Kish Creek, Mifflin County; 6/29/2010

[troutbert]

A question for those of you who fish Tea Creek regularly. Above the drained millpond site, just up around a bend from where people used to park to feed the ducks, there is a pool which has for years been one of the largest pools on the stream.

Do you think that pool has decreased in size and depth in recent years? It looks that way to me, but I'm not sure. I recall that it was quite deep, that you couldn't see the bottom, and now it seems much more shallow. Any observations?

 

[CodorusTUTom]

Are they making any progress (or are they even trying) as far as reducing the runoff into Kish upstream from Reedsville and up toward Belleville? I seem to remember reading a while back about plans for such an effort. Can't remember who was involved though. Sure would be nice if that were to happen...

 

[teacreekfreak]

troutbert,

i havent been fishing tea creek that long, however that pool still stays pretty deep early in the year, where the bottom can not be seen....it seems to have been that way at least for the time i've fished there.... It takes very low water/drought conditions, like now, for that hole to have visibility to the bottom

as a side note, i never had much luck in that hole, i know they have to be in there.....maybe its just me though..... then again, i use dries 95% of the time, no need for a fish to come up out of that hole

 

[troutbert]

CodorusTUTom wrote:
Are they making any progress (or are they even trying) as far as reducing the runoff into Kish upstream from Reedsville and up toward Belleville? I seem to remember reading a while back about plans for such an effort. Can't remember who was involved though. Sure would be nice if that were to happen...

It would be nice. And I think there has been some streambank fencing up in Big Valley. But I think that if they managed Kish Creek from Reedsville down the same way as Spring, Penns, Little J, Fishing Cr are managed that you would have similar populations of wild browns in a very few years. I think the population would triple or quadruple in short order. There are wild browns all through there. But the population is just limited because it's managed as a put-and-take fishery, rather than managed for its wild trout population. The conditions there are as good as some of the other limestone streams. It gets warm in the summer, but not as warm as Penns Creek. And the physical habitat is excellent and much better than Spring Creek. It's got all the right characteristics to support a very high wild brown trout population. But the management is just not population oriented. The fishing pressure is not high at this time of the year, but early in the year it is hit very hard and people remove both the stockies and the "holdovers" (wild browns).

 

[MKern]

troutbert,

I too think that hole is filling in.
3 years ago you couldn't see the bottom, but when I fished it in the Spring it was only a couple feet deep.

I have only caught 2 (small) fish out of there by the way and one was had the head of the pool.

 

[CodorusTUTom]

Troutbert - that's some very interesting information - I'll have to wander up there sometime and take a look around. To me, maybe it would make sense to at least stop stocking the section below Alexander Springs. That would leave plenty of Put-And-Take water, while giving any wild fish 2 springs to keep cool in the summer. If the PF&BC does become more 'Resource First' under Arway, it might be a good time to 'lobby' on behalf of the creek.

 

[troutbert]

CodorusTUTom wrote:
Troutbert - that's some very interesting information - I'll have to wander up there sometime and take a look around. To me, maybe it would make sense to at least stop stocking the section below Alexander Springs. That would leave plenty of Put-And-Take water, while giving any wild fish 2 springs to keep cool in the summer. If the PF&BC does become more 'Resource First' under Arway, it might be a good time to 'lobby' on behalf of the creek.

I'm not sure what you mean by up there. The best water is from Tea and Honey Creeks downstream for miles. There are wild browns the whole way to the river.

The upper end, where it flows through the rich farmland of Big Valley, is trashed. It's a sacrifice zone. It's no good and probably never will be. The small tribs and springs in the middle section revive the stream somewhat and from there to Reedsville is so-so, but not great IMHO.

But the really prime water is below the influx of Tea and Honey Creek, for miles downstream from there. That's where there is the potential for a really superb wild brown trout fishery.

 

[CodorusTUTom]

Oops, my bad Troutbert...I misread. I thought you were talking about the area further upstream. Too bad its so trashed up there. Whatever the case, it all amounts to a missed opportunity for more wild trout that hopefully will be someday corrected.

 

[albud1962]

Upper Honey gets stocks with browns and brookies. Plus treatser and havice also get brook trout so during high water its possible the fish moved downstream.

I caught a nice rainbow several years ago near the ball park on honey. I routinely catch the fingerling rainbows on lower honey.

Someday corrected??? It only gets corrected if YOU get involve, but as Troutbert indicated short of reforestation and ending farming within the watershed the upper Kish probably will never be a viable wild trout fishery.