French Creek, Chester County, 4/23/24

[DaveKile]

A cool morning with some frost warnings in the area. I got to the stream about 9:30 and fished for a couple of hours. A sunny blue sky with temps around 50 or so degrees.

Water was gin clear at 95 CFS. No hatches or insects could be seen.

I fished some of the project area and then went downstream. I really wasn’t expecting too much and I got exactly that. I threw a variety of nymphs and streams with not so much as a bump. The project was stocked back in February and the stocked section I was in had two stockings. The heavy rain likely pushed the fish around and heard that there wasn’t many fish stocked. So who knows.

It was a pretty morning and nice to be on the stream.

 

[Andrwhite610]

Suddenly the waters clear after what seems like 3-4 months. Back to spookin fish.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

It's been awhile since I fished French Cr project water, but when I did in the 80s and early 90s...I never had much luck in the weeks following it's stocking. It got pounded back then, and other than the deep stretch at the bottom of the project just above the covered bridge (Sheeder Rd?), the rest of the creek just seemed devoid of life and holding cover. I always did better below the project area, and I always did the best in Warwick Park. Trout holdover through the Summer there and some SMB can be found too.

 

[jgish92]

What is "project water"?

 

[DaveKile]

It's been awhile since I fished French Cr project water, but when I did in the 80s and early 90s...I never had much luck in the weeks following it's stocking. It got pounded back then, and other than the deep stretch at the bottom of the project just above the covered bridge (Sheeder Rd?), the rest of the creek just seemed devoid of life and holding cover. I always did better below the project area, and I always did the best in Warwick Park. Trout holdover through the Summer there and some SMB can be found too.

I've never had much luck at FC. Yes always seems devoid of trout.

 

[DaveKile]

What is "project water"?

The Pa Fish and Boat Commission has designated areas on some streams for special regulations. These special reg sections have a variety of different rules depending on the project: Fly fishing only, delayed harvest and catch and release are the main types. Generally they are no kill or delayed harvests with no bait fishing. They are still stocked as a regular stream would get fish, but fly fisherman like them because we get to fish an area that doesn't get fished out after opening day. Most of these project waters are about 1-2 miles long, but there are some streams with much longer sections.

 

[jgish92]

So when you say project waters, you are referring to the FFO section of French Creek?

 

[Mike]

The fly stretch doesn’t receive two stockings because the trout are allocated annually on per acre basis and the acreage in that particular fly stretch is so low that the standard annual allocation for such projects is only enough to provide one load of trout. Were the project longer (and long enough) the acreage would be such and the trout allocation enough that a second stocking would most likely occur based on the history of such projects if there were enough trout available in the hatchery system. An extension was once possible, but that ship sailed.

 

[mszoke1802]

I live fairly close to this area and used to fish it often. but I've noticed in prior few years it gets pounded hard prior to opening day. I'm sure those fish are fairly educated by now and have spread out. I'd assume the fish are still there just a bit shy now.

 

[jgish92]

I was out last night in the area immediately below the FFO and I caught a dozen stockers in about two hours. I caught about two dozen this past Sunday. There's plenty of fish in there. I haven't had nearly that kind of luck the last couple years in the FFO section.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

I was out last night in the area immediately below the FFO and I caught a dozen stockers in about two hours. I caught about two dozen this past Sunday. There's plenty of fish in there. I haven't had nearly that kind of luck the last couple years in the FFO section.

Your experience last night and this past Sunday is exactly what I'm alluding to. I always did much better below the FFO area. My favorite part of FC is Warwick Park. The water stays cold enough during the Summer for trout to holdover in good numbers and provide an opportunity while the rest of the creek turns to SMB water. I've long wondered whether anglers and the PFBC would remove the FFO section on FC, and create a new DHALO area within Warwick Park? IMO, that project could be really successful.

 

[DaveKile]

So when you say project waters, you are referring to the FFO section of French Creek?

Yes

 

[DaveKile]

The fly stretch doesn’t receive two stockings because the trout are allocated annually on per acre basis and the acreage in that particular fly stretch is so low that the standard annual allocation for such projects is only enough to provide one load of trout. Were the project longer (and long enough) the acreage would be such and the trout allocation enough that a second stocking would most likely occur based on the history of such projects if there were enough trout available in the hatchery system. An extension was once possible, but that ship sailed.

Pretty sure the second stocking is schedules for 5/3

 

[jgish92]

5/3 stocking is for the section below the FFO stretch.

 

[afishinado]

5/3 stocking is for the section below the FFO stretch.

The FFO section is also stocked on 5/3.

You have to scroll down and click on the following page on the stocking schedule to see it.

The new format for the stocking schedule is really hard to use.


French Creek,5
Date:05-03-2024

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Species Stocked:
Brown
Rainbow
Meeting Place: Knauertown-Warwick Park (County Park)-SR23

Time: 12:30:00
Hatchery: Huntsdale
Regulation: Catch-And-Release Fly-Fishing Only
Upper Limit: BREACHED DAM UPST T491 BRIDGE. Lat & Long: 40.15310000,-75.63107000
Lower Limit: SR1033 (HOLLOW ROAD), Lat & Long: 40.14765000,-75.62073000

 

[jgish92]

I stand corrected. Thank you!

 

[Mike]

I stand corrected. Thank you!

Me too. Sorry about that. I confused the fall stocking situation (no stocking) with the single spring inseason stocking since I didn’t look it up. The surface area is too small to generate a trout allocation that would allow a spring inseason and a fall stocking. Ridley has the same situation, but there the second PFBC stocking occurs in fall rather than spring. This reduced number of stockings is not unique to short special reg areas, but also occurs in some regular stocked trout sections where the section is too narrow to generate much acreage even though it may meet the standard/general 2 mile section length requirement.