Fishing Creek (Gouldsboro), York Co., 1/6/2009

[JakesLeakyWaders]

A real craphole of all crapholes. Went there only to cast my new TFO rod. Could not wait any longer. No fish. No chubs. Nice clear water though. Definitely no fish though. I searched around last June and managed to find a few and land a stocked brown... with hardly any coloration. Not this time. No holdovers here. But I got some roll casts in and I like my rod. Guess I'll have to get out there soon... to some decent water, to put a little bend in my rod.

This Stream is a classic first day of season fish market. A real PFBC special deluxe with cheese.

 

[spectorfly]

Go way upstream near, I think, Red Bridge Road and fish upstream. Some wild fish up there. Also, the small trib that runs into it near the old Klinger's Publik House (I think it's called The Fieldhouse now) has a small population of wild browns.

 

[Maurice]

Spector,

Where did you get that Avatar? Is it one of the Back the Brookie Plates that TU is selling?

It looks pretty cool.

 

[spectorfly]

That is one of the plates/decals they have. I have a window decal on my truck.
I just typed in "wild book trout" on a Yahoo image search and it came up.

 

[JakesLeakyWaders]

Yeah, lived right up the road from Klinger's Plublik House. I thought it was gonna be a new Kokomo's Sports Bar. Never fished up that far, but recently learned that there are wild trout in there. They must be pretty small. That's some tight water. lots of brush, that might explain why there in there. I'll have to try that area sometime, I still live like 10-15 minutes from there. Downstream is just stockies I think, and not many at this time of year. The "Chum Chuckers" clear them all out "down there" like halfway through the first day of the season.

 

[JakesLeakyWaders]

I went there years ago with my cousin, and he brought his friend along. I was nymphing, and my cousin attempting to flyfish. I hooked a nice rainbow, and his friend we'll call him Marc, landed him for me and I thought he was removing the hook. But he turned around and there was this nice rainbow minus a head. I got pissed cause i was gonna let him go. We started arguin' and he said "well if your not gonna' keep him I will", but I wasn't about to let that happen. What pissed me off was that he acted like he had never heard of catch and release, and I thought about some of the places he says he had fished and takin' every damn fish he hooks, every time, all the time. Marcus you no good,no fishin', trout slayin' ****.

 

[trowpa]

ugh...when i see someone walk from the stream with a stringer. Makes my blood boil.

I still agree with what Lee Wulff proposed decades ago:

Stock ONLY waters that cannot support naturally reproducing populations.

Then...sell two fishing licenses - one more expensive for the "put and take" fisherman and they can keep all the fish they want. The other license (cheaper) would be for the wild waters - catch and release only...and no stocking.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Ive wanted a wild trout stamp for years...........such a good idea.

 

[jayL]

salvelinusfontinalis wrote:
Ive wanted a wild trout stamp for years...........such a good idea.

If I had to pay for a wild trout stamp, I'd consider killing my first one, as well as four more, once or twice per year.

Actually, I'm not sure if that's true, but that logic would definitely be floating around out there.

The fishing community already has a muted voice due to our lack in numbers. I fail to see how such a divisive policy could possibly help anything.

 

[trowpa]

I fail to see how such a divisive policy could possibly help anything.

The fishing community is divided already. The stories above in this thread are just examples of such division. There is already two types of trout fisherman "put and take" and "catch and release". Sure there are people in the middle - nothing is so black and white, but in general people belong to one camp or the other - and if you want to do both types of fishing - then buy both licenses.

The point is - if you leave wild trout waters alone and protect the naturally reproducing population by C&R policies and not stocking (aka more fish for use c&r fisherman), you can also use those stocked fish to better feed the appetite of the "put and take" crowd. (aka more fish for them to catch and eat). NOt a divisive policy, but rather a win/win.

If you choose to do a little of both styles, buy both licenses and enjoy both types of fishing.

 

[jayL]

trowpa wrote:
If you choose to do a little of both styles, buy both licenses and enjoy both types of fishing.

I would buy both. The guy who gets out 30 days or less per year* doesn't.

*16% of this forum, which is no doubt skewed, because the members of a fly fishing board are arguably more dedicated than the average fisherman.

It IS divisive. The "us vs them" mentality is a disease that has been afflicting the sportsman community for as long as I've cared to notice it. We are all fishermen. We all require the same resources, and it should be managed as such. Wild trout SHOULD NOT be stocked over, I agree. That said, further complicating an already complicated list of regulations is not the answer. Not for fishing, not for government, not for anything. It pains me to see it suggested so readily by so many people that hold direct stake in the outcome.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

JayL,

I hear ya on the division. We are all fisherman and should pull together to make our fishing experinces in PA great. I only suggest such a thing as to get revune to help restore wild trout water and habitat. Nothing more and nothing less. I mean if a spinner fisherman, or a non-C&R guy, or a flyfisherman ....whoever bought the stamp and then wanted to keep a legal fish. Then have at it.......your money might help create thoundsands of wild trout for years to come. As it stands now....no one gains anything in the wild trout community. We pay for a trout stamp to enhance a stocked fishery. Nothing goes to the wild trout. Yet im sure some of that vast majority also fishes for wild trout. They(the fish) are left in the dark compared to thier inferior counterparts.

As far as Fishing Creek. Do what Spectorfly says if you like small streams. I recall him telling me about this one. He knows his stuff when it comes to small streams.