Slippery Rock Creek FFO, Lawrence Co, 6-17-20

[Prospector]

Time Fished: 805pm - 910pm

Weather Conditions: 73 degrees, slightly overcast

Water Conditions: 70 degrees, the typical Cloudy stained water the the Slippery Rock has transitioned to over the years

Insects: 1 Caddis, a few light bodied spinners could have been cahills, a medium size Stonefly, midges.

My father was so excited about the spinnerfalls at Kettle Creek, he wanted to extend his fishing a little. Remembering some very good days gone by on a stretch of water once called “Fish for Fun” area, he wanted to try the Slippery Rock. So I agreed to meet him there about 8pm.

He put on a dry and I didn’t see any rises so I put on a streamer. My father was not able to bring up a fish and I was not able to get a strike on the streamer. We fished the pool just above the bridge. There was a large palomino laying in the deeper water pretty much ignoring the world like yellow trout tend to do.

There was a older fellow in the faster riffle above us. He was having better success, but he was using red worms. He was wet wading with jeans on while his wife sat in a folding chair holding the worm container. We didn’t bother to rain on his parade since he only caught 2 and threw them back. He eventually fell in, making it the second consecutive trip to this section when I watched someone fall in. My father yelled up “do you know the name of the creek”? He responded “Connoquenessing” which may have explained his worms.

Well we did see 2 rises before the night ended but one was far outside of cast-able range. The close fish did not cooperate. The highlight of the night was turning over a few shore side rocks and finding a fabulous nymph clinging to each one. One was quite large with 3 tails while the other was smaller but still very nice. I should have snapped a picture

Before leaving I checked temp and noted the Slippery Rock was 70 and the small trib running in just upstream of the parking lot was 60 degrees. There were no fish resting where the cold water ran in. I wish I had time to get a temp from Skunk Run downstream.

So the report is about what anyone who has fished here would expect, a marginal experience. It wasn’t always this way, but times have changed. One thing is awesome though. The steps leading from the parking lot to the creek. Somebody or some group did a first rate job on those.

Saw a couple blue herons and a hen merganser with 15 ducklings. Quite the procession.

 

[dryflyguy]

I stopped at the FFO there one evening last month.
Prime time for fly hatches right?
The water was in great shape
No bugs, no rises.

I drove upstream a little way to the mountville rd bridge.
After watching the water intently for about 20 minutes, I finally spied 1 - or possibly 2 - fish rising occasionally.
To something small that I couldn't even see.

Not enough to be worth stringing up a rod and putting my waders on.

I do agree with you about that stretch of creek.
Used to find fish rising there quite a bit years ago

 

[greenghost]

Prospector,

Thanks for the report. It prodded my memory. Some of my best experiences fly fishing came from that stretch of the Rock. Just upstream of the bridge is that long flat section. It used to come alive with rising fish in May and early June. Caddis, sulphurs, and cahills were abundant. And when they weren't around, midging fish would keep you busy.

Then about 15 years ago, maybe even longer, something happened. Hatches decreased or disappeared. The fish rarely rise consistently and the flows are always too high during spring.

The best memory I had was just downstream of the bridge in pocket water there. One warm day in October caddis were hatching and the fish were on them. But you had to skitter your fly across the water for them to take. But when they did, they'd SMASH the fly. Fun times.

It's a shame that stream has changed so much. Not sure why either.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Influx of acid water might be the cause? Does it still have the limestone "grinders" on it that raised the Ph? I remember when the restoration took place and it became a model of restoration,the 60's? maybe? GG

 

[bikerfish]

GG, Not sure about the limestone treatments, but I suppose it is still ongoing. there are many AMD treatment areas in the entire watershed, which I reside in. I can take a ride and see quite a few projects not far from home.
I haven't fished the SR FFO water is a long time. I used to fish it at least once a week when I lived 10 minutes from it. I once hit a salmon fly hatch that was unbelievable, and the numbers of big fish that came out of nowhere was astounding. I don't remember how many big fish I landed that day, but I was never able to experience that again. I do know there are alot of quarries in the watershed, limestone and sand. I'm not sure if they have any effect on the stream quality. There is also lots of agriculture in the watershed, I'm sure that has some effect. In all honesty, the SR is not a trout stream, but it can be a fantastic Small mouth stream, I've pulled some very big smallies out if there.
Looking back, I've spent most of my life within the SR drainage, and have been steadily moving upstream!! lol!!

