Blue Line Unicorn

[Wild_Trouter]

This post and the attached photos are validation for studying maps and not constraining yourself solely to the Class A list. The Class A list should be a starting point only. I know this isn't for everyone and I expend a significant amount of time, $, and energy exploring because I don't like fishing around other people or streams that are pressured. Sometimes I find gold, and other times I just get a lot of exercise and solitude. Today's two prizes made the effort totally worth it.

 

[wgmiller]

This post and the attached photos are validation for studying maps and not constraining yourself solely to the Class A list. The Class A list should be a starting point only. I know this isn't for everyone and I expend a significant amount of time, $, and energy exploring because I don't like fishing around other people or streams that are pressured. Sometimes I find gold, and other times I just get a lot of exercise and solitude. Today's two prizes made the effort totally worth it.

Nothing was more evidence of this than during COVID, when the "green lines" seemed to see a lot more pressure. I agree that the blue lines can be a lot more "hit and miss" than Class A's, but as you've shown, they offer more surprises. One of the best streams I fish offers wild browns, brookies, and rainbows all in the same system and it's a "blue line" stream. Great post!

 

[wildtrout2]

Congrats on the wild tiger trout.

 

[mgmunson]

Some of my best Brookies have been on blue lines that seemed questionable at best, but upon exploration provided prefect habitat and fishing holes. But yesterday, I caught my own unicorn on a local green line.

 

[Mike]

Nothing was more evidence of this than during COVID, when the "green lines" seemed to see a lot more pressure. I agree that the blue lines can be a lot more "hit and miss" than Class A's, but as you've shown, they offer more surprises. One of the best streams I fish offers wild browns, brookies, and rainbows all in the same system and it's a "blue line" stream. Great post!

I suspect that I know which stream that may be. If I'm correct, it only reached Class A equivalency once during repeated surveys. Efforts to boost it to Class A with more consistency failed, however. It’s a good stream though and if I am right about its ID, it’s one of those streams for which we never tried to do anything for ST. (ha!)

 

[wildtrout2]

Congrats on hitting the wild trout lottery. And, I do believe it's a wild trout. It has a really nice pattern, and it's one of the biggest wild tigers I've seen.

 

[krayfish2]

Nice fishes. I was actually hoping to see a 🦄 pic though

 

[mgmunson]

Nice fishes. I was actually hoping to see a 🦄 pic though

Funny thing, I caught this one next cast!

 

[sixfootfenwick]

I suspect that I know which stream that may be. If I'm correct, it only reached Class A equivalency once during repeated surveys. Efforts to boost it to Class A with more consistency failed, however. It’s a good stream though and if I am right about its ID, it’s one of those streams for which we never tried to do anything for ST. (ha!)

That wouldn't be a hard assumption.😂
I can only think of a handful out of the hundreds of good streams anything was done on for ST.

 

[sixfootfenwick]

That's some beautiful tiger trout guys!

 

[Acristickid]

👍🏻

 

[sciflyguy]

Great fish! I'm wondering, when you guys say "blue lines" do you mean streams listed as natural reproduction on the PFBC map, or more generally use it to refer to any streams listed on a map about which you otherwise have no information?

 

[mgmunson]

Great fish! I'm wondering, when you guys say "blue lines" do you mean streams listed as natural reproduction on the PFBC map, or more generally use it to refer to any streams listed on a map about which you otherwise have no information?

Scifly,

I think "blue-lining" generally refers to fishing smaller, tighter headwater streams. It transcends the PFBC, but it just so happens that they have a very useful map identifying natural reproduction streams. However, not all natural reproduction streams would be considered "blue lines" by most anglers; Indian Creek, for example, is listed as natural reproduction for over 16 miles. The blue lines would be the tributaries feeding Indian Creek. In states that don't catalog their streams as well as PA, blue-lining is more of your latter definition; looking at a map, not having any information and seeing if you can stalk some wild fish!

 

[jeffroey]

Well put by mgmunson. The fact that NR lines on the PAFBC interactive map are actually blue is more coincidence than anything else.

They are however never a bad place to start a lot of times 🙂

 

[sciflyguy]

Scifly,

I think "blue-lining" generally refers to fishing smaller, tighter headwater streams. It transcends the PFBC, but it just so happens that they have a very useful map identifying natural reproduction streams. However, not all natural reproduction streams would be considered "blue lines" by most anglers; Indian Creek, for example, is listed as natural reproduction for over 16 miles. The blue lines would be the tributaries feeding Indian Creek. In states that don't catalog their streams as well as PA, blue-lining is more of your latter definition; looking at a map, not having any information and seeing if you can stalk some wild fish!

Well put by mgmunson. The fact that NR lines on the PAFBC interactive map are actually blue is more coincidence than anything else.

They are however never a bad place to start a lot of times 🙂

Thank you both! OP's talk of blue lines and green lines here had me a little confused. It's good to hear that PAFBC's NR blue lines are worth checking out, though, as I have a few of those on my list for this weekend!

 

[Streamerdemon1965]

Word.

 

[Kyle]

beautiful fish and thanks for sharing with us. nice

 

[salmo]

Word.

Hey! You’re a regular OG😜