Tulpehocken Crk, Berks County, 6-29-14
- Thread starter krayfish2
- Start date
The stream will be re-stocked in October. Water temps can be fairly warm until that time depending upon the weather in September. Generally, Blue Marsh Lake, the major source water for the Tully, does not begin to cool until mid-Sept and the lake may not turn over until late Sept or early Oct, which requires cool weather and wind. At that approximate point the stream will probably begin to cool. That all changes in a hurry if we get a hurricane that breaks up the lake's stratification at some point earlier in Sept.
foxtrapper1972
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- Feb 16, 2012
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If by fairly cool you mean over 70 degrees.
foxtrapper1972
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Creek is real low right now and cool water coming from dam is depleted Maybe temp is slightly cooler in spots but catching them in water above 70 is risky if you are letting them go.
The_Sasquatch
Well-known member
I took a drive out there last week just to explore some other wild streams in the area. Of course somebody was fishing right at the mouth of Cacoosing, being a good "ethical" catch and release "sportsman".
I don't know how many times it has to be said. The Tully is too warm to fish in the summer months unless you're targetting carp, smallies, or you plan on harvesting what you keep. Catching a trout, ripping it out of its cold water refuge, playing it on 7x tippet, just to release it is not very helpful...
I don't know how many times it has to be said. The Tully is too warm to fish in the summer months unless you're targetting carp, smallies, or you plan on harvesting what you keep. Catching a trout, ripping it out of its cold water refuge, playing it on 7x tippet, just to release it is not very helpful...
giantsjim
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It has to be said a lot apparently so keep beating the drum. I stopped by there mid afternoon one warm day last week at the Cacoosing pull off to show my nephew the stream since we were on 222 coming back from Hburg after appointments. We didn't have any gear. Just wanted to expose him to some water. A fly guy was rigging up and I greeted him kindly enough and expressed concern about the conditions with low water and high temps. He could not be bothered with me after that and decided to ignore me. I made it a point to school my nephew and anyone else in earshot with my opinion about the ethics of proper fly fishing. Maybe planted a seed.
dc410
Well-known member
I stopped by the Tulpehocken yesterday afternoon at a stretch nearer to the lower end of the special regs area. I was mainly stopping to look at the water conditions and take a temp with no real intention of fishing at all. It is currently running very low and the temp in that area was 73 degrees. Much too warm IMO to even consider any type of C&R trout fishing. I think that any trout caught under these types of conditions and released are at a very high risk of not surviving. The area I was at is usually polluted with trout earlier in the season and even well into the trico season as a rule but yesterday I did not even see a trout. Carp, on the other hand are a different breed and conditions were good for carpin'. I saw 3 or 4 average size carp working in an area that was very reachable but had some heavy aquatic vegetation. Over the years I have learned that it is often "nothing ventured, nothing gained" in flyfishing. I had a brand new carp fly in my carp box that I wanted to try out, so I threw together the 8 wt. and went after them. I spooked a few of them by getting hooked up in the vegetation but eventually found one in an open area and enticed the fish to suck it in. It wasn't a huge carp (about 21") but it put up a good scrap and it was a beautiful golden color. This was actually my first Tully carp. I will be back because there are some real hogs in there. Before departing I cleaned up a huge mess of real heavy mono (25-30 lb. test) that was tangled up in the vegetation and rocks along the edge of the creek. It is not uncommon to find a ton of trash mono laying around in ALODH areas and I generally do my best to clean up this trash so other critters don't get all entangled in it. It was definitely worth the quick stop to check it out, give the trout a break and target some WW species instead.
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The_Sasquatch
Well-known member
giantsjim,
I love how you informed the guy and he just blew you off. What did that conversation sound like? It's just selfish.
Lots of carp there for sure, and a lot of fun going after them!
I love how you informed the guy and he just blew you off. What did that conversation sound like? It's just selfish.
Lots of carp there for sure, and a lot of fun going after them!
lestrout
Well-known member
dc- good on you for "I cleaned up a huge mess of real heavy mono (25-30 lb. test) that was tangled up in the vegetation and rocks along the edge of the creek. It is not uncommon to find a ton of trash mono laying around in ALODH areas and I generally do my best to clean up this trash so other critters don't get all entangled in it."
I do the same, but I also recycle the mono. Even if the stuff has degraded from the sun, using it with 8X and 7X tippets means it's not the weak link. The scuzzy degraded surface holds floatant real well and helps me keep my leader on top. I need to do more WW ffishing, since I also use the spinning line for leaders and tippets there. The sunnies and bassies don't mind.
I do the same, but I also recycle the mono. Even if the stuff has degraded from the sun, using it with 8X and 7X tippets means it's not the weak link. The scuzzy degraded surface holds floatant real well and helps me keep my leader on top. I need to do more WW ffishing, since I also use the spinning line for leaders and tippets there. The sunnies and bassies don't mind.
Sasquatch,
You must be mistaken in number 31 above. For such a long time I have been told that harvest and poaching are the reasons why so fewer trout survive in the DH Area until fall. Some go so far as to suggest that C&R would make a big difference. I don't understand that line if thinking...as if C&R somehow makes poachers stop violating, the water higher and colder, AND the herons fish elsewhere.
Seriously though, I agree with the premise behind what you said and would add that repeated and prolonged exposure to sub-lethal but warm temperatures can be lethal. Trout do not have to die instantaneously to die nonetheless through attrition. And that's why the fish just gradually disappear in warm streams and rarely all go belly-up in one big thermal fish kill.
Additionally, the Tully thermal refuges are too small to support anywhere close to the number of trout that have been stocked. And the number that could survive in the refuges would not provide an attractive fishery for most anglers once the stream cooled and the fish spread out again.
You must be mistaken in number 31 above. For such a long time I have been told that harvest and poaching are the reasons why so fewer trout survive in the DH Area until fall. Some go so far as to suggest that C&R would make a big difference. I don't understand that line if thinking...as if C&R somehow makes poachers stop violating, the water higher and colder, AND the herons fish elsewhere.
Seriously though, I agree with the premise behind what you said and would add that repeated and prolonged exposure to sub-lethal but warm temperatures can be lethal. Trout do not have to die instantaneously to die nonetheless through attrition. And that's why the fish just gradually disappear in warm streams and rarely all go belly-up in one big thermal fish kill.
Additionally, the Tully thermal refuges are too small to support anywhere close to the number of trout that have been stocked. And the number that could survive in the refuges would not provide an attractive fishery for most anglers once the stream cooled and the fish spread out again.
The_Sasquatch
Well-known member
I'm generally a C&R proponent. Heck I would say close fishing on the Tully for the summer completely and we'd probably see more survival. But if you're going to fish for trout, it makes NO sense to not harvest in these conditions. The trout are going to most likely die anyway since you ripped it out of its cold water refuge, played it half to death, handled it, and then released it back into tepid temps. Might as well feed yourself.
You know, it'd be one thing if when I drive by there I see kids who probably don't know any better. Whenever I'm by though, it's always an older gentleman who should know better. If its the same guy that GJ saw, then he does know better now and just doesn't care.
But maybe he IS harvesting. If so, carry on.
You know, it'd be one thing if when I drive by there I see kids who probably don't know any better. Whenever I'm by though, it's always an older gentleman who should know better. If its the same guy that GJ saw, then he does know better now and just doesn't care.
But maybe he IS harvesting. If so, carry on.
