Recent Rain

What a great write up Mike. I have always been fascinated with the the "force multiplying effect" of impervious surfaces, since they reduce the aquifer recharge through percolation, forcing runoff into combined sewer systems and bypassing natural hydrological processes. This in turn creates more high water events in rivers. A similar phenomenon is seen in the impervious shale layers in the Erie tribs, which have flash runoff events and very low water events. As places with more geological permeable layers get paved over, it has the same effect. This impact is before you even start extracting water out of the ground - a whole other ball of wax.

the local mall was built over swamp land and required a sump system to keep it's basements dry, those sumps have been turned off. (they used to sump the cold water into a local creek that in turn had a robust wild brown population that's now gone as well due to warm water)
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Wow, that has to be one of the most unique instances of cold water supply supporting a wild repo population I have ever read.
 
We can debate when we want rain, when we when we should have rain, if we need rain and how much. Personally there is too much rain now and I'm sticking to my feelings on the topic. You can fish when streams are lower, but you can't fish streams when they are high, fast and muddy. I have tried the high and muddy thing for 8 days now. Hard to smoke a cigar in the rain.

That being said and I think I'm right about many of my opinions, the darn weather does what it wants, when it wants and there ain't anything we in this forum can do to change it.

Go team No Rain!!
 
DaveKile said:
We can debate when we want rain, when we when we should have rain, if we need rain and how much. Personally there is too much rain now and I'm sticking to my feelings on the topic. You can fish when streams are lower, but you can't fish streams when they are high, fast and muddy. I have tried the high and muddy thing for 8 days now. Hard to smoke a cigar in the rain.

That being said and I think I'm right about many of my opinions, the darn weather does what it wants, when it wants and there ain't anything we in this forum can do to change it.

Go team No Rain!!
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Mdk2 said:
Im heading to Penns Monday to Thursday next week.. any hope that Penns is back down to fishing levels for Monday?
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Monday May 12? Not a chance.
 
Looks like showers or rain all next week.
 
I’m not trying to poke the bear for the guys who are sick of the rain. I get it.

But here’s my viewpoint as primarily a small stream guy…I hate waiting for rain. When things are too high, you know you have some good fishing upcoming when things start to fall. When things are too low, you’re just waiting for rain. Months sometimes. Fortunately, most years, there are periods of both wet and dry spells. I will say fishing more during low water has made me a better angler. FWIW.
 
Swattie87 said:
I’m not trying to poke the bear for the guys who are sick of the rain. I get it.

But here’s my viewpoint as primarily a small stream guy…I hate waiting for rain. When things are too high, you know you have some good fishing upcoming when things start to fall. When things are too low, you’re just waiting for rain. Months sometimes. Fortunately, most years, there are periods of both wet and dry spells. I will say fishing more during low water has made me a better angler. FWIW.
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Or head up the tribs. Northeast branch of Little Podunk Creek is hot!
 
For how dry the eastern and particularly sc/sepa has been, they need all the rain we can get. Preferably not inches in a short period of time, but flows have been very low there
 
Swattie87 said:
I’m not trying to poke the bear for the guys who are sick of the rain. I get it.

But here’s my viewpoint as primarily a small stream guy…I hate waiting for rain. When things are too high, you know you have some good fishing upcoming when things start to fall. When things are too low, you’re just waiting for rain. Months sometimes. Fortunately, most years, there are periods of both wet and dry spells. I will say fishing more during low water has made me a better angler. FWIW.
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High water is a cheat code on small streams. Dirty water with less than a foot or two of visibility is the only time a 13 inch trout will eat a 5 inch streamer (that actually happened to me the other day). Maybe If I actually tried to fish low water more often I wouldn’t dread it so much
 

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No comment on the pros and cons of it raining, but I drove to several streams in the area today - bigger/known ones as well as some smaller brookie streams, and they're all really blown out. Couldn't find anything within an hour that was worthwhile. My guess is the smaller streams/bluelines might be fishable by midday tomorrow, assuming no more rain. The bigger ones will probably be early to mid next week. Sorry for the bad news. I still plan on heading out tomorrow. Will just pack a few brews with me and sit streamside if nothing else.
 
sam said:
No comment on the pros and cons of it raining, but I drove to several streams in the area today - bigger/known ones as well as some smaller brookie streams, and they're all really blown out. Couldn't find anything within an hour that was worthwhile. My guess is the smaller streams/bluelines might be fishable by midday tomorrow, assuming no more rain. The bigger ones will probably be early to mid next week. Sorry for the bad news. I still plan on heading out tomorrow. Will just pack a few brews with me and sit streamside if nothing else.
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I also find this a worthwhile endeavor, either way. Or both.
 
The Swatara Creek watershed was in the red (bright red) a few days ago. All of its gauges are black now on the USGS site. Further proof, if you don’t like the fishing conditions just wait, they’ll change.
 
I for one am glad that all the blue ribbon streams in Central PA are blown out in May so the ditches in suburban Philly filled with pellet rainbows finally get some water. Maybe they will live an extra few weeks this year!
 
not that i had any real effect on our weather patterns, but my apologies for hoping we got lots of rain. like the rest of youse, everywhere i fish is totally blown out and will be for some time. for me tho, i won't be spending everyday of the Summer hoping the woods around our home don't ignite. i love fishing, but having a home is more important for me. of all the natural disasters i've prepared myself for in life i really never had a thought about forest fire wiping me off the earth. last year there were out of control fires not all that far from our home and our woods were so dry it would not have taken much to ignite them. there are no fire hydrants where i live and by the time pumper/tank trucks would arrive there wouldn't be much left. i had all sorts of contingency plans with hoses and thoughts of how i could cover my roof so sparks wouldn't land on it and burn it down. it was a stressful time.

so, sorry for reporting on the lack of water and the desire for lots of rain...
 
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