Lehigh River ISO Hatch

[hookedonthefly]

Landed some trout on the Lehigh on the ISO hatch.

 

[Fredrick]

Nice fish but the water in the Lehigh might be to hot for catch and release fishing right now.

 

[hookedonthefly]

Its nice and cool... we with the rain we had.

 

[krayfish2]

"Nice and cool". I'll call BS on that since the release is 72 degrees. When it's 90 degrees out, 75 degree water would feel refreshingly 'cool'. Odds are, the fish you caught are probably goners. Invest in a thermometer and use it. I can't understand insisting on fishing where where the trout are already stressed. Please let the fish alone until conditions improve.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Catch and release is also pointless when you lay the trout on hot, dry ground.

 

[Swattie87]

Good thing those weren't Gemmies or this woulda really caused a stank round these parts.

Irony is the forum this was posted under. Those fish look pretty bonked IMO. Eyes tell it all. I'm not gonna preach to anyone about water temps. If you're looking to keep a couple for dinner, no worries. But if your plan is to C&R with good intent, make sure you know the temp of the water. No excuse for not having an $8 thermometer for when things are marginal. Good lesson to be learned on a couple of stockies.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I thought the same thing, Swattie. I thought maybe it was posted in the general forum and moved to the WW forum, in what would be an unprecedented move by the mods. Also, the poster never said they released them, so...maybe these was dinner! If that's the case, carry on.

 

[Dave_W]

This thread was moved here from a different forum.
Thanks,
DW

 

[ryansheehan]

Swattie87 wrote:
Good thing those weren't Gemmies or this woulda really caused a stank round these parts.

Irony is the forum this was posted under. Those fish look pretty bonked IMO. Eyes tell it all. I'm not gonna preach to anyone about water temps. If you're looking to keep a couple for dinner, no worries. But if your plan is to C&R with good intent, make sure you know the temp of the water. No excuse for not having an $8 thermometer for when things are marginal. Good lesson to be learned on a couple of stockies.

I prefer to gut my Gemmies before I release em, its just easier that way. I don't want to pile on, especially over a couple stocked fish but I cringe when I see pics of fish on the ground. I have seen fisherman consistently do this and release fish, even spoken to a few, kindly of course.

 

[sarce]

Second fish is wild imo

 

[ryansheehan]

sarce wrote:
Second fish is wild imo

I thought so too but the gill plate looks really short, never seen a wild fish with exposed gills only stockers. Maybe its the angle of the shot though. I know absolutely nothing about the Lehigh are there alot of wild fish?

 

[krayfish2]

There are quite a few.

 

[salvelinus]

Yeah that water is nice and cool...

 

[RyanR]

krayfish2 wrote:
"Nice and cool". I'll call BS on that since the release is 72 degrees. When it's 90 degrees out, 75 degree water would feel refreshingly 'cool'. Odds are, the fish you caught are probably goners. Invest in a thermometer and use it. I can't understand insisting on fishing where where the trout are already stressed. Please let the fish alone until conditions improve.

Lehigh river temperature not only depends on what release you're talking about but also where on the Lehigh you're fishing. It's proven that the river actually cools in summer the further downstream one gets from the FEW release, particularly from JT downstream to Bowmanstown and even down to Cementon. This is due to colder downstream tributaries and also the Beltzville release is generally always cold throughout summer. All that said I agree that I still wouldn't have expected the Lehigh to be at really trout friendly temps on 8/5 (though some areas might have been) and a "it was nice and cold" response usually signals to me a thermometer was likely not used to be sure. In general, if you're not using a thermometer at this time of year you're really not being a very responsible trout angler.

 

[ryansheehan]

salvelinus, cant see pic it just says resized image

 

[salvelinus]

Pic was the USGS temp data from the Lehigh below FEW, it was 72 - 74 degrees all last week.

 

[krayfish2]

I'd thought I'd post that I had gotten a PM regarding my prior post from a forum member that is also an employee of the PFBC. The message simply said "perhaps those fish were legally harvested". That very well may be the case and the fisherman would be within his rights to harvest based on the regulations. While catching already stressed fish or ripping them off of their thermal refuge isn't a violation of PFBC laws, I see it as unethical and not in the best interest of the resource.

The message seems to repeat a disturbing and reoccurring message that the PFBC appears to be more interested in license sales numbers, stocking fish and having them creeled. What happened to protecting the resource? While the Lehigh might not contain the number of wild fish that spring or little J possess, it still hold quite a few. If they are going to issue thermal stress statement for one water containing wild fish (Penns) couldn't the same be issued for all wild trout waters with thermal issues due to the hot / dry summer? Or it's possible that something like that would help protect wild fish stock but doesn't increase license sales so it's of no interest to the PFBC? Keep raising finless 3 pounders for the Keystone Select program in hopes of increasing revenue and so pensions can be paid and I'll continue to buy a license for a different state that actually manages and protects their wild trout populations. Maybe I'll (and hopefully others) will stop purchasing PA licenses all together. Isn't it cheaper for you guys to manage wild fisheries than it is to raise your genetic misfits and dump them in by bridges? I'm guessing it is but that might threaten job security for some employees so it's easier to keep the 'welfare' trout flowing into the streams.

 

[LehighRegular]

If "hook" was fishing in the Walnutport area (per his location) the river temps have been fluctuating between 68-77 F this past week, according to the LRSA probe they have in the river around Walnutport (I believe).

Its nice to see the fish are holding their own. July was a tough month temp wise for the river.

 

[Smike]

Overall it is astonishing the contrast in way cold water fisheries in PA are managed as compared to other states with world class fisheries. A glimmer of hope is the closures on Penns. But let's be honest this situation happens to some degree EVERY year, and on far more locations than those on Penns. What does it take to do this on the confluence with the PO on the Lehigh??? After fishing the Lehigh extensively over the last couple of years, it's comical that the state is unable to find significant wild stocks on the Lehigh. There are stretches that would blow your mind and compel you to rethink the serious potential of this river as a top wild trout resource. Organizations such as LCFA and LRSA along with a solid natural supporting baseline have taken this beyond a put and take fishery, to a viable wild trout fly fishing experience.

The PAFBC needs to get their skin in the game and not just the 6 miles below the dam which runs out of cold water by this time with little cold tributary relief. Others are correct the River is better below, but gets into that lower danger zone of temps and needs protection. But I guess if the PAFBC is going to keep blaming poor sampling (as in a lack of getting it right in the technic) then they will say there is nothing to protect. [insert a Facepalm] Heck the PAFBC had to survey a stream near my house twice to find wild stocks of trout. The stream is 3' wide and contains fish over 20".

 

[geebee]

nice fish, tough crowd.

any idea of size ?