 

[Prospector]

I mentioned those nymphs we saw. We picked up 2 rocks that were 1 foot from shore in 4 inches of water and each one had a tremendous specimen clinging to it. One was a sz 12 three tailed mayfly and the other was a sz 14 two tail. My first thought was if this is what the insect life looks like after many hatches are over, how many nymphs are still in the better water.

I’m curious and I’m only 15 minutes away, so I’ll go down there this weekend and do more sampling.

 

[Dipnrip]

I'd imagine the problem is twofold. One it gets really warm in the summer and not many cool waters feeding it.
Secondly and probably bigger issue for fish and insect life if development and farming. Not a huge development rush but some. Farming is the bigger issue and the reason for the always stained and easily muddied waters after a rain. Also another telling sign is the large amount of algae on the rocks. Silt and farm chemicals are not a good combination. Did see slot of caddises back in April and done green Drake's and other insects in late May buy this was well above the fly fishing area. Imo there shouldn't be a fly fishing section on this stream.

 

[salvelinus]

I did a report on Slippery Rock for a Conservation of Natural Resources course in college about 1972. As part of my research I wrote the DCNR and received a presentation binder on the project. It was labeled a huge success. Looks like subsequent years haven't been kind.

 

[beadhead]

Slippery Rock gets a tremendous White Fly hatch usually towards mid July or later. Its a great time to pull smallmouth on a dry fly. Worth checking out when other streams are to warm for trout

 

[troutbert]

If the stream has loads of White Mayflies, I don't think it has an acid mine drainage problem.

 

[Prospector]

As I promised on Friday I made a stop today at the Slippery Rock FFO to check for insect life. Based on the few rocks I looked at last Wednesday, I was certain good bug numbers were there.

I did not have a nymph seine so all of my collection was close to shore lifting up rocks which could have impacted what I would find. So I'm saying there is a strong likelihood many more types of insects existed that what I caught. The collection process and photos took 1 hr to complete. I took all photos on the creek since I had to return the nymphs to the stream.

The biggest takeaway was the number of stonefly nymphs observed and the various sizes that were present. A wide variety of hooks sizes would should work when fishing. The volume of stonelflies could have been influenced by hatching activity and stoneflies beginning to stage closer to shore to hatch. Also seemed to be a decent variety of insect types: Stonefly nymphs, Stonefly dries, caddis dries (couldn't catch any), Mayfly duns/spinners with 2 tails, Mayfly nymphs with 3 tails, Hellgramites,..etc

Also found a wet - wet combo with a sinker tied as an anchor. If you lost it, get in touch with me and I'll mail it back to you.

Here are the photos....as Troutbert said you have to wonder if AMD is at play at all if insect life is doing well.

 

[bikerfish]

beadhead wrote:
Slippery Rock gets a tremendous White Fly hatch usually towards mid July or later. Its a great time to pull smallmouth on a dry fly. Worth checking out when other streams are to warm for trout

Sometimes. some years it doesn't happen, or is very small.

 

[PennKev]

troutbert wrote:
If the stream has loads of White Mayflies, I don't think it has an acid mine drainage problem.

There are definitely acid mine drainage issues, or at least has been in the past. Supposedly there was a huge brown drake hatch at one time on SRC but that was virtually wiped out by AMD. In fact, AMD issues were severe enough on SRC that it lead to the PAFBC heavily stocking Neshannock as an alternative. Neshannock eventually becoming very popular as a stocked stream. I believe this all occurred in the 60's or early 70's? it's been a while since I've heard or read anything about it, but there were some old newspaper articles about it that could be found online.

You can see orange AMD headwater streams in Google Earth/Maps. The headwaters of SRC drain a large area were several watersheds are also affected by AMD. Scrubgrass Creek being another, more heavily impacted waterway.

I think that the size/length of SRC and the limestone geology in the area have a buffering effect. The water from several smaller tributaries also contributes to improved water quality by the time it reaches the stretches most anglers fish.

 

[troutbert]

I don't doubt at all that it HAD acid mine drainage problems.

 

[Dave_W]

That collection of insects, especially the large stoneflies, that Prospector found and posted certainly suggests good water quality.

 

[greenghost]

The one thing that bothers me, however, is a drop of hellgramites in SRC. Even though Prospector has one image of one in there, the stream used to be polluted with them. They are hard to find anymore. At least, in my experience. I haven't recently seen any in the rippled waters they used to frequent 20 years ago. They are barometers of water quality.

Again, this is my opinion and strictly anecdotal evidence, I'll have to take a seine for a more accurate assessment.

