Loyalsock Creek, Sullivan County, 5/27/2016

[duckfoot]

1500 - Hillsgrove
Air Temp: 78F, scattered thunderstorms
Water Temp: 66F
Bugs: very sparse, but there were #22 midges, #14 sulphurs, #18 sulphurs, #12 march browns
Water Clarity: clear
Water Depth: 2 - 8 feet

Drove to Hillsgrove to check in on the fish. Nothing much happening in the sunshine, but tried to swing a nymph rig to no success. If I had to guess, the crawfish problem manages to eat nearly all the trout food. I have never seen a creek become a crawfish farm like this stretch.

I did notice several caddis shucks on the bottom, so I tied on a #14 picket pin and quickly nailed four little trout in about fifteen minutes.

Lightning chased me off.

 

[Mike]

Rusty crayfish?

 

[duckfoot]

Mike wrote:
Rusty crayfish?

Not sure, but it is definitely crawfish heaven. Nearly every step I took I kicked one up, sometimes two or three. Must be thousands.

The raccoons are probably the biggest beneficiaries.

These craws retain their deep blue color, even in molts and carcasses. Some have brown-red shellbacks, some are grey, but nearly all have dark blue claws.

 

[1hook]

Are you allowed to keep crawfish in pa?

 

[lycoflyfisher]

Loyalsock creek is polluted with rusty crayfish

 

[1hook]

I don't know if you can keep them or not, would make a good meal?

 

[Luke]

If you google eating rusty crayfish, you will find that they are smaller than the red crayfish in Louisiana, but are still good to eat.

Go get em!