Codorus Creek article

[wgmiller]

http://www.ydr.com/ci_16167832

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I was thinking about this stream not all that long ago. I haven't seen a report on it in ages. It used to get many stream reports in the stream report section.

I haven't been there in along time. Hope its still fishing well.

As far as the article........hope it all works out for the best.

 

[JakesLeakyWaders]

It looked great the other week. I wanted to stop and fish it but was on the way to Marburg with the kids.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

It looked great in the article also

 

[fritz]

It fished well this year during the sulphur hatch. Lotsa bugs and trout. I just haven't seen the numbers of larger trout that I used to see 10 years ago or so. A considerable section of stream was lost last year due to landowner posting which was discussed in this forum.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

A considerable section of stream was lost last year due to landowner posting which was discussed in this forum.

Ya I remember that. A complete shame. Hopefully one day a new landowner will get it and re-open this special water.

 

[Mike]

With respect to the large fish in the Codorus, they were always larger and more abundant outside of the special regulations water where there was better big fish habitat! This, by the way, is typical of many special reg areas with brown trout populations and, in fact, I just had a pm this week from a board contributor regarding another special reg stream that is often mentioned on this board where the situation is the same...the large fish are much more abundant outside of the special reg area where the big fish habitat is better. This despite the fact that it is well known in the angling community (bait anglers included) that the big fish are there It's the habitat fellow anglers, not the regs.

 

[JakesLeakyWaders]

I know what you are saying about the Codorus Mike, the access gets a little fuzzy and harder to find though where the habitat is. On either end of the regs. ;-)

 

[CodorusTUTom]

That's me in those pictures folks, failing miserably at catching a trout for the photographer. The creek did fish well this season, especially during the sulphur. The steady, cold flows were a godsend considering the low flows and temps everywhere else. The only thing wrong was an inexplicable lack of larger fish. We're curious to see how many will appear during spawning. As far as access, it has been confusing. The uppermost section was justifiably posted prior to last season. As usual it was due to the 1% of idiots that ruin things for the rest of us. The section behind the fire hall is posted for private hunting until mid-January, even thought the Trophy Trout signs will remain in place. The hunting club was very cooperative in at least granting access throughout the spring and summer, and it helped to spread out the pressure a little. Hope this helps. You can contact me through codorustu.org if you ever need info. Thanks.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

It's the habitat fellow anglers, not the regs.

Did any of us try to engage a conversation that this is untrue?

Ive seen big fish in the reg waters before but I haven't in a long time.

 

[JakesLeakyWaders]

This was the last one I caught there. It would've been close to a keeper for a catch & kill angler. Barely. Good enough for me though.

C&R

 

[JakesLeakyWaders]

This was the other side of it though.

Them darn herons have an exponentially higher population than they did 20 years ago. The white ones too, and those black cormorants.

 

[fritz]

I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about big trout habitat or the effect of regs on larger trout. I do know that (for whatever reason) I do not catch larger (16" plus) trout in the same stream sections of this stream that I used to.

 

[Maurice]

There is plenty of big fish habitat in the TT stretch....there are also plenty of styrofaom worm containers too.....

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I remember one year very long ago watching 4 or 5 very large browns under the railroad bridge. Second my brother would try to cast to them they would disappear in the deep weeding. After he would back off, they would come back out. Smart fish.

Big fish like those tend to feed at night which could be one reason your not seeing them. Another could be poaching as Maurice eluded too. Herons have been very bad all over the southern portion of the state and are out of hand. With low water they can hurt the bigger fish. A few years ago, I remember all of the 20+ (amount not inches) bows I caught in Big Spring had heron scars on them. Could be another reason.

To tell you the truth, what concerns me more is this is at least the second time our fisheries biologist has come in here and automatically assumed we blame the regs. I love that Mike comes here and provides some very good insight on a lot of things during his own time. It scares me though that it is becoming obvious that he has some sort of bias or agenda. I'm not saying we dont.....we are fisherman. This is a paid offical that tends to determines how our fisheries are managed.
What kind of a voice do we have already being the minority? What kind of a voice do we have when our own SEPA fisheries biologist seems to resent us......or is biased.....or whatever it is?
Mike I'm not trying to judge you but are you judging us? Set me straight please because you got me kinda worried about this.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

You know I just thought,

The TT sections are managed as such to attempt to get larger trout. Are they not?
If it is common for Big fish habitat to be outside the Special Reg sections of streams why are we not adjusting them accordingly?

 

[jayL]

Mike didn't assume we blamed the regs, sal.

He said that the big fish habitat and the regs might not align. That's all I saw him say.

I have seen this is in an awful lot of brown trout streams. The biggest wild fish are in more "marginal" areas of a stream, which also happen to be better big fish habitat.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I must be and I hope I am. No one mentioned regs until he did *shrugs*

I know landowner postings or other factors can weigh in on how our special regs are set-up.

Makes me laugh to hear the big fish habitat is below the TT section. ;-)

 

[CodorusTUTom]

The regulated areas on the Codorus have long been driven almost exclusively by posting, not by habitat. There is excellent habitat and similar trout populations both in and out of the regs area, and it changes constantly. In my estimation, if it was all unposted the stream could easily support class 'A' and Trophy Trout all the way down to Menges Mills. I have fished outside of the regs area many times this season, and have found the size and numbers of fish to be exactly the same everywhere. I wish I knew why there weren't more big fish this year, and hopefully that will correct itself. I do agree with Mike though - the regulations are not to blame.

 

[JakesLeakyWaders]

You know, I don't know, is the RR bridge where the landowner posted. Doesn't the guy own on both sides of the tracks there. Posted. What a shame. Used to be able to fish branch that flows into the tailwater below the dam. It's Posted. Some sportsmans club or something. Downstream near the Mengis Mills, posted. Glatfelter, No tresspassing. Below the TT, Posted, violaters will be violated. I love that stream, but it's getting ridiculous.

It's one of the reasons I appreciated living up north for some years. More public land. More unposted land. More fish. Less fishermen. Less cops. Less traffic. No traffic lights. I might be a little selfish. Sorry, rant over.

Now if I can just find some extra change for that site that sells Guillie suits I can fish certain outflows and feeder streams to certain reservoirs that are off limits. :-o ;-)

No just kidding, maybe 15 years ago. I'm not that adventurous anymore. No really, disregard that last statement. I'm sure someone will bite.