Tulpehocken Cr. 3/17/16, Berks Co.

[outsider]

Had a good day on the Tully today, caught a lot of fish. It was pretty crowded. Caught a mix of rainbows that were stocked 2 weeks ago and browns that were stocked on Monday.

There were some teenagers there using power bait. I advised them that bait in any form is illegal. They just continued fishing.

 

[Mike]

Yes, given the numbers stocked and the somewhat randomly close proximity in time from the first to second stocking this year, the stream should be loaded with trout, especially Section 06. I recommend that if you are trying to introduce a new angler to the sport and don't mind that they catch hatchery fish, this is the year, the place, and the species, as Section 06 is primarily stocked with rainbows. As I mentioned before, the later preseason stocking this year and in the future was designed to put more fish in front of the anglers when, historically, the flows have been more cooperative and generated better angler use.

 

[wbranch]

I fished the Tully three times over the past two weeks and have seen fish rising every trip. Mostly to #22 black midges but I did see a few olives. I caught a 14" and 16" rainbow on a #20 silver BH zebra midge on Saturday. I went below the 222 bridge and there were some nice fish rising on river right in that deep and slow water tight along the bank. I didn't feel comfortable wading that over my waist water.

 

[Mike]

Wbranch
Per your comment about the RT 222 bridge area, that is in Section 07, which starts at Rebers Bridge. Within that Section you should be able to catch bigger, more colorful RT on average than in Section 06 (except perhaps where the two sections meet) because of the differing ways that the two sections are managed in their independent stocking programs. You should also find more freshly stocked Browns in 07 and less freshly stocked trout overall. At some point, however, freshly stocked RT move in from Sections 06 and/or 08 to add to the mix.

 

[acesedgley]

Mike, are the sections numbered upstream or downstream high to low?

 

[Mike]

Pa stream and river section numbers are lowest in the headwaters and increase in a downstream direction. The headwater section of a stream or the most upstream section of a stream with multiple sections is always Section 01. In the Tully case, Section 06 starts at the base of Blue Marsh Dam; Section 07 starts at Rebers Bridge; and Section 08 starts at the covered bridge and ends at the Schuylkill River .

 

[geebee]

all good information to know, Thanks Mike.

 

[Mike]

If your traditional Tully haunts get too crowded for you at times, try the hundred yards or so above the covered bridge. That area hardly gets fished, yet when fish are rising I have seen quite a show in that area.

Additionally, don't forget the very good habitat portions of Section 08 (minus the impounded stretches), where I have never found crowding to be a problem. There are three very good habitat stretches and on almost any weekend day, for example, usually two of the three are being lightly fished.

 

[outsider]

Good info Mike. The fish commission put some nice fish in the Tully, and it's been fished pretty hard in the past few weeks.

 

[pcray1231]

Additionally, don't forget the very good habitat portions of Section 08 (minus the impounded stretches), where I have never found crowding to be a problem.

When I lived in Reading, prior to opening day the special reg zone was often packed, and down below Gring's Mill was kinda my go to because nobody fished it!

On two occasions somebody threatened to call the PFBC, thinking I was fishing out of season. Once they may have actually called. I tried to explain that it was ATW open year round but I don't think they believed me.... It always amazed me to then see it shoulder to shoulder on opening day, and most people releasing their catch! One year I went down in the morning and laughed as everyone was waiting for the 8:00 a.m. starting time. It's like, umm, you coulda done this yesterday, you know?

 

[acesedgley]

Mike, thanks for that response on the numbering system. Good info too about the section above the covered bridge, but no thanks for mentioning one of my go to spots evenings when I would head there to avoid others (LOL)!!

 

[outsider]

I fished the DH area this morning, and the caddis are on. I stuck an estimated 30-40 fish (did not hold all of them), all on an adult caddis imitation.