Hay creek, Berks co., 7-13-14

[polky]

Started off behind the quarry and worked my way upstream. Water temp between 68 and 71 degrees. Started off sunny and then became partly cloudy and humid, 9:30am to 1:30pm. Zero bug activity.First fish was a 12 inch largemouth on a wool head sculpin. Caught a number of small fallfish, sunnies, and rock bass on a damsel fly nymph stripped back. One wild brown from a plunge pool. Saw several holdover rainbow throughout, should be a good fall/winter.

 

[Keppenbill]

Its sad that this stream barely hold fish anymore glad ya got at least one brown.

 

[NickR]

A few years back we had a lot of highwater events...lots of the stocked fish held over through summer and into the fall..there were tons of wild browns too. That stream gets crushed by the put and take crowd. Its unfortunate because Hay gets very good hatches and I believe it might be a Class A in the headwaters. Whenever I fish there I find litter from plugs, spinners, worms and minnows. Has potential but that potential will never be seen under its current management. Pretty poor fishing experience here imo.

 

[Keppenbill]

It is class a above the bridge but access is limited for good reasons. I still know a few holes that's holds fish but there far and few compared to when I was a kid they were everywhere even brookies which many will argue. Same with the Manny everyone bitchs there none there to which I say nope its barren.

 

[Berks]

I used to fish this creek consistently a few years ago but the quality of fish had really dropped off. Wild browns of nice size could found with a little walk off the beaten path. As mentioned, it does get hit hard by the meat-eating crowd and the litter always disappoints. I don't know how the land owners put up with it. I'd love to have a free pass to fish the entire length, just to see what's out there behind those posted signs.

 

[Mike]

Catching "a number of small fallfish, sunnies, and rock bass" is a clear sign that the stretch being fished was best characterized as a transitional to warmwater stream section. The Class A stretch, located upstream from a largely posted and trout-free stretch ( habitat problems associated with low gradient)y, runs for a few miles from Rt 82 at Geigertown upstream to the headwaters, which are upstream from Rt 10.