Troutbitten's Airing of Grievances

wildtrout2 said:
Not in my case. But, it pointed me to streams that I wouldn't have normally gone to without it.
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So, that increased the fishing pressure on those streams.

But reduced the fishing pressure on the streams you would have fished without that internet info.

So, is it a wash? The internet info just shifting people around?
 
troutbert said:
Did internet info on streams add to the total number of days fishing for trout?

Or has the total numbers of days fishing for trout remained about the same, but the internet info has just re-distributed where people are fishing, i.e. some streams getting more fishermen and other streams getting less?
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I’m 54 and have been fishing since the early eighties and fly fishing since late 90s. From both a fly fishing for trout and spin fishing for warmwater species perspective I think now there are fewer people fishing but those that are fishing are spending much more time on the water.

In other words 10 guys spending 5 days per year on the water in 1990 is now 7 guys spending 20 days per year on the water.

I don’t see many what I’d consider casual fishermen/women anymore. It seems the people fishing now are all in. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, message boards etc all definitely speed up the learning curve and also act as a marketing tool to fuel it.

I’m sure there’s some redistribution of fisherman from stream a to stream b but think it’s more of a case of fewer people hitting a lot more streams more often.
 
troutbert said:
So, that increased the fishing pressure on those streams.

But reduced the fishing pressure on the streams you would have fished without that internet info.

So, is it a wash? The internet info just shifting people around?
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Very pesky questions, next you'll be wanting facts.

There has been a decrease of 404,960 licensed anglers (34.8%) from 1990 to 2025.

1990 1,163,758
2025758,798
Decrease404,960
Percentage decrease: 34.8%

Not that a decrease of -404,960 is a lot of anglers, but agree no doubt much of this falls on the Internet and my pet peeve...fly fishing forums.
 
DaveKile said:
Very pesky questions, next you'll be wanting facts.

There has been a decrease of 404,960 licensed anglers (34.8%) from 1990 to 2025.


1990 1,163,758
2025758,798
Decrease404,960
Percentage decrease: 34.8%

Not that a decrease of -404,960 is a lot of anglers, but agree no doubt much of this falls on the Internet and my pet peeve...fly fishing forums.
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I wish I could 2 thumbs up this.
 
DaveKile said:
Very pesky questions, next you'll be wanting facts.

There has been a decrease of 404,960 licensed anglers (34.8%) from 1990 to 2025.


1990 1,163,758
2025758,798
Decrease404,960
Percentage decrease: 34.8%

Not that a decrease of -404,960 is a lot of anglers, but agree no doubt much of this falls on the Internet and my pet peeve...fly fishing forums.
Click to expand...
Well this clearly shows there are less anglers out there now than years ago. Maybe all of us getting older just makes us more easily upset with people fishing on top of us, and that makes it seem there is an increase in fishing pressure?
 
greywolf said:
Well this clearly shows there are less anglers out there now than years ago. Maybe all of us getting older just makes us more easily upset with people fishing on top of us, and that makes it seem there is an increase in fishing pressure?
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I think many people miss the good old days and often recall the best of the best, while conveniently forgetting some of the bad that came with those times, too.

Cars were a new technology at one time, so they can be viewed through the same lens of good or bad. If a car hits another car, is it the car’s fault or the driver’s? Do I stop using cars because I was hit by one?

The internet can bring both good and bad things; it all depends on how it is used. But it can’t be all bad — except maybe for Facebook. I do like going over there and taking issue with all the ills of the world because of social media.

I also like modern plumbing and air-conditioning, so I vote for progress.
 
Bamboozle said:
The Internet and all of the wannabe fishing celebrities don't bother me because for the most part, I don't watch fishing videos so these yahoos can blabber on about whatever they want.

If their blabbering and videos help someone or makes it easier to learn a technique or how to tie a certain fly versus reading books and lots of trail & error like I went through, I'm all for that too.

I just HATE the spot burning!!!

Fish all you want, video all you want; you'll still be a famous fishing hero, you'll stick get clicks & likes...

