The Mighty Brodhead Creek - Monroe County - 10/13/17

Nymph-wristed

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Air: Cloudy and cool, high 50s to 60
Water: 60, still some stained run-off
140 CFS, so a bit below normal, but “easy” wading.

I call the Brodhead my second home stream because I have fished it often for 30+ years, since I was a long-haired Shawnee Mt. ski setter, college student (the first attempt), and barfly, and I hold it in high esteem, visiting many times each year. I have selfishly never posted about it before, but since Ben Turpin did it justice in a national publication or two, I figured what harm could it do to finally show it some love here.

There were small caddis in the trees and midges, but only a couple risers. I fished pocket water with a variety of nymphs with only warmwater species to show for it, until I resigned to fish a deep hole with midges and an indicator. I landed two bows and fought a third fish. The fish were 12 to 13 inches and had a full set of fins now that they had escaped the stocked waters, but they weren’t browns, you know? I fished the marginal waters today, hoping for a big fish if not a lot of fish, and I tangled with as many smallmouth as I did trout, but I ended the day with a gorgeous streamer fish of 18 inches, my second big trout of the week! Before dark I had 3 more decent smallmouth on the large olive bugger too. Ben didn’t mention the shopping carts, and tent cities, and old train and truck axels in his otherwise thorough and reverent write up, but that is part of the charm of this place, which remains a beautiful, challenging, and sometimes rewarding creek despite our best efforts.

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I REALLY enjoyed this! Thanks..............
 
No critique here, just an observation for educational purposes: That is an example of a RT that has suffered badly due to warm water. Note the body structure/limited muscle volume.
 
Mike wrote:
No critique here, just an observation for educational purposes: That is an example of a RT that has suffered badly due to warm water. Note the body structure/limited muscle volume.

No doubt, Mike. Thanks for the input. You guys should keep an eye on what comes out of that wastewater tube, as it can't help :-( Chub water for a mile below clean effluent? That area has potential to be great some day...

This one looked a little better, yeah?

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Rolf
If you enjoyed this go to his blog. His posts there are more detailed. I look forward to reading all of his blog posts.
Ken
 
KGStine wrote:
Rolf
If you enjoyed this go to his blog. His posts there are more detailed. I look forward to reading all of his blog posts.
Ken

Thanks for the plug, Ken!
 
Nymph,

Keep an eye out for clipped adipose on bows in that section as well. Report size and location to PFBC area manager, Dave Arnold.
 
Millsertime wrote:
Nymph,

Keep an eye out for clipped adipose on bows in that section as well. Report size and location to PFBC area manager, Dave Arnold.

Got it, Millser. Experiment/study or tracking freelance stocking?
 
That is a beautiful brown. I wonder if he came up from the D to spawn or just a resident holdover?

I seem to catch my largest browns in Oct.
 
Thanks, I know that area and fished it a few times this year. Great write up. Did you happen to get water temps?
 
CL,

That is most likely a wild fish. I fish that section he fished pretty often. Almost all the browns you catch there are wild.
 
fisherboy3 wrote:
CL,

That is most likely a wild fish. I fish that section he fished pretty often. Almost all the browns you catch there are wild.

What fb3 said. He knows that area well for a young bull...
 
Never heard of that fingerling stocking study. Is it new?
 
fisherboy3 wrote:
Never heard of that fingerling stocking study. Is it new?

Kev, they stock them every couple of years at the upper end. I have also seen Brodhead TU stocking the "miracle mile" with adults too. I would assume as high as the creek can get in spring that bows can definitely spread the length if not harvested by humans, tent dwellers, or wildlife...
 
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