. From my perspective it seems like little or nothing is being done. We have all seen it; at times even reported it but follow up investigation never occurs . Many times these cases are dismissed when they reach the magistrate.
Is poaching really a problem or is it something we exaggerate? I know its impossible to be at every creek all the time, but when a special effort is being made to establish or to reestablish a fishery one would think more of a law enforcement presence would be provided.
Would it be wrong or illegal to create a Megan's law like website of the worse poachers? I think these people need to be identified and made known to the angling public.
And don't get me started on how trout fishermen have been funding the lion's share of the recovery effort for the blue heron 🙂
Is poaching really a problem or is it something we exaggerate? I know its impossible to be at every creek all the time, but when a special effort is being made to establish or to reestablish a fishery one would think more of a law enforcement presence would be provided.
Would it be wrong or illegal to create a Megan's law like website of the worse poachers? I think these people need to be identified and made known to the angling public.
And don't get me started on how trout fishermen have been funding the lion's share of the recovery effort for the blue heron 🙂
jeremymcon
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I've been trying to learn some nymphing techniques while fishing the donegal this winter. Had some success - on a good day I'll catch 3-5 trout there. Never 17 though! The only technique that seems to work for me in indicator nymphing. I'm generally using a scud pattern, or a "Czech mate" - the little rainbows on the donegal seem to love that pattern. I'm generally using a pretty long leader to keep from spooking the fish - it ends up being about 10 to 12 feet depending on how much tippet I add.
I have no idea how I would fish the rig you described - wooly bugger with a trailing nymph. Do you just cast it and dead drift? Or do you strip it in? What does your leader look like for that rig? How do you detect strikes? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
I have no idea how I would fish the rig you described - wooly bugger with a trailing nymph. Do you just cast it and dead drift? Or do you strip it in? What does your leader look like for that rig? How do you detect strikes? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
unforgiven
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Another problem on the Donegal are the moo-moo cows. Damn things always seem to take a leak right beside me while I'm wading 🙂 The smell of cow urine leaves much to be desired....
geebee
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re the poaching. no need to confront them if they look shady, take a photo of any parked cars in the area and send a list of the registrations to the PFBC and ask them to send a letter to the owners reminding them of the regs.
if these people know they're going to be watched and reported it will stop them i think.
if these people know they're going to be watched and reported it will stop them i think.
wgmiller
Well-known member
You don't need to use a leader this long on the Donegal, even for the streambred fish. You can just match your leader to your rod length and you'll be fine. It won't hurt anything to go long, but you're wasting a lot of tippet in doing so. This stream just doesn't require a stealth presentation like that. Letort, Falling Spring, sure.
A white wooly bugger is deadly on this stream. To fish a tandem rig, just tie on a trailing nymph and fish it like the bugger is pursuing the nymph. Like so much bugger fishing, there is no wrong way to fish it; only the way that catches fish for you. You could go with a single bugger and be fine as well.
The Donegal fish aren't highly selective and you can tie on a scud, SJW, generic nypmh, egg pattern, or streamer and have success.
ROVERT
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I fished Donegal last night for the third or fourth time this season. I caught a couple on top and then found them going crazy for a green san juan worm. The fingerlings stocked in the fall seem to still be doing ok. They are colored nicely and are plenty fiesty. There's a lot of summer ahead of them, though.
The creek is very low right now and the fish were concentrated in just a couple of holes in the section I fished from the bamboo up to the farmer's crossing. I was disappointed to see that the four wheelers had actually been riding in the stream. There were lots of tracks in the gravel bars above the stream crossing. This year is the first I've fished in quite a while. I used to fish Donegal a lot about a decade ago. I know they always rode ATV's and dirt bikes there but there seems to be a lot more evidence of it now and I never saw torn up stream bed from the activity before.
The creek is very low right now and the fish were concentrated in just a couple of holes in the section I fished from the bamboo up to the farmer's crossing. I was disappointed to see that the four wheelers had actually been riding in the stream. There were lots of tracks in the gravel bars above the stream crossing. This year is the first I've fished in quite a while. I used to fish Donegal a lot about a decade ago. I know they always rode ATV's and dirt bikes there but there seems to be a lot more evidence of it now and I never saw torn up stream bed from the activity before.
dc410
Well-known member
Mike,
The last time I fished the Donegal was on May 5. I caught four of the RT fingerlings. I do keep a log of my fishing trips and looking back I estimated (not actual measurements) - 2 of them at 9" and 2 of them at 10". Can't remember if I took any photos of them. I'll have to check on my computer, if I have any photos of the May 5 fish I will email them through to you.
The last time I fished the Donegal was on May 5. I caught four of the RT fingerlings. I do keep a log of my fishing trips and looking back I estimated (not actual measurements) - 2 of them at 9" and 2 of them at 10". Can't remember if I took any photos of them. I'll have to check on my computer, if I have any photos of the May 5 fish I will email them through to you.
