1958 Sports Illustrated Story On Penns Creek

[Hook_Jaw]

Didn't know maybe alot of you have heard or have seen this article came upon it in archives a April, 7th 1958 issue of Sports Illustrated with a story on Penns creek. I can post the link just wanted some feedback if any of you have seen it and liked or wanted to share your thoughts on it.

 

[pcray1231]

Sparse Grey Hackle?

 

[dryflyguy]

Never read it. But many people claim that it's what "ratted" out penns creek, and turned it into the crowded, heavy pressured stream that we know it as now.

 

[pcray1231]

If the locals from 1958 say that, I can understand. But for everyone today, well, WE are that crowd we're complaining about.

But, for what it's worth, the article may have accelerated the discovery in the 60's. But in today's information age, a class A stream the size of Penn's isn't going to stay under the radar.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

Yeah that was the name of it pcray. I thought it was a great article

 

[tomitrout]

Link?

 

[Fishidiot]

I have an original copy of that issue and have studied the article carefully. It's a good article but definitely describes the size of the fish and the hatches glowingly and I think unrealistically (at least by today's standards). Sparse asked George Harvey to help him prepare the article and Harvey declined.

The same issue also has articles on Armstrong Creek and the Quinault River. I sometimes wonder if fans of those streams have the same disdain for those articles as many PA anglers today have for the article on Penns.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

Fish idiot that to me is any stream the fishing has gone down for the most. My grandfather fished Penns his whole life talks about how good the fishing was and declined every year. Ive fished penns since 1985 and it's the only stream I fish still today.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

Here is the link so everyone read it and say what you feel about it. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1002055/index.htm

 

[sipe]

Part of the "you should have been here 20 yrs ago" idea that is so prevalent in hunting and fishing today is that we seem to have a "selective memory" about these pursuits and the actuality often becomes lost after a few years.

Penns is a wonderful fishery that is enjoyed by many. Perhaps in the past there were fewer fisherman but I just don't believe that the fishing was significantly better.

Disclosure: I can't catch fish on Penns to save my life.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

I agree and disagree with that sipe. I used to like to fish fishing creek and not in the trophey section it declined so much I no longer fish it.

 

[GreenWeenie]

Let me understand, a glowing and unrealistic article that was published in a 1958 edition of Sports Illustrated on Penns Creek, which you had to buy to be able to read it, is acknowledged as leading to increased pressure back then and possibly the decline of the stream but today's real time stream reports on the internet that's available for viewing by millions doesn't affect the stream?

But, for what it's worth, the article may have accelerated the discovery in the 60's. But in today's information age, a class A stream the size of Penn's isn't going to stay under the radar.

It most certainly will stay under the radar if it isn't broadbanded and then regurgitated 10 times a month for the next 18 months. If nobody knows about it and nobody fishes it then nobody talks about it and nobody continues to know about it so it stays under the radar. If one person knows about it and that one person fishes it and that one person keeps their mouth shut, nobody else knows and it will stay under the radar. The only way anyone else would find out about it was if they went there themselves to explore it and in the process they discovered what is there. And if they keep their mouth shut, only two people know about it and it stays under the radar. if that person broadbands what they found, it is no longer under the radar.

There are plenty of places that see hardly any fishing pressure that by chance also see hardly any publicity. I can think of four streams that are very good sized (75-100 feet wide) near and/or running through densely populated areas that produce good numbers of large wild trout (20+ inches) that see very little, if any, fishing pressure. And they ARE NOT on private property they all have great public access with one having unrestricted public access for a continuous 5 mile stretch.

Two are in PA and two are in NJ.

 

[GreenWeenie]

Sparse asked George Harvey to help him prepare the article and Harvey declined.

And why did he do that?

Coulld he possibly have foreseen what was going to happen if such article was published and wanted nothing to do with it?

 

[Hook_Jaw]

I could care less who knows about it. I fish it 4-5 times a week in the spring to fall and fish times that I barley see a person fishing most times.

 

[pcray1231]

If one person knows about it and that one person fishes it and that one person keeps their mouth shut, nobody else knows and it will stay under the radar.

FWIW, there are no streams in PA that are on the class A list that I would consider to be "under the radar" today. Some are more popular than others, sure. But none of them are unknowns. The fish commission has "outed" them all. Every last one of them that's on public land gets fished reasonably often. And if those experiences are good, they're gonna get talked about and become reasonably popular. It's just the way it is, and there's nothing you or I can do about it.

Are there other large streams which produce large wild fish? Yes. But they are either 1. not class A or 2. Not under the radar.

And Penns has plenty going for it that makes it get extra attention. It's big and long, which is a rarity on the class A list. It has a high alkalinity, which shows up on the class A list for those looking for limestoners. It has 2 special reg zones, and that list is a big neon sign for visiting fishermen saying "fish here". It gets stocked in multiple places, so even the truck chasers see a large stream which gets stocked over a long distance. It's got tunnels and hiking/biking trails, campgrounds and state parks. i.e. it's popular for more than just fishermen!

Now, if it were not constantly discussed in social media, as well as newspapers, magazines, books, etc. as being among the best in the state. If it doesn't have a well known fly shop on it's banks. Etc. Would it be less crowded? Sure! You might lessen that "destination" feel a bit. It doesn't get on bucket lists, and people don't come from all over the country just to say they've done it like some sort of right of passage. Especially at peak hatch times, it might not have so much of a circus feel. And I'm fully in agreement that this aspect of ANY stream is a little ridiculous. But it would still be a popular fishery. And honestly, outside of maybe late May, I don't think you'd notice a big difference in the number of anglers. They are mostly regional, and they are going to know it for what it is. The "destination" chasers are almost all coming in May.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

If someone asked me about where to fish if they were coming around the area to fish If they didn't know the water Penns Creek would not do one I would even mention to go to. I would say spring creek or fishing creek

 

[mike_richardson]

I had an old cut out from one of the outdoor magazines about a state record that came from Spring Creek. I am not sure if it is still around or not. The old guy that owned my current home was a big outdoors guy. I believe it was a monster brown trout.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

I like hearing the stories of monseter trout caught out of streams around central pa it always was intersting to me and i like listening to the stories

 

[Paraleptalata]

No matter what anyone thinks, we are living in a golden age for wild trout in Pa. Yes the streams and trout are under pressure but less so than when this article was written. My guess is that most streams in central PA including Penns are far better than they were in the 60's. Old timers have selective memory (no insult intended). It's just the truth of the matter. We all seem to only remember our best days! Most if not all of the streams we consider great wild trout fisheries now were nothing but put and take hatchery runs back then. I know there are definitely exceptions but we have it good and I think better than 1958.

 

[pcray1231]

It's a mixed bag. Some streams get better, some get worse. But overall, yes, I'd agree with you, trout fishing in PA is as good as ever, and a good argument can be made that it's IMPROVING.

It is the information and travel age, though. No longer is stream knowledge so local. There still are a few off the radar streams. But certainly, our radars cover a much larger area than they once did, and the average angler fishes a lot of different waters. Of course, that means we spend less time getting to know a single stream or region really well. We all want to experience everything, which means we tend to fish the most famous sections of the most famous streams and ignore the rest. It's not that we don't know about the other streams. It's that if you have 2 days in an area, you focus on the "must fish" sections. Solitude can be still be found in "on the radar" but "off the priority list" streams.