Hay Creek, Berks Co, 10/26/22

[5alp]

Fished from 10:30a - 2pm

Air Temps were in the mid 60s, skies overcast with a bit of rain to start. Rain stopped about 11:30 with clouds sticking around. Forgot the stream thermometer, but felt like upper 50's, felt good to be waist deep when I could get it with how humid it was.

Water was clear, maybe a little elevated with the recent rains.

Tight-lined the entire session with a variety of tungsten bead head nymphs

Landed 3 ~8-10 inch browns and a good half dozen or more fingerling browns. Don't get out here much but it seems like the browns weathered the summer ok.

Plenty of chubs and fallfish in the slower water.

Some bugs hatched after the rain, no risers to speak of.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

Thanks @5alp. I love Hay Creek. I fished it growing up in Reading. Lots of good runs and quite a bit of wild brownies to catch. I loved running a dry/dropper rig (dry will be a caddis 12) through there in summertime on a short light rod. The water temps there stay cool year round and it has potential to be great wild brown creek.

 

[Mike]

It is designated Class A from Rt 82 at Geigertown upstream to either Rt10 or the headwaters. Below Rt 82 it temporarily loses substantial gradient and becomes very sandy-bottomed and sluggish. Gradient and habitat quality pick up again at Scarlets Mills, but habitat is still generally marginal, especially doe to stormwater effects combined with the deposited gravel and sand. About a mile downstream habitat improves again with gradient upstream fro the upper gate on Rt 82. A good population exists for about a half mile or so above that gate and partially continues below the gate, then habitat declines again due to stormwater runoff/previous big floods. By the time the stream reaches the lower gated area temperature effects begin as well to take a toll on the wild trout population and by the time the stream reaches Birdsboro’s town proper, few wild trout remain. There may have even been some channelization in town yrs ago…hard to say because stormwater events of substantial magnitude can create much the same appearance.

 

[jgish92]

When you refer to upper and lower, are you talking upstream/downstream, or North/South? Stream flows south to north, I believe.

 

[salmo]

It is designated Class A from Rt 82 at Geigertown upstream to either Rt10 or the headwaters. Below Rt 82 it temporarily loses substantial gradient and becomes very sandy-bottomed and sluggish. Gradient and habitat quality pick up again at Scarlets Mills, but habitat is still generally marginal, especially doe to stormwater effects combined with the deposited gravel and sand. About a mile downstream habitat improves again with gradient upstream fro the upper gate on Rt 82. A good population exists for about a half mile or so above that gate and partially continues below the gate, then habitat declines again due to stormwater runoff/previous big floods. By the time the stream reaches the lower gated area temperature effects begin as well to take a toll on the wild trout population and by the time the stream reaches Birdsboro’s town proper, few wild trout remain. There may have even been some channelization in town yrs ago…hard to say because stormwater events of substantial magnitude can create much the same appearance.

Is there good access from Rt 82 at Geigertown upstream to either Rt10 or the headwaters?

 

[5alp]

I fished the section accessible from the Old 82 gate. Started far downstream of it and worked upstream. As Mike said that's got decent holding water, lots of plunge pools and quick runs that are fun to nymph.

 

[Mike]

When you refer to upper and lower, are you talking upstream/downstream, or North/South? Stream flows south to north, I believe.

Sorry. Upper meant upstream; lower meant downstream.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Just going from memory but didn't Hay Creek have a naturally reproducing population of bows back in the late 80s and early 90s?