Manada Creek, Dauphin Co, 11/12/2011

[odizz17]

Fished Manada this morning for a few hours... Lower section of the regs has changed a lot since the flooding. Not necessarily in a bad way as it looked very nice with some different runs and pools. Water was cold and clear as usual. Don't have a temp gauge, so not sure what it was. Bluebird sky never helps, and needless to say got skunked. In fact, didn't even see or spook a fish! Tried everything from nymphs to soft hackles, wooly buggers and clousers... Nothing. Did have a heron scare the $hit outta me as I walked around a corner, hell I almost stepped on it before it flew off! All in all a beautiful day to be out, but a glimpse of a fish would have helped. Anyone else notice a decrease in this streams productivity over the last 2-3 years? I used to pick up a few wild browns, along with steady stockies. Now it seems as if I can only find fish right after the game commish stocks. If anyone else has any insight, I would like to hear it.

 

[Phish_On]

Yea the stream slows way down in the fall/winter. The fish are still in there just tough to turn. I have fished ther stream my whole life. Just last year I prilly took at least 20ish wild browns outta the spec regs and a few of my honey holes. The stream did change alot after the flood, I think for the better. Seems to be alot deeper in most spots. If you get a chance try the northern stretch of the spec regs, on to the army base. Beautiful country and all the fish are either wild browns or extreme holdover bows. The last 5-8 times I have fished it I only caught one little bow, but had plenty of fish refusey fly, even hook a nice brownie but my knot to fly broke(user error). The fish are in there just in new locations now, since it's pretty much a new stream aftrer the flood.

 

[jrasband]

There was a MONSTER rainbow under the bridge 3 wks ago. Well over two feet long. It was just hanging out in the tailout and let me walk up to it and literally poke it with my rod. No wild fish seen.

 

[PaulG]

They've had a big problem with poching there, for many years.

PaulG

 

[troutpoop]

I was there a week ago. I worked from the bridge down. The only fish I saw were at the bridge. There a ton of trees down which has created great difficulty getting around. I wonder how much effort is made to get those fish around, or if many of them are dumped near the bridge. This is not a #OOPS# about the people assisting the fish commission, just a fact that walking fish through that mess may not get many takers.

 

[Gorosaurus]

It's a pretty tough stream now, and it is pretty different from before. Some parts for the better, others for the worse. I think that it is more open to producing/keeping large fish than before with the deeper channels and debris (as Phish said).

However, I can say that even soon after the latest scheduled stocking, those fish were not biting much. I did not see many (actually very few, except in a few key areas), and every fisherman I've talked to has been skunked.

 

[timfarley]

I fished it a few weeks ago too, for the first time. Also got skunked.

Did see a few in the deep pool beneath the bridge, including the monster 'bow that jrasband mentioned, but couldn't get any bites.

Nice stream though, and very close to the best BBQ this side of the Mason-Dixon line. Check out Shakedown's BBQ by the casino if you're ever in the area - BBQ, guitar blues, BYOB and horseshoes - best way to end an afternoon of fishing!

 

[scotto]

Doc Fritchey TU organizes float stocking. We always need more help!