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

[fisherboy3]

No they are humans. They inhabit the lower end of the stream in the woods for who knows what reasons. One year there was one all drugged out, or drunk, chasing a big palomino around the stream trying to catch it with his hands.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

troutbert wrote:
What is the miracle mile on the Brodhead?

And are tent dwellers not humans?

Sorry, I call the mile long riffle above the high bridge the miracle mile...

There have been small colonies of homeless in various states of down on their luck all the way to straight up junkies for many years, so some are human and some are to be avoided if you can...

 

[Jaybird]

Yup a few years ago watched a couple head down in the gorge from the baseball fields loaded for bear . Both had full back packs and the young guy had a samurai sword . Its at that point i realized the upper river weirdos seem to be less threatening than the gorge weirdos.... that said the weirdo ratio on that entire river is off the charts .

 

[troutbert]

What sort of miracles happen in the Miracle Mile? I've been in that section, so I'm a little bit familiar with it. The reason for the "miracle" name isn't obvious. At least to me.

 

[troutbert]

Who owns the land that the gorge flows through? And is there some possibility for long term conservation and insurance of public access?

I fished there some years ago and enjoyed that scenic stretch of stream. Didn't see any homeless encampments then. Didn't see anyone at all, as I remember.

 

[afishinado]

troutbert wrote:
Who owns the land that the gorge flows through? And is there some possibility for long term conservation and insurance of public access?

I fished there some years ago and enjoyed that scenic stretch of stream. Didn't see any homeless encampments then. Didn't see anyone at all, as I remember.

Quote from an article on the Brodhead:

...Thanks to Monroe County voters who agreed to borrow $25 million for preserving land in 1998 and volunteers in the watershed association like Baylor, a retired teacher, people now can fish the Brodhead without paying private club dues.

The county bond issue, supplemented by governmental grants, became an $80 million endowment used to purchase 12,000 acres, including 32 parcels along wild trout streams.

Miller is partial to a public stretch of Stony Run, a tributary of the Brodhead in Price and Paradise townships near his home, and to Targa Falls, a protected waterfall on the Brodhead.

Baylor said Stroud Township acquired a former resort now called ForEvergreen Nature Preserve that is off Cherry Lane in Analomink and provides public access to the Brodhead.

The public can fish the Brodhead but also hike and bicycle along it at a series of Stroudsburg parks along a five-mile Levee Loop Trail.

Additional public fishing is south of the Levee Loop at Glen Park, where a trail follows the former tracks of the short-lived New York and Susquehanna Railroad. Anglers also can reach the Brodhead from River Road near the Delaware Water Gap.

Link to article with more info on the history of the Brodhead:

http://www.poconorecord.com/news/20160525/brodhead-creek-still-haven-for-trout-fishermen

 

[troutbert]

I found a map of Glen Park online. It appears to have only very limited stream frontage, on one side of the creek, near the upper end of the gorge.

Does Monroe County own the land that the gorge flows through?

 

[fisherboy3]

Troutbert,

No they dont. It is mostly owned by the Eureka Stone Quarry company. They own the entire ridge-side of the lower gorge. The other side is owned mostly by Rock-Tenn, the company who owns and runs the papermill at the bottom of the gorge. The other part not owned by Rock-Tenn, is owned by Metro-Edison company. Or the electric lines company. Glen park actually goes aways down to the gorge. About half way on the one side. It goes down to the old hydro-electric dam.
I have an app on my phone that tells me who owns what in Pennsylvania. That miracle mile really isnt much of a miracle.
Its really just one long stretch of pocket water. And not many guys fish it.

 

[troutbert]

fisherboy3 wrote:
Troutbert,

No they dont. It is mostly owned by the Eureka Stone Quarry company. They own the entire ridge-side of the lower gorge. The other side is owned mostly by Rock-Tenn, the company who owns and runs the papermill at the bottom of the gorge. The other part not owned by Rock-Tenn, is owned by Metro-Edison company. Or the electric lines company. Glen park actually goes aways down to the gorge. About half way on the one side. It goes down to the old hydro-electric dam.
I have an app on my phone that tells me who owns what in Pennsylvania. That miracle mile really isnt much of a miracle.
Its really just one long stretch of pocket water. And not many guys fish it.

Thanks for the info.

 

[fisherboy3]

I guide and fish the brodhead pretty often, so i know it well. If you need any more info troutbert, let me know.

 

[hooker-of-men]

fisherboy3 wrote:
That miracle mile really isnt much of a miracle.
Its really just one long stretch of pocket water. And not many guys fish it.

Are we talking about the mile north of the Main Street bridge (the "high bridge")? If so, then I wouldn't say that exactly. Under and around the bridge, and through town in general, is heavily fished by worm-slayers.

But even thinking about just fly fishing, I'd say that the water around Creekview is the most heavily fished of all the public water on the creek. Sure, it seems to be mostly the type of people that essentially fish out of their car window, but still the main holes throughout that stretch are filled every day, even when the gorge or the better spots a bit further north aren't seeing much action.

I make this distinction only to point out that it's often a crowded, crappy place to fish the Brodhead when there's so much open water.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

The mile long riffle holds some nice fish, but takes work. For me, it's a nymph fisherman's dream when the conditions are fishable. FB3 and hooker are talking about 2 different places. FB3 has the right one. Rt 191 high bridge up to the the preserve area, not the flood plain in town.

 

[troutbert]

The mile long riffle is below Analomink, yah?

If you look at that stretch on a topo map, such as on AcmeMapper.com, you can see that it is dead straight for a long distance.

And it's not that way naturally. It was clearly straightened, and a railroad grade is constraining the stream. It has no wiggle room.

And that is why it is a mile long riffle. When streams are straightened, you don't get formation of meander bend pools. Because there are no longer any meanders.

 

[hooker-of-men]

Oh, got it. Wrong bridge. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

You got it guys. I totally agree troutbert, but there is still a significant change in gradient, a stepping down in spots, and the railroad only runs on one side, if that helps.

 

[troutbert]

Nymph-wristed wrote:
You got it guys. I totally agree troutbert, but there is still a significant change in gradient, a stepping down in spots, and the railroad only runs on one side, if that helps.

It doesn't help, because on the opposite side the stream is right against the hillslope. So it has no wiggle room. It's pinched between the rr grade and the hillslope.

This kind of constraining of streams is pretty common. Once you become aware of it you see it everywhere.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

troutbert wrote:

Nymph-wristed wrote:
You got it guys. I totally agree troutbert, but there is still a significant change in gradient, a stepping down in spots, and the railroad only runs on one side, if that helps.

It doesn't help, because on the opposite side the stream is right against the hillslope. So it has no wiggle room. It's pinched between the rr grade and the hillslope.

This kind of constraining of streams is pretty common. Once you become aware of it you see it everywhere.

You have a lot of questions about a stream section you've already ruled out fishing from looking at maps... :-D

 

[fisherboy3]

Just go and fish it. Its all pocket water. If you are a nymph fisherman, youll like it. Its not miracle though. And hooker is right. Creekview on any night will have 3-6 guys lined up against the riparian bank for the stockies that are rising. And wont eat anything you throw at them.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

I took fb3's advice and just fished it again this week :-D The creek is still giving up good fish on small bugs. A few acting horny (or just oddly, a couple males shallow horsing around), though no visible redds yet, so be careful wading. Got both a 17 all kyped up and a beauty 15 on Friday afternoon.