Little Juniata, Huntingdon Co, 8-19-13 and 8/20/13

[Dobeitz]

Fished the Little J and central PA for the first time in my life. I had been fiddling around with the eastern part of the state (where i've just moved) and finally decided to use my 2 days off work to check out the water near State College. I camped out in Rothrock forest and kept on the Little J and even tried Spruce creek one afternoon. Spruce, in the area I fished was alright. I hooked up with a really big one but didn't get anything more than a few flashes in the water before she got off. Mostly smaller ones on that creek. Had good success with pheasant tails, green weenie, and midges on the Little J. I will be returning!

And captured these guys for a closer look. Can you ID them?

 

[Maurice]

Cahill and a trico

 

[albud1962]

nice fish

 

[martinlf]

Yes, but not sure laying them on the rocks for your photo, especially this time of year when they need to be returned very quickly, is the best way to protect the resource.

 

[Maurice]

martinlf wrote:
Yes, but not sure laying them on the rocks for your photo, especially this time of year when they need to be returned very quickly, is the best way to protect the resource.

And imagine the time it took to lie them in EXACTLY the same spot amongst the rocks and leaves...thats UNCANNY! Both fish (all three)are looking down, they're fine. Besides the river is the resource, the fish are just fruit.

 

[Swattie87]

Maurice wrote:
Both fish (all three) are looking down, they're fine.

This has always been the barometer I've used too when gauging the immediate health of a Trout after being caught. If they're looking down and the eyes are still sharp and focused, they're fine and not short of oxygen (to a level that's dangerous to the fish anyway). The rocks were wet, the fish were wet, all is well.

Given where the Rainbow was caught, I'm thining many would have probably wished it got beat up a little bit while being caught.
;-)

As an aside...this same "looking down" eye trait doesn't carry over to species in the Bass/Sunfish families in my experience. For them, you're looking for eyes that are actively moving around still and focusing on things. I always think it's funny that a Bass looks like it's checking you out as much as you're checking it out.

 

[martinlf]

I guess I'll beg to differ. The J is marginal this time of year in the heat, often rising to above 70 degrees. Fish that seem just fine and looking down may swim off to die in water that is too warm or doesn't have enough dissolved oxygen. Anything over 30 seconds out of the water can lead to delayed mortality (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9224.html). In addition, scraping off their slime coat or knocking off a scale or two on the rocks, wet or not, can leave them open to infection. You folks can do what you want, but to me it doesn't seem very courteous treatment for a creature who has given so much enjoyment. Is the photo really worth the risks? Oh, and as for the bows, they are spawning in the stream, and the some of them fight like Delaware bows. Does anyone really want a trout like that beaten up? Finally, no trout are "fruit" in the Little J. It is a catch and release: i.e. "no kill" stream. The fish are the resource.

 

[Dobeitz]

The water temp was low 60s when fish were taken. I am aware of the 30 second rule and not a single one of these was out for more than 15 (yes, I count). I also purposely kick water up to the rocks. Any fish that, when in the net, appears as though it will flop like crazy does not get in a photo. I take great care to ensure healthy return.

If there was an unethical fisherman on the river that day it wasn't me. Perhaps it was the guy I saw that took fish and put them in a cooler. If you have more judgement to pass out you can direct it elsewhere.


ETA: a scale getting knocked off and subsequently infection setting in could happen at any time in the fish's life and definitely during the fight to land it = not a very good argument.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

The moderator's logic escapes me. Do you have a citation linking fishing looking down and vitality and survival?
All it means is that they are not dead at the time of the photo.

 

[martinlf]

Dobeitz, glad to hear you know about the 30 second rule and insure that fish get back in the water quickly. A discussion such as this one hurts no one, and may help others impressed by your photos to be as careful as you are if they try to imitate you and pose fish on land. I never mentioned ethics, but rather protecting the fish. You and I differ about the probability of a fish scraping its slime off or knocking a scale free swimming in the water as opposed to being laid on land with its weight on a number of uneven rocks, but you clearly take some care to insure that fish live after photos. I wish everyone else did. Also, you can bet if I saw someone killing fish in the J. I'd not only say something to him; I'd call the local warden. Thanks for your response, and for confirming that one needs to be aware of things such as water temperature and time out of water.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

FYI : unfortunately not all of the J is C&R. If anyone is unfamiliar with the stream be sure you're in the C&R section before you confront someone or call the warden. Nothing gets the local boys going like an out of towner telling them not to do something that is legal and within the regs.

 

[martinlf]

Yes, thanks for noting this; the J is catch and release "from the railroad bridge at the east (downstream) border of Ironville downstream to mouth" (PFBC regs). Camping in Rothrock and fishing Spruce too, one would be likely to be fishing the C&R, but not necessarily. I've fished alongside the local bait guys a time or two up above the no kill and we got on just fine. But you're right; this is an important point.

 

[Gorosaurus]

Thanks for the pictures; I appreciate some tasteful images to strengthen a stream report, even if I'm in no position to fish said stream.

 

[LetortAngler]

I have always instructed new anglers to never throw a trout on the bank for photos, and to try to release them in the water as quick as possible. Also, just recently I have witnessed 2 anglers fight a fish for so long that by the time it got to the net it was belly up, and they were scratching there head wondering what happend. The funny thing is that they were using 5x tippet trying to land a 10inch fish. Know your tackles strength and get them in quickly and released even quicker. If a photo is necessary, try to have someone with you so it can be done in less than 30 seconds IN the stream. Most wild trout streams in pa are struggling whether you want to believe it or not, and they require utmost delicacy. Just my thoughts