Monocacy Creek, Lehigh County, 9/7/09

[surveyor06]

Littlelehigh and I started got to the stream around 6:30 am and fished upstream of the brdige at Macada Road. The flow was great but the water was grey...not sure why, but it didnt look very good. We spent about an hour there and having caught nothing, decided to try below Illicks mill. There were a few tricos in the air but nothing impressive. Littlelehigh got a few takes on a fur ant. I worked a tandem nymph rig, my standard, a bhfbpt and a tan scud. Brought two to the net, one being a fingerling. Snapped a few pics of the bigger of the two. A slow day for the both of us, but successful nonetheless. Hope you enjoy the pic...

 

[gfen]

Northampton County, actually.

The nicest stretchs are from Macada to Bridal Path, and then from Bridal Path down to above the Illicks Mill dam. This is the TT regulation area. The TT area begins at Macada and goes downstream to the damn.

I routinely hit the park when I've got less than an hour and don't feel like having to put waders on. I consistently do well as long as bathers are mucking it up. The stockers are long gone, and with them has gone the bulk of fishing pressure.

 

[surveyor06]

gfen,

We started at Macada and worked up, but the water was grey. It looked chalky, and smelled kind of bad. Ive fished from Illicks mill up to Bridal Path and agree it is very nice. Ive never seen water like this before. The water below Illicks mill was crystal clear. Any thoughts?

Surveyor

 

[littlelehigh]

And my waders today are now shorts! What's up with your water Gary? Could it be sepage from the orchard? Water cleared slightly above that IMO.
All kidding aside it was a nice strech of water below the park.

I think flows may have been low for the area above Macada. I will have to head back there when water levels rise.

 

[JeffS]

surveyor and littlelehigh - did you guys fish up to the orchard at Buena Vista Dr? If so, was the water clear above the bridge that runs over the stream?

By the way, the TT Regs do not begin at Macada Rd. They start upstream at the Gertrude Fox Conservation Area.

 

[gfen]

Gertrude Fox? Where's that in relation to the Archibald Johnson Conservation area, I know AJ is upstream and past a private sportsclub area (the 3F Club).

I that its listed as Gertrude Fox in the regs, but thought this was the area of the road alongside Bridalpath Rd and moving downstream to Illicks Mill. Or, is GF actually the area around where 512 crosses over the Monocacy?

 

[JeffS]

How can two fly fisherman walk up through a stream section, notice grey water, smell something, and not call DEP or the PFBC?

 

[littlelehigh]

JeffS wrote:
How can two fly fisherman walk up through a stream section, notice grey water, smell something, and not call DEP or the PFBC?

Hey easy Jeff j/k. Water cleared as the sun poked through the clouds. Was it anything major? I dunno. It was my first trip to the area for all I know it's been like that for ten hundred years.

 

[surveyor06]

Jeff,

I think this water is always like this. I work for a survey company, and know a few guys that were back in that area doing a survey, and noticed the water was greenish. Also the water is dammed up past the orchard, and there were alot of geese, and alot of geese #OOPS#. I cant imagine if this was going on for a prolonged period someone doesnt already know about it. Also, I just checked on MSN maps, there is some kind of water facility above the orchard, possibly a treatment plant

 

[gfen]

There's no water treatment facility on the Monocacy, I think you're confusing the Panera bakery place with it.

I was also going to say no dam, but sure enough, right next to the orchard is a dam. I've never walked up that far.

I can't speak for the smell or cloudiness, I've never seen that from Macada on down, not sure about from upstream from that.

 

[surveyor06]

gfen,

Yeah i wasnt sure what the facility was upstream from the dam, the water is really slow and wide there, and from the aerial photos it looked like there were water outlets from the building. I'll will check back there soon, and see if it looks the same.

 

[JeffS]

surveyor and littlelehigh -
I apologize.

I was going to ask, and should have asked, if geese may have created the grey water as a result of their activity above the dam. However, there is a stormwater outfall located just below the bridge at Buena Vista Dr. (the orchard) which is why I asked how far upstream you guys fished. This outfall collects just about all of the stormwater from the east side of Center St./Rt. 512 in that area. Considering it is the time of year when people are draining pools (which are commonly directed into storm drians), and your mention of smelling something, I reacted the way I did.

For the record, the Monocacy does not run grey on a regular basis. It will run grey in areas where the geese and ducks muck things up and it will run "green," just like every other stream in the area, after heavy rains, but the Monocacy runs very clear throughout the year. If something seems out of the ordinary check it out and call someone if need be.

 

[surveyor06]

Jeff,

No harm, I was alarmed too. I saw the discharge pipe you are talking about and there was no discharge from it. My guess was it was caused by geese, the water above the dam was running very slow, and there were feathers everywhere, and goose droppings. Since this was the first time fishing this section, I was hesitant to alarm anyone to it, thinking it might have been a normal thing. In retrospect, we probably should have called someone. Dont apologize for being a good fisherman, I took no offense. We need more people like you, that care about our streams.

 

[littlelehigh]

JeffS wrote:
surveyor and littlelehigh -
I apologize.

I was going to ask, and should have asked, if geese may have created the grey water as a result of their activity above the dam. However, there is a stormwater outfall located just below the bridge at Buena Vista Dr. (the orchard) which is why I asked how far upstream you guys fished. This outfall collects just about all of the stormwater from the east side of Center St./Rt. 512 in that area. Considering it is the time of year when people are draining pools (which are commonly directed into storm drians), and your mention of smelling something, I reacted the way I did.

For the record, the Monocacy does not run grey on a regular basis. It will run grey in areas where the geese and ducks muck things up and it will run "green," just like every other stream in the area, after heavy rains, but the Monocacy runs very clear throughout the year. If something seems out of the ordinary check it out and call someone if need be.

No apology needed Jeff :-D It's nice to see others protecting our streams. The color didn't actually raise concern until after we left the area and were chatting. Even then it was more of a curious color not alarming if that makes sense.
We will have to fish together next month I'll be laid off Oct 1 so when ever your free let me know.


Corey