FFO sections

[Mikey2006]

as someone who sucks at fly fishing and any "fly fishing only" regulation basically means i'm getting skunked, the thought of someone ripping through the falling springs heritage section with a 4 inch rapala countdown minnow packaged with two treble hooks still makes me cringe

 

[sixfootfenwick]

as someone who sucks at fly fishing and any "fly fishing only" regulation basically means i'm getting skunked, the thought of someone ripping through the falling springs heritage section with a 4 inch rapala countdown minnow packaged with two treble hooks still makes me cringe

It does me too.
A countdown minnow would be way to deep and would be constantly getting snagged.
I'd go with a double jointed floating minnow.

FS is one I left out but should have been added in my comment.
The big 3 spring creeks should remain, the rest can go.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

as someone who sucks at fly fishing and any "fly fishing only" regulation basically means i'm getting skunked, the thought of someone ripping through the falling springs heritage section with a 4 inch rapala countdown minnow packaged with two treble hooks still makes me cringe

👆 think I like this guy 😂

 

[Bamboozle]

Do you have all the Summary booklets from 1973 to the present?

If so, that's a good history source. I'm not aware that that info is available online.

Yes I do.

Even though a PDF version is available each year and has been for some time, I still make sure to get a paper copy at my local Walmart or the first fishing show of the year.

The PFBC should consider scanning old copies like they did with the PA Angler Magazine. It's a great resource to be able look back to see when regs or stocking locations changed.

In the meantime, now you know where to look for answers, at least back until 1973.

 

[Bamboozle]

FS is one I left out but should have been added in my comment.
The big 3 spring creeks should remain, the rest can go.

I'd like to see a return of the old "Limestone Springs Wild Trout" designation which was just the Letort, Big Springs & Falling Springs or maybe even the "Heritage Trout" designation into which it evolved that added a few other streams or sections like Slate Run or Section 8 of the Little Lehigh.

The overall regulations don't necessarily have to be different but there should be something other than the Class A list to differentiate and get it into the heads of anglers that there IS an important difference between Section 1 of Big Springs and Section 3 of Ridley Creek...

 

[sixfootfenwick]

I'd like to see a return of the old "Limestone Springs Wild Trout" designation which was just the Letort, Big Springs & Falling Springs or maybe even the "Heritage Trout" designation into which it evolved that added a few other streams or sections like Slate Run or Section 8 of the Little Lehigh.

The overall regulations don't necessarily have to be different but there should be something other than the Class A list to differentiate and get it into the heads of anglers that there IS an important difference between Section 1 of Big Springs and Section 3 of Ridley Creek...

Agreed.
Heritage Trout would be good.

 

[JimKennedy]

I was kind of surprised decades back when Pennsylvania started experimenting with artificial only instead of the fly only trophy trout designation. It seems like the switch to no kill happened at roughly the same time as the switch from fly only to artificial only.

Meanwhile, Maryland has been primarily artificial only since the 1970s. But Maryland doesn’t have all that many trout streams to start with.

I fish flies exclusively in the artificial only creeks in both states and feel like I am more successful than the spinner guys, even the ones who are good at it.

Mainly I think it comes down to fly fishing gives you a lot more options than spinning. I do believe a lot of spinning guys convert to fly after seeing the options afforded.

 

[Sylvaneous]

The Little Sandy FFO section is a waste. It is way to hostile to fly fishing. I really wish I could fish a lot of it with a Rapala or a spinner. And the upper section that held rising trout will NOT hold fish anymore. This is largely due to (and I brought this up before about how projects are done) a substantial project that resulted in the bank behind the logs eroding and the glide filling in with gravel. Now most of the attraction, besides 2 other small pools, is just GONE. Now , this is specific to this old FFO section, but why it remains? Like a lot in Pennsylvania, it was, so it is.

 

[krayfish2]

Paging Frank the trout angler, paging Frank the trout angler. Please report to this thread 😁

 

[Cznymph]

I’ve never been a fan of the FFO areas.

I fail to see why it is permissible to fish nymphs under an indicator, but illegal to fish those same nymphs under a clear plastic bobber on an ultralight spinning rod. There are some really nice sections of stream that are off limits to a majority of anglers just because they don’t fly fish.

Make those areas catch and release artificial lures only.

 

[NittanyBearcat]

I mainly fly fish and have nothing against fly fishing only sections. However, in terms of special regulations areas as long as it’s catch and release I don’t care what anyone fishes with. I like the Little Juniata regulations which are Catch and Release All Tackle. For what it’s worth I rarely see spin fisherman there even though it’s allowed. More access means more advocates for our fishing resources which is a win I think.

 

[jifigz]

I mainly fly fish and have nothing against fly fishing only sections. However, in terms of special regulations areas as long as it’s catch and release I don’t care what anyone fishes with. I like the Little Juniata regulations which are Catch and Release All Tackle. For what it’s worth I rarely see spin fisherman there even though it’s allowed. More access means more advocates for our fishing resources which is a win I think.

I agree. Catch & Release all-tackle makes sense.

 

[tomgamber]

I agree. Catch & Release all-tackle makes sense.

Good training.

 

[FarmerDave]

I’m curious as to what other people think concerning designating creek sections for fly fishing only. Personally, I don’t see the need for those sections. After all, fly fishermen can fish most anywhere they want. Why designate areas where the spin guys and gals aren’t allowed to fish?

I am not a fan of special regs, other than it provides places to fish for people who think there are special, meaning less crowding elsewhere.

 

[FarmerDave]

How about an explosives only section.

We used to call them DuPont spinners.

 

[tomgamber]

I am not a fan of special regs, other than it provides places to fish for people who think there are special, meaning less crowding elsewhere.

I like then because, again, open all year

 

[Oregon_OwlII]

In the begiinning of my FF experience, I went to special regs areas (FFO, DHALO, etc...) because I thought at least there would be some trout left in the stream. Once I caught on to the wild trout experience, I found open water with wild trout and streams with mixed wild and stocked to be less crowded once the Opening Day fever subsided, which was usually by the first week in May. People leave a lot of wild trout behind.

 

[tomgamber]

I guess it depends on where you live. I feel like there are more special regs closer to populated areas. One can find plenty off wild fish but only with more effort. Again, depends where you live.

 

[HopBack]

To me, FFO/DHALO is just a magnet for people. Im not interested in people, just fish.

 

[JeffK]

I like FFO areas; most of the fly guys flock there leaving the adjacent sections of the stream with few fly fishers and trout more willing to take a fly. Trout take flies everywhere, not just in FFO areas.
Similarly, I like listing the stocking days. Tells me where not to go. Seems every angler floods to the streams just stocked yesterday leaving the other local streams deserted. In a good stream trout will always be there.
That said, I spend plenty of time at the Little Lehigh FFO in the winter. But come trico time I prefer fishing other areas where fly fishermen are scarce.