Breeches morning

[sipe]

I was having serious cabin/crazy kid fever...I only had about 3 hours to fish but thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Yellow Breeches this morning. Winds layed down and, although cold, it was very pleasant. I got to try out a few of the newer ties that I had been working on and managed a few fish (lost a big one...of course).

Wild or Stocked?

 

[mattofcarlisle]

Sounds like a great morning. Without seeing the tips of the pectoral of the caudal fin, I'd say wild

 

[geebee]

Nice fish. Look at the green on his cheek.

 

[lv2nymph]

Congrats, I'd say it's a trout. A brown trout...

 

[fishhead]

Salmo Trutta.

 

[Fishidiot]

Although known as a stocked fishery...the current view among many local Breeches regulars is that wild trout numbers have increased significantly in recent years (a point of view I agree with).

I'd probably chalk this guy up as wild based on what is visible, in particular the blue spot and well formed pectoral fin.

 

[Biggie]

I vote for wild also. And a nice size at that. Over the last 2/3 yrs. the Breeches has been producing more and more wild browns. And even the wild fish will take a green weenie.............

 

[troutbert]

Any theories from you who live in the area on why the Breeches is producing more trout?

My guess is that it's been caused by the new water treatment facilities they installed at the Huntsdale hatchery.

 

[Chaz]

Nice day, stocked fish, but still nice.

 

[afishinado]

troutbert wrote:
Any theories from you who live in the area on why the Breeches is producing more trout?

My guess is that it's been caused by the new water treatment facilities they installed at the Huntsdale hatchery.

I would guess that's true for the section just below the hatchery (the Mt. Holly Springs area) but I've seen a whole lot more wild fish (brown trout) in the Boiling Springs / Allenberry area and stream sections below. Probably too far downstream for the improved/cleaner hatchery effluent to have a significant effect.

I suppose there are a lot of factors at play. The discussion in another thread about the improvement of the air quality with respect to acid rain may be one of the major factors.

Long and short, I would say PA wild trout and the streams they live in are "boomed" rather than "doomed" in PA...at least for right now.

Stay vigilant, though; there are still fracking politicians out there that have no regard for our environment, clean water or our fish and wildlife.

 

[mattofcarlisle]

CVTU and the Rivers Conservation Camp have completed a number of stream improvement projects over the past 5 years. The Run has more spawning area than before (at least in the 12 years I've been fishing there). CVTU's signage in the fall discouraging wading over redds also helps.

 

[Biggie]

I think another reason is, there aren't nearly the numbers of large fish in the regs section. That's where I fish most of the time when on the Breeches. Therefore, not as many little fish being eaten by the big boys. But, then there are the many birds.................

 

[sipe]

I'm going with wild, but I didn't pay much attention to his adipose or tail...I followed him up with a stocked brookie that had some shoulders and a lost fish that I never saw but was significantly bigger (big trout or sucker).

Also, I fish the project water but nearly everywhere else I've driven past on the breeches seems to be mostly slow deep water...where can I get on some nice wadable riffles/runs?

 

[Fishidiot]

sipe wrote:
where can I get on some nice wadable riffles/runs?

Explore further upstream - above Mount Holly Springs (this is, of course, ATW water and is closed this week).

 

[Fishidiot]

troutbert wrote:
My guess is that it's been caused by the new water treatment facilities they installed at the Huntsdale hatchery.

Makes sense.
I really have no idea why there seems to be more wild trout in Breeches. Perhaps better spawning habitat in some areas, and perhaps some strains of stocked brown trout from coop sources may have been a bit more inclined to spawn successfully(?);
Maybe some cooler temps in some sections due to expanded over story(?)
I dunno. Generally speaking, I think quite a few streams, LJ comes to mind, just seem to be seeing a boom in wild trout reproduction across central PA these days.

There's something good happening, but I can't put my finger on it.

 

[JackM]

Increased effluent from ED drug usage?

 

[skeeter]

I think a big contributing factor to the increases in wild browns populations on the YB is improved land management practices, specifically agricultural, in the watershed. Herbicides and pesticides are more enviro-friendly, no till crop practices are used more often then in the past, stream buffering, erosion sediment control regs for new development, etc. Also I remember a time when after a little rain event, the YB would be brown/turbid for days and now it appears to handle these type flow events better. Collectively many things have been done but by and large I think people have changed the way we treat the landscape which has enabled nature to respond in a positive way. A prime example in the Amer. Bald Eagle. We take remove DDT, we help stock and replenish the population, and now they are responding 100-fold.

 

[pafisherman]

Yes.. A combination of many good practices. I fish the Allenberry section pretty often and I have seen a dramtic increase in the number of wild browns over the last 4 - 5 years. Last fall caught a few that had some nice size that are quality fish. Then seem to be doing quite nicely living with the stockies that are also present in large numbers.

Bill A