 

[Prospector]

In talking to the old guard Fly Fishers from Lawrence Co (all about 80 years old now) this appears to be the best chronology. In the early 1950s Slippery Rock Creek was devoid of life due to AMD and runoff through Boney Piles which also polluted the water. By the mid 1960s the stream once again had lots of fish and insects but once again had another very large fish kill. Most likely due to an AMD event that got resolved quickly. The creek rebounded incredibly fast. After just a year or 2, the best hatch after the event was the little black Stonefly. The #2 biggest hatch was the Light Cahill. For 3-5 years these hatches were tremendous. Well beyond previous levels. Not sure why these insects expanded by leaps and bounds just after the events. All of the preceding occurred before I can remember.

Fast forward a few years, my father and his colleagues started a fly fishing club and he would bring me to their meetings. I distinctly remember them passing out bumper stickers that said “Save the Slippery Rock Again”. For me to remember I had to be in the 8-10 range. So something else happened in terms of pollution or the threat of pollution in the early 70s. But after that, there were good hatches and decent amount of trout looking up. Today there appears to be good insect life but maybe not in the volume or the type of insects that drive exceptional dryfly action.

An interesting piece of trivia about getting the “Fish For Fun” area approved on the Slippery Rock creek (that was the name of it at the time). This is the current FFO. The aforementioned Fly Fishing Club “Do Fly Fish Club” was pushing for a Catch and Release FF area. There were 2 locations being considered. The first site was far upstream between Rentz Camp and Rock Springs and the second is the current site. Mike Wheale was a Park Ranger at McConnels Mills and a member of the Do Fly Fish Club at the time. He would later became a deputy Fish Warden in Lawrence Co before taking his dream job as Waterways Patrolman in Allegheny Co. probably for 20 years. Well Mike and a FF’er from Harlansburg we’re working with the state to finalize the deal. Those 2 guys had to track down the owner of the cottage that sat downstream of the bridge. This property is essentially the lower limit of the FFO. A nice cottage that had a nice wooden dam that would back up the water a bit to create a nice pool. They spoke with the woman who owned it, got her signature and the state approved the 1/2 mile stretch that a lot of people have enjoyed over the years. So those of you that know Mike that have also enjoyed that stretch, give him a big thank you.

 

[dryflyguy]

Prospector:

Interesting that you brought up the black stone flies on Slippery Rock.

The last time I hit a good hatch with rising fish there, was with that fly.
It happened at least 15 - maybe 20 - years ago now, on St Patricks Day.
And something that made it even more memorable - the water was still very cold, in the 30's.
Probably the only time I've seen loads of rising fish, in water that frigid.
Never forgot that

I also remember reading a very nice piece about the Do Fly club in PA angler years ago - although I think the article it was in , was about Neshannock Creek.

They talked at length with the person who started it, I believe - maybe your father?
And it was mainly created to help youths get into FF, if I recall correctly
Seemed to be a very worthy org.
Is it still around?

 

[Prospector]

The Do Fly Fish Club disbanded probably mid to late 80s. Yes community events were big part of the club. The big event was the fly tying school held in the Shenango Elem School cafeteria. Club member and PA Outdoor writer, Thad Bukowski, was an administrator at the school and was able to reserve the building for the community event. It was open to all age groups one night per week for about 6 weeks. Probably drew 70-80 people each night. They offered tables for beginners, mid level and advanced fly tying instruction while fly casting instruction was provided in the gymnasium. Other staples were watching “The Way of the Trout” movie and my father always presented a pretty in-depth insect slide show that he compiled.

The spring event was a kids fishing derby on Neshannock creek held in downtown New Castle between the North St and East Washington St bridges. Local business were very generous donating prizes.

We had a co-op nursery and stocked trout in Lawrence Co streams (Neshannock, Slippery Rock, Big Run, ...). The membership was a very good mix of people that could get things done. A lawyer, school administrator, photographer from New Castle News, just a lot of people that had good connections, work ethic and a love of fly fishing. It was a great club.

My father was probably one of the first 10 members but it was not his brainchild and he was never president.

 

[SmoothOperator]

I used to call SR my home stream.... Live 20 min. away in North Sewickley Twp. for the last 30+ years..... Stream was good from March till end of May... used to get a good caddis hatch in April and then a cream mayfly in May thru June..... Seems like about early 90's the hatches waned..... Another thing that happened was some enormous predator fish reside there..... Saw a 3' long Gar or Musky (or something) lurking in the pool below Armstrong bridge one year and then had something big come and grab a small trout I was shaking off of my nymph about three years ago on a sunny April day....Don't know what happened to the stream but it's a shame.