I would add two things to my post immediately above. By doing the inseason stocking in May, anglers from across the region whose local streams have either warmed or are suffering from low flow know that they can then switch to the Tully. It’s good for this second wave of anglers to have renewed relatively fresh fish over which to fish. Second, the preseason stocking was already moved to a later average date to accommodate angler sentiment that fly fishing is best when flow falls below 300 cfs. Historically, that has not consistently occurred until about Apr 7 or so. It wouldn’t make a lot of sense to wait until the first week of the season to stock the DH Area, so a compromise stocking recommendation to stock around March 21 or thereafter was made before I retired.
Tulpehocken Ck, Sect 08, Berks Co. 5/9/21
- Thread starter Mike
- Start date
salvelinus
Well-known member
Section 8 was stocked twice on 4/6 and 4/28. No wonder you were catching fish. Section 7 was stocked 4/6 but section 6 not until 5/6. Today the USGS gauge registered 67.5 degrees already. It would make more sense to stock section 6 in April, and section 7 later. Plum and Cacoosing Creeks add cold water to that section. Why not do the whole DHALO in April as was done in March? Plenty of help for all the DHALO stockings thanks to outsider.
If you look at the history of when Blue Marsh reservoir runs out of cold water, it is typically by the end of June, sometimes into early July. In relative terms, it is a shallow reservoir. So if the cold water runs out at the end of June and the stocking occurs on May 6, that provides 7 weeks of fishing. By that time, the water temp is approaching 70 degrees. I think it was 2016 when it was a disaster, last year was a disaster, and it looks like this year will be as well.
Would it not be better if both stockings of section 6 happened in March and April? Or revert back to stocking once in the spring, and once in the fall? From an angling experience, most people would like to see a fall stocking. So the fish may not hold over through the winter there. Doesn't matter, it will be stocked again in the spring.
The Tully probably is the most fished trout stream in SEPA. Most of the complaints are about the number of people that fish it. So when section 7 is stocked in the fall, everyone gravitates there, causing more angler congestion. I am not speaking for myself, but for other anglers, Tulpehocken TU, and TCO fly shop.
The Tully probably is the most fished trout stream in SEPA. Most of the complaints are about the number of people that fish it. So when section 7 is stocked in the fall, everyone gravitates there, causing more angler congestion. I am not speaking for myself, but for other anglers, Tulpehocken TU, and TCO fly shop.
Salvelinus,
I an not in a position to answer your specific “why not” question, as I am not a PFBC employee. In general, however, stocking schedules and stream section combinations on each truck load are dictated by a variety of factors that certainly can differ between preseason and inseason periods.
I an not in a position to answer your specific “why not” question, as I am not a PFBC employee. In general, however, stocking schedules and stream section combinations on each truck load are dictated by a variety of factors that certainly can differ between preseason and inseason periods.
As I have said numerous times here, Blue Marsh typically “runs out of cold water” between July 22 and Aug 3. It can happen earlier than that in unusual years if there are a number of high water events earlier in the summer that force the dam operator to open all gates to lower the lake level. Even in some of those years cold water has lasted well into July, possibly because much of the lake’s volume was replaced by cooler inflow during those events.
Furthermore, a study of water temps by Greg Murphy, a former Area 6 biologist, revealed in what was essentially a low flow summer during which few or no excess discharges from the dam occurred, that water temps were cooler in Section 07 (measured just UPSTREAM from Cacoosing’s confluence) than in Section 06, as measured at the gauge. During the hottest days of summer repeated checks by Area 6 staff also revealed that Cacoosing either was not any cooler than the Tully or only a degree cooler. That was surprising and could have been the impact of the impoundment just up from the Cacoosing’s mouth.
