Hickory Run, Hickory Run SP, Luzerne County 4/30/11

[CLSports]

I fished Hickory Run C&R section in the State Park from the park office down to the Lehigh River. The air temps were in the low to mid 60's throughout the day. It started off cloudy in the a.m. but cleared and warmed a bit in the p.m. No water temps were taken. The water was at a good spring level and not discolored much at all even considering all of the recent rain. Not much bug activity with the exception of an occassional dark colored mayfly about a size 14. I did not see what type they were. Quills or Hendricksons?

I wish I had something good to say in this report, but I do not. This stream is still a big mystery to me. I cannot figure out why there are not more fish in there. Even though there were sporadic bugs hatching, I did not see any fish rising for them. I actually did not even see any fish at all. Every run and pool I fished I tried to at least spook a few fish out of to convince myself that they are at least in there. Nothing.

I know people will argue with me on this, but that stream is not even close to being a high qaulity class A stream (?). I lifted a dozen or more rocks and found no life at all with the exception of this one below. I am not sure what it is, but it was large. Any help ID'ing this guy would be appreciated. Stonefly?

I drove up to the Hickory Run lake and found a bunch of spin guys with stringers full of fish. Must have been stocked recently.

 

[govtmule]

that is one ugly bug and finger...maybe a little black stone..

 

[YoughRiverGuide]

Dragonfly nymph

 

[surveyor06]

In the summer when I go camping there, i do find some fish at the lower end of the stream. Early in the season I dont see anything. Your right though, that stream is a big mystery.

 

[vcregular]

Hickory and Black/Hayes Creek are both mysteries. Maybe there is some acidity issues?? I know that Hayes/Black has this problem from time to time. Wonder when these were last surveyed? 10+ years ago?

 

[steveo]

Just sent you a PM.

 

[wgmiller]

I see Black/Hayes and Hickory are both listed as Class "A" Brown trout streams which is surprising. I fished Black/Hayes last year and had very little luck and landed only a few brookies.

PFBC Class A info: http://www.fish.state.pa.us/classa.pdf

I'll be up there the weekend of May 12-14th and will probably be fishing Hickory and the Lehigh. I'm not going to waste my time on Black/Hayes this year, although it did make for some nice scenery.

According to the PFBC stocking schedule, both the ATW and the lake were supposed to be stocked on the 27th, so that probably explains the stringers full of fish!

 

[outsider]

Yes, it is a dragonfly nymph. I never caught much in Hayes creek, except the scenery. I question the trout population. Used to catch a lot in Hickory run, haven't fished it in years.

 

[CLSports]

Yes, I agree with Hayes/Black Creek lacking fish as well. I have not fished that one in a couple of years, but that was lacking fish as well. It is a shame for whatever the reason. They are both beautiful streams. Nescopec is another one that comes to mind . . .

Thanks for the bug ID.

And by the way, I believe that both streams are in Carbon County, not Luzerne for what it is worth.

Rob

 

[NJAngler]

You say fished DOWN to the river? I never, ever fish moving downstream. Those trout will spot you a mile away not to mention picking up on the "scent" from your boots/waders. Their sense of smell is astonishing and you'd be surprised how they react to even the slightest abnormality or change in the streams chemistry.

Another possibility is mergansers. even if you don't see them while your there, if they were there earlier that day or even the previous day, they can put trout down for a good long time. i've seen top notch waters devoid of any sign of life after they passed through.

 

[greenlander]

NJAngler wrote:
You say fished DOWN to the river? I never, ever fish moving downstream. Those trout will spot you a mile away not to mention picking up on the "scent" from your boots/waders. Their sense of smell is astonishing and you'd be surprised how they react to even the slightest abnormality or change in the streams chemistry.

Huh? I work downstream often. As often ad I work upstream? Probably not. Depends where I am. Sure there are certain places that working downstream is out of the question (i.e. Letort), but there are many, many more places where you can work downstream just fine.

Unless this is something specific to Hickory, then ignore me.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Myth: you need to work upstream to catch trout.

You can easily walk downstream far from the rivers edge, come in at a spot to a hole to fish it from below.

You dont even have to do that if your careful enough. But not all streams are created equal with the last statement.

 

[CLSports]

NJ,

All good theories, but that is just not the case here. I fished downstream on one side of the stream and worked my way back upstream as well. I picked and choosed my spots to fish and was very stealthy in my approach regardless of my position. I rarely even entered the water. Actually, in my experience, on freestone streams like this with minimal insect activity, the fish are generally not that picky and will gladly take a well placed offering in their vicinity. Also, with polarized sunglasses I should have been able to spot a few fish in the deeper pools. Nothing.

 

[Troy]

NJAngler wrote:
You say fished DOWN to the river? I never, ever fish moving downstream. Those trout will spot you a mile away not to mention picking up on the "scent" from your boots/waders. Their sense of smell is astonishing and you'd be surprised how they react to even the slightest abnormality or change in the streams chemistry.

Are you serious or just full of it? I never heard of such a thing. I guess I am going to have to hang my waders and boots outside like you do before hunting. I'm pretty gullible so I guess you could be kidding.

 

[NJAngler]

CL - I can't prove it its just a theory. I do know this: whenever I walk downstream along a stream that I will soon be fishing upstream, I never step into the water. Whatever was on my hands - like deodorant or sunscreen - may end up on my boot laces from tying them or the boots themselves may have chemicals on them. Its not as crazy as it sounds. below is an article about it:

Oh yes, trout smell too. Their olfactory senses are very sensitive. If you can smell it, so can they. Tobacco, insect repellent, laundry detergent, and deodorant can all be carried by the water and subsequently detected by the fish. Also, line cleaners and fly dressings can and will warn fish away from your fly, so clean your line AFTER you fish, not before, and be sparse with your petroleum and/or silicone based floatants and dessicants. Try fly fishing without your Old Spice. I've heard it rumored that BO is more effective than power bait, so try your natural stink for once. Their are commercially made products and home made remedies out there that are supposed to mask human smells. If you are getting a lot of refusals from trout; that is, they are inspecting your fly but not striking, it may be a smell more than a visual deterant that is putting them off. Their Olfactory receptors are in the front of their heads, not too far from their eyes after all. So, my fellow fly anglers, take a deep breath before you head out into the water... and take note.

Salvelinus - As for fishing upstream, sure you can walk downstream a little and then circle back and fish a pool and then continue to do this. Question is, why would you? Why not just simply walk downstream, stop and start fishing coming back? Either way your still walking the same distance and fishing the same amount of time.