Council Run

[Wild_Trouter]

Yesterday I decided to finally check out Council Run since it is on the Class A list, and because I read some positive things contained in Beech Creek Watershed reports. I am a small stream brookie nut, and I can tell you something is quite off with this place. I don't think my lack of success had anything to do with the weather...the stream just seems devoid of any life. 1.5 miles of stream fished and not a single hit or glimpse of any fish whatsoever. I passed all kinds of natural gas pipelines within the watershed. Has anyone had a similar experience here recently? By contrast, I went to another brookie haunt about 30 minutes away and was able to salvage the day. I can accept the fact that it may have just been a "bad" day on Council Run. If it is something else, I'd like to know what that is and how I can help. The stream is just too pretty for such a poor showing.

 

[afishinado]

Info from the PFBC on the stream is here:

Council Run

The coal mining and gas issues issues are noted. The stream was surveyed fairly recently. The report states the stream needs more protection and recommends it be ungraded to a EV rated stream.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Afish...thanks for posting that. I think it's a little too late though, and I probably should've tried the place sooner. The stream was last surveyed six years ago. I went off of that information when I decided to try it yesterday. My guess is that the survey predated the very activity they are trying to protect the creek from. I'd really like to see the PFBC go there now and resurvey it. I am highly skeptical that they would turn up anything at this point. I have encountered streams that were acidified to the point that they were biologically dead. This experience reminded me of those. There is a whole lot of mining, drilling, pipeline activity up there.

 

[troutbert]

I caught native brookies there in the fall of 2012. Most of them were quite small.

I caught one larger brookie, about 9 1/2 inches long, which I strongly suspect was a stocked trout, because of its appearance.

At that time the streambed had a dark coloration, probably from manganese deposits from mine drainage.

The mining history goes way back. I don't think there is mining happening presently.

But there is Marcellus activity. I saw two Marcellus wells on top of the mountain, along the road that goes from Orviston to Council Run.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

Be careful around orviston those rednecks have their own law.

 

[mattwolf]

My dad's camp used to be at the head of Council Run. It was burned down in 1980. I'm very familiar with the area.

 

[kobalt335]

I've never fished Council Run, but I have fished a stream close to it with success. This was a few years ago though, so maybe things changed.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

Orviston and Monument were always places to stay away from.