Are you saying that they are the groups that were advocated stocking?Western Clinton Co Sportsmens and Laurelly Fork Cooperative Nursery
Are you saying that they are the groups that were advocated stocking?Western Clinton Co Sportsmens and Laurelly Fork Cooperative Nursery
I've fished both branches of Young Women's Creek only going back to the early 2000's.
Both branches are beautiful however, whenever I fished them I was less than impressed with the fish I caught which were usually stockers & small wild brookies. Oh, I've had some banner days but that was usually with stocked fish.
After subsequent visits with similar impressions I'd either skip YWC entirely and fish a tributary. A slightly different MO is to strategically park my vehicle by one of my favorite tribs.
Then I would walk several miles downstream, fish up to my car, switch to a sweet little 6'6" 3wt rod and finish up my day fishing the tributary...
Never was?Why were the locals pushing hard to have this stream stocked if it never was?
I don't really know the history of the stream. I just figured it was never stocked since people said it was ruined by stocking. If it was stocked before it became so great and if stocking is the cause of it sucking now, how did it get so great in the first place while being stocked? If that is the case, the argument has become a little diffuse to me about how stocking ruined it.Never was?
YWC and its Left Branch were stocked when I first fished there around 1970, and were probably stocked clear back to the earliest days of stocking in the region, when hatchery trout were transported by steam locomotive and horse and wagon. Some of the smaller tribs were stocked also.
After Operation Future went into effect, the right branch was listed as Class A and the PFBC quit stocking it. I'm not sure of the year that happened, but probably in the 1980s.
Around 1999 Western Clinton Sportsmen pressured the PFBC to put it back on the stocking list with help from a state legislator. It was put back on the stocking list and it still is today.
The Left Branch was never taken off the stocking list.
Never was?
YWC and its Left Branch were stocked when I first fished there around 1970, and were probably stocked clear back to the earliest days of stocking in the region, when hatchery trout were transported by steam locomotive and horse and wagon. Some of the smaller tribs were stocked also.
After Operation Future went into effect, the right branch was listed as Class A and the PFBC quit stocking it. I'm not sure of the year that happened, but probably in the 1980s.
Around 1999 Western Clinton Sportsmen pressured the PFBC to put it back on the stocking list with help from a state legislator. It was put back on the stocking list and it still is today.
The Left Branch was never taken off the stocking list.
I don't really know the history of the stream. I just figured it was never stocked since people said it was ruined by stocking. If it was stocked before it became so great and if stocking is the cause of it sucking now, how did it get so great in the first place while being stocked? If that is the case, the argument has become a little diffuse to me about how stocking ruined it.
I think Sportsman clubs stock the living bejeezus out of stuff because they, like most trout fishers in the state, seem to think it is the only viable way of having trout in our cricks. In Mifflin County when I am talking to people, they cannot even BEGIN to wrap their head around trout being able to exist on their own without being raised in a hatcery.
I remember one fine evening as I was strolling out of Kish and I had an interaction with an older spin fisherman that went something like this:
him: "I just caught a beautiful brown trout right under that bridge! It must have been in here since last year's stocking."
Me: "It was probably a wild brown trout."
him: "I bet that fish has been in here for years! The colors on it were vivid and bright. The fins looked good.
Me: "Most likely it was born in this stream. Like a stream bred trout like nature intended."
Him: "If it isn't a holdover, then they are stocking some fine looking fish in here."
Me: "Maybe it wasn't a stocked fish...."
I eventually walked away, obviously unable to reach this rather ignorant fellow. This guy would probably fit right in our local sportsman clubs, though.
That makes sense. Sometimes I, too, am a little obtuse!I think in the case of YWC, people are referring to the “glory days” as being that period during which it wasn’t being stocked (main stem and Right Branch anyway). From Bamboozle’s post above, it appears this was roughly 1982-2004.
And I wholeheartedly believe that (for wild fish) it likely fished better during that period than now.
Is it a buried pipeline? How much do we think activities like pipelines hurt the environment around the stream? They run along a lot of stream sections on state lands.I really used to like YWC before it was stocked. Beautiful little creek. No there’s a pipeline running along the road.
You know I thought I had heard Baker run wasn’t stocked anymore too, but I just checked the stocking schedule for 2023 and it was stocked in March and April. Maybe not stocked in 2024?I would not be at all surprised if more of YMC is not stocked in upcoming years. They just stopped stocking Bakers run on down the road from there. There seems to be more of a push to let some of these streams go back to being wild trout only.
You know I thought I had heard Baker run wasn’t stocked anymore too, but I just checked the stocking schedule for 2023 and it was stocked in March and April. Maybe not stocked in 2024?
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I haven’t been there for years. Not sure if there’s any continuing damage from that pipelineIs it a buried pipeline? How much do we think activities like pipelines hurt the environment around the stream? They run along a lot of stream sections on state lands.
2023 was the last year of it being stocked. I'm happy to see it finally taken off the list!You know I thought I had heard Baker run wasn’t stocked anymore too, but I just checked the stocking schedule for 2023 and it was stocked in March and April. Maybe not stocked in 2024?
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From my experience pipelines do not have that much effect on the streams. Maybe they remove a little natural cover in some spots but overall I don't feel they have too much of an impact. These pipelines have been in these areas for a very long time I believe.I haven’t been there for years. Not sure if there’s any continuing damage from that pipeline