Water temps hovering around 68 deg F at the gauge are not unusual and would not have surprised me this past weekend. The target tail-race temp is 68 deg. Cold water mixing with the sub surface discharge BEGINS when the tail-race temp at the gauge hits 68 deg three mornings in a row at 8 AM. This system allows for a couple of unusually hot days in May or very early June to not falsely trigger the cold release that would waste that resource, given that a couple of unusually hot days are usually followed by cool ones at this time of the year as is occurring today.
The ACOE and I developed this system over a three season period in the early 1980’s. The first year was an all out coldwater discharge. The lake quickly ran out of cold water. The second summer was a mixing discharge from two gate levels similar to the one that is used today except with a colder tailrace temperature target. That used up too much cold water too early in the summer as well. The third summer’s experimental tailrace temperature regime was the one that was most successful in conserving cold water the longest, thus extending the fishery the longest, and is still used today. Sixty-eight is the beginning of stressful temps.
Furthermore, a study of water temps by Greg Murphy, a former Area 6 biologist, revealed in what was essentially a low flow summer during which few or no excess discharges from the dam occurred, that water temps were cooler in Section 07 (measured just UPSTREAM from Cacoosing’s confluence) than in Section 06, as measured at the gauge. During the hottest days of summer repeated checks by Area 6 staff also revealed that Cacoosing either was not any cooler than the Tully or only a degree cooler. That was surprising and could have been the impact of the impoundment just up from the Cacoosing’s mouth.
Water temps hovering around 68 deg F at the gauge are not unusual and would not have surprised me this past weekend. The target tail-race temp is 68 deg. Cold water mixing with the sub surface discharge BEGINS when the tail-race temp at the gauge hits 68 deg three mornings in a row at 8 AM. This system allows for a couple of unusually hot days in May or very early June to not falsely trigger the cold release that would waste that resource, given that a couple of unusually hot days are usually followed by cool ones at this time of the year as is occurring today.
The ACOE and I developed this system over a three season period in the early 1980’s. The first year was an all out coldwater discharge. The lake quickly ran out of cold water. The second summer was a mixing discharge from two gate levels similar to the one that is used today except with a colder tailrace temperature target. That used up too much cold water too early in the summer as well. The third summer’s experimental tailrace temperature regime was the one that was most successful in conserving cold water the longest, thus extending the fishery the longest, and is still used today. Sixty-eight is the beginning of stressful temps.
I have explained why I don’t have any concerns about the PFBC having inseason stocked one of the DH sections in May, while the other was stocked inseason in April.
As for fall stockings, I did angler counts following fall stockings on weekends a few yrs ago and angler usage was marginally acceptable in my experience and on a comparative basis with other waters. As an angler I would not want to see money wasted on stocking a second DH section in fall (because of relatively low usage already and because holding fish through the summer until the fall stocking period can be an expensive affair, as you have to hold more just to get enough survivors to stock). I would rather see those fish continue to be stocked in spring when there is much greater interest. Furthermore, if anglers think Section 07 of the DH Area is too crowded in fall on some days, they have the option of going downstream to Section 08 to fish. Sect 08 also is stocked in fall. I have no problem catching fish there (08), even in December.
As for fall stockings, I did angler counts following fall stockings on weekends a few yrs ago and angler usage was marginally acceptable in my experience and on a comparative basis with other waters. As an angler I would not want to see money wasted on stocking a second DH section in fall (because of relatively low usage already and because holding fish through the summer until the fall stocking period can be an expensive affair, as you have to hold more just to get enough survivors to stock). I would rather see those fish continue to be stocked in spring when there is much greater interest. Furthermore, if anglers think Section 07 of the DH Area is too crowded in fall on some days, they have the option of going downstream to Section 08 to fish. Sect 08 also is stocked in fall. I have no problem catching fish there (08), even in December.
I fish the Tully year round, at least 2 times a week, for 4 decades. There are plenty of people who fish it in the fall, not just on weekends. Running out of cold water is one thing, but having fishable temperatures for trout is another thing. I know with 40 years experience that fishing for trout in the Tully in July or August is a death sentence for the fish.
