Lehigh River, Carbon County, 9/28/14
- Thread starter SBecker
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AugustWest
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Speaking of the Corps, the Army Corps of Engineers will be hosting their 2014 Recreational Flow Plan Review on October 22 at 6:30 PM in White Haven. If you are a Lehigh River angler and are concerned about the releases that take place each season, this is a very informational meeting to attend. Let your voices be heard. The rafting/white water crowd will be there. Why not us?
Hope to see you there.
Hope to see you there.
vcregular
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Troutbert - Purely anecdotal but the low flows don’t get as low due to the augmentation the Corps has incorporated into the Flow Plans. Now we are not talking a lot more water, but to the fish it probably seems like a lot - - 100%, 200% or more water during the time frame when they need it – the 6o day window from July to Sept 1. Also, the water is not necessarily cold either, but that does not matter too much as it is highly oxygenated.
This is at least what a handful of us have determined is the reason why we are seeing more and more wilds throughout the river. It is nice to see a river that is actually improving.
This is at least what a handful of us have determined is the reason why we are seeing more and more wilds throughout the river. It is nice to see a river that is actually improving.
blueheron
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The river is large and has different water qualities throughout it's range, some conducive to reproduction but many not, this is just my observations. Many sections and their tribs are covered with a blackish substance which I think would inhibit reproduction on a large scale. Of course fish will be fish and find the spots that allow them the best shot at continuing to thrive but I see a much different river bed on the truly fecund rivers and streams that I fish, in Pa and other states. I don't think the numbers of large fish change greatly from year to year, just the opportunity to see more and larger fish is the variable. I do focus on a relatively short ( 10 mile ) section but after many years I don't see a significant change in population in either direction, this is one persons highly skewed findings. I am not speaking for the lower section, below Palmerton,
that may be more conducive to reproduction.
that may be more conducive to reproduction.
Tigereye
Well-known member
In my limited experiences in the lower sections I find that the trout are larger, heavier and exhibit that silvery sheen as shown in the above post by VCR,
As you fish upstream through the gorge and up to the dam ,(where I am more familiar), the fish (browns) seem to be darker, almost bronze and noticably thinner.
I attribute this to them being holdover stockies that are finding it tuff going in the river. Dont think I ever caught a "fat" fish that was dark. Thus stress being the cause of the darker coloration.
By no means I am I an expert on this- just observation.
As you fish upstream through the gorge and up to the dam ,(where I am more familiar), the fish (browns) seem to be darker, almost bronze and noticably thinner.
I attribute this to them being holdover stockies that are finding it tuff going in the river. Dont think I ever caught a "fat" fish that was dark. Thus stress being the cause of the darker coloration.
By no means I am I an expert on this- just observation.
blueheron
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The last time I caught alot of small fish was when the state was fall stocking fingerlings and that was years ago and if memory serves me was Bowmanstown and below. They were the lighter, scalier browns and they used to stock thousands, I happened to speak to a WCO after leaving the water so it was firsthand information. The fish are darker in the gorge but I have seen many larger , chunkier ones that don't miss too many meals, all my pictures are in my dead computer, and I do not see many small fry. I wouldn't guess that stress would cause dark coloration,I catch absolutely black fish higher up in the Pocono drainage and that is from tannic water.
Tigereye
Well-known member
I cant argue with your observations Blue and yes some of those brookies, especially the older ones do get downright Black especially in the belly areas as in your pic.
My point is that most fish when stressed exhibit dark or vibrant colorization when stressed. Saltwater game fish when hooked, arctic char ,salmon, brook and brown trout as well as other species during spawning. Stocked fish learning to fend on their own.
Salmon in particular get black when in the Salmon River for any length of time. The fresh ones are an olive hue and the cohos are silver. (from ez living in the lake??)thats my guess. The rigors of spawning cause them to darken.
Looking back at some of these pictures, notice the smallish heads and larger bodies. That tells me the fish is well fed and pretty much living the ez life. When the fish is long and skinny with a large head, it tells me the fish lost weight for some reason. Your Brookie in the last picture seems to have a head that is a size or two too big for its body and doesn't exhibit the chunkiness as the others above. Stress?
Check out the Lehigh thread in "locations" there are some pictures of some dandy rainbows on page 4 from the gorge. Notice the first 2 are starting to exhibit the black and not as chunky as the bow in the 3 pic. That chunky one does not have the black. All beautiful fish that I am guessing to be in the 17-18 in range.
Maybe some one can weigh in here as I am not thoroughly convinced either way. Perhaps we take this discussion to the general forum> I think there are 1 or 2 member that work for the FC that can clear this up. Maybe they will see it there.
Great discussion.
My point is that most fish when stressed exhibit dark or vibrant colorization when stressed. Saltwater game fish when hooked, arctic char ,salmon, brook and brown trout as well as other species during spawning. Stocked fish learning to fend on their own.
Salmon in particular get black when in the Salmon River for any length of time. The fresh ones are an olive hue and the cohos are silver. (from ez living in the lake??)thats my guess. The rigors of spawning cause them to darken.
Looking back at some of these pictures, notice the smallish heads and larger bodies. That tells me the fish is well fed and pretty much living the ez life. When the fish is long and skinny with a large head, it tells me the fish lost weight for some reason. Your Brookie in the last picture seems to have a head that is a size or two too big for its body and doesn't exhibit the chunkiness as the others above. Stress?
Check out the Lehigh thread in "locations" there are some pictures of some dandy rainbows on page 4 from the gorge. Notice the first 2 are starting to exhibit the black and not as chunky as the bow in the 3 pic. That chunky one does not have the black. All beautiful fish that I am guessing to be in the 17-18 in range.
Maybe some one can weigh in here as I am not thoroughly convinced either way. Perhaps we take this discussion to the general forum> I think there are 1 or 2 member that work for the FC that can clear this up. Maybe they will see it there.
Great discussion.
geebee
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vcregular wrote:
Some more wild fish imo from this past season. I tend to find that Lehigh wild fish have a silvery sheen to them. And quite a few have very few red spots. Loch Leven'esque.
again lovely fish - particularly #2 . this and the other beauty from the other set have the same mouth and fin coloration.
i suspect they are from the exact same source, perhaps they dropped back from a spring creek - LL, Monocacy or Saucon ?
is that possible ?
LehighRegular
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GeeBee
Those wild fish are likely from tribs that feed the Lehigh. Not likely from the LL, Monocacy or Saucon. Those fish pictured were caught above Cementon dam which is not passable.
Those tribs you mentioned are below that dam. However, there are trout that inhabit the Lehigh in the Allentown/Bethlehem area and those fish are likely coming from those tributaries. I hear about anglers catching some very sizable trout down in that area - 20"+. However they are few and far between, but there are trout down in that stretch of river.
Those wild fish are likely from tribs that feed the Lehigh. Not likely from the LL, Monocacy or Saucon. Those fish pictured were caught above Cementon dam which is not passable.
Those tribs you mentioned are below that dam. However, there are trout that inhabit the Lehigh in the Allentown/Bethlehem area and those fish are likely coming from those tributaries. I hear about anglers catching some very sizable trout down in that area - 20"+. However they are few and far between, but there are trout down in that stretch of river.
