Stonycreek River, Somerset County 5/18/2019

[psychobeagle12]

Got a new pair of waders today so I decided to test them out at one of my favorite parts of the Stonycreek River in a section downstream of the Quemahoning Dam outflow. The water was clear in that section, but very high. I'm not sure if it was high from the recent rains or if it was due to the whitewater release for the Stonycreek Sojurn this weekend. Tons of kayakers out all over the river should have been my first clue that the water would be unfishable. I tried a few nymph patterns, then switched things up to a streamer but had no luck. I did have a time or two that felt like takes, but with no results. Stream gauge at Ferndale right now reads 1220 cfs, too high for good fishing. I'm not sure what the temps were since it was a spur of the moment trip and I had no thermometer with me, but the water felt nice and cold. On the way home I tried to stop at a spot in Johnstown, but the water there was chocolate milk and up to the very edge of the banks so I didn't bother. Hoping the next few weeks will yield better flow rates, but with whitewater releases scheduled for at least the next few weekends I doubt I'll be fishing this river for the sulphur hatch like I normally do.

 

[just_jon]

I’ve kayaked Stonecreek hundreds of tie, but not fished it once. Time to change that.

 

[psychobeagle12]

Noooooo!!! It's terrible fishing, you will have an awful time and not catch ANYTHING!!! 😉

 

[JackM]

I bet a half an hour East on Bob's Creek would have been better.

 

[silverfox]

JackM wrote:
I bet a half an hour East on Bob's Creek would have been better.

Except there were probably as many fishermen on Bob's as there were kayakers on Stoney. Place got absolutely hammered this weekend.

 

[psychobeagle12]

I'm only mildly attached to Bob's creek, and I have to cross another of my favorite streams to get there from here anyway (Little Conemaugh) so I would probably just stop there instead. I really wanted to hit the bigger water. I bet the smaller streams did fish well; saw people out on a few streams on the way to the Stony. There's a few other spots on bigger water that I'd like to try in my neck of the woods that I don't think too many people get caught up in fishing. I think part of the problem in the spot I was in is that too many people have been dragging out the stringers in that section; the trout population there really isn't high enough to support a ton of people removing a limit on a regular basis in my opinion. I fished there for several years and rarely saw another person. About two years ago I started noticing more people fishing that spot and stringing them up and now that spot has gotten progressively less fun to fish. The only places to consistently catch fish there now are the places where it is extremely difficult for anyone to get to them. I am NOT strongly opposed to keeping fish, I just prefer it to be done in streams that are specifically stocked for put and take fishing that can't support fish all year long. Eh it is what it is; I'll hit it once the water falls and try to make my best judgement as to whether fishing there is still worth the time.