Just shut the F up about where!!

I'm sorry, but anyone with the mentality that there are no secret places, therefore the exponential number of people that find out about a place on the Internet won't make a difference,...

Is delusional...

There a zillion examples that have nothing to do with fishing like the "Peace Rock" swimming hole on the Schuylkill or Glen Onoko Falls that became dangerous crowded madhouses because of the Internet.

They became such madhouses that access to both was closed, although Glen Onoka Falls will be reopening for any folks that have yet to fall off and waste the resources of first responders...

Bottom line, the next time you are dismayed at the number of cars at the pull-offs along your favorite creek, trail, camping or hunting spot; don't chalk it up to a natural progression of things, it's because someone on the Internet is making travel destination videos about your favorite places...
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I by no means condone "spot burning", but if you've fished a spot, so has someone else. There are no "secret creeks and/or spots. Taking photos of every fish caught and putting on the "net" is childish.
 
I'll just leave this here, lol.

Paradise.jpg
 
I don't think anybody mentioned this. How about hatches? I would think reports of hatches bring the crowds. Everyone knows when the Hendrickson, Green Drake, Sulfur, Tricos are on. Our group used to always fish Penns in May. Our June trip was perhaps our best ever. Very few people on Penns at all. Having said that, one day I will hit the Grannom based on an internet report.
 
joebamboo said:
I by no means condone "spot burning", but if you've fished a spot, so has someone else. There are no "secret creeks and/or spots. Taking photos of every fish caught and putting on the "net" is childish.
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I'm not disagreeing there are no secret spots, but telling a few million or so folks where these spots are with a few clicks guarantees it...
 
troutbert said:
Does anyone know specifically where that little building was located?
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Dear troutbert,

It was literally on the only road to the hatchery.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂
 
wildtrout2 said:
Anyone know what they were waiting in line for? I love old pics like that.
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This is what a quick internet search turned up. I know my dad fished there before I was born.
  • Early Regulations (1930s-1950s): To manage the surge in popularity (reaching 44,000 anglers in 1952), the site implemented strict rules such as check-in stations, identification badges, and a limit of five trips per year. A specific side channel was designated for female anglers, and harvest limits were enforced to maintain trophy-sized trout.
  • Closure and Reform (1961-1962): The fishery was closed in 1961 due to pollution from the nearby Rockview Correctional Facility. When it reopened in 1962, management shifted to a catch-and-release model focused on natural reproduction, banning wading and limiting fishing to fly fishing only with barbless hooks.
  • Expansion and Modern Status: The area expanded to 195 acres and became home to the H.R. Stackhouse School of Fisheries Conservation and Watercraft Safety. Today, it is recognized as one of the premier fly fishing destinations in the U.S., particularly notable for being highly accessible to handicapped anglers and hosting the Trout Unlimited’s Veteran Service Partnership.

This is what Fishermans Paradise looked like before the Internet ruined trout fishing, lol.
Paradise 2.jpg


Paradise 3.jpg
 
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wildtrout2 said:
Anyone know what they were waiting in line for? I love old pics like that.
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Dear wildtrout2,

Their daily pass to the shee-it-show.

This is a big part of why PA anglers think trout come from trucks. It was fishing over hatchery trout back then.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂
 
TimMurphy said:
Dear wildtrout2,

Their daily pass to the shee-it-show.

This is a big part of why PA anglers think trout come from trucks. It was fishing over hatchery trout back then.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂
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This is a big factor in me dismissing a lot of old heads when they say “it was a lot better back in the 19XX’s”. Like yeah, of course your catch rate was better when it was full of gullible trash truck fish.

One of the very few positive modern developments is the differentiation between stocked and streambred and the corresponding reverence toward wild trout fisheries. Of course, this is also likely adding to the perceived increased pressure despite the lower number of license sales. Now, if only the agency responsible for protecting the resource would get the memo…

Best we can do is 10 new shiddy AI data centers
 
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