Fly Fishing, The Internet, and SpotBurning

Hook Jaw,
How are you defining “the quality of the fishery” above. By what measure(s) or in what respect(s) has the quality declined in your view?

 
I personally have a hard time believing spot burning has any impact whatsoever. What are the odds that hoards of people all read the exact same "burn" and decide to go on the exact same day?

Everyday between facebook, instagram or other online forums, there are likely dozens of spots identified in posts. How on earth would a bunch of people all see the same post and then all decide to go to the same place?

There's also the concept that spot burning may actually reduce crowds. The idea being that when a spot is "burned" there are a lot of people who think; "gee, I better not go there now since it will be overrun by people".

I honestly think the biggest impact on pressure is the State's classification system and special regulations areas. For a while now I've been purposefully avoiding any PA project areas or class A streams. As others have discovered, you frequently run into better fishing and usually zero company in streams with no special regs or high classification letter.
 
silverfox wrote:
I personally have a hard time believing spot burning has any impact whatsoever. What are the odds that hoards of people all read the exact same "burn" and decide to go on the exact same day?

Everyday between facebook, instagram or other online forums, there are likely dozens of spots identified in posts. How on earth would a bunch of people all see the same post and then all decide to go to the same place?

There's also the concept that spot burning may actually reduce crowds. The idea being that when a spot is "burned" there are a lot of people who think; "gee, I better not go there now since it will be overrun by people".

I honestly think the biggest impact on pressure is the State's classification system and special regulations areas. For a while now I've been purposefully avoiding any PA project areas or class A streams. As others have discovered, you frequently run into better fishing and usually zero company in streams with no special regs or high classification letter.
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I agree in general with the first three paragraphs, but I'm sure there are exceptions. I agree with the last paragraph as well, but can't think of any exceptions. ;-)

IMO, any increase in fishing pressure resulting from a spot burn on the innertubes would be temporary. The publish lists on the other hand have greater impact. Some say good, some say bad.

Yea, I have used those lists to decide where to fish and more importantly where not to fish.

Adapt. It is what I do. ;-)

 
I only target big brown trout quality for me is larger trout 20 inches and over gets harder every year on penns creek with constant fishing pressure and growing number of small trout its hard to target the big trout hence I only fish penns in low light, winter, and bad weather when its high and off color or after dark with mouse patterns, big streamers.

There's no doubt to me Penns creek is polluted with trout most small to medium trout which is fine for those who want to catch fish that size the best years I had on the stream were when there was harvest and some got taken out and left room for the others to get larger.


I understand all angles of the discussions on the subject of to keep or not to keep the streams mostly I fish streams now that are rarely fished by guys under the radar and hold bigger trout most big trout are where there are not a lot of trout best thing I have learned over the years that's just me and what I like to do.
 
Well, has the internet helped! I would have to say 1000 times no! I agree it helped in education, patterns, where to go. All yes!

But what it "sneeky like the devil did". "Undermine".

Think of it my way. Since internet, fishing license sales and trout stamps has decreased dramatically. With all that hype, sales should have increased.

Again, I must state the importance of stocking and Women entering this large arena! Beginners, we need lots and lots of beginners. And secrets, lots of them. How may a beginner learn with all the secrets.

Break free of the chains that bind you, help and guide fellow fishermen, especially the one's now starting. Tell them the location, the stream, the hole! As I recall there are more than one hole on a stream. Maybe your use to the same place, that's O K. I get just as much fun fishing all places, even if I do not catch anything. But knowing someone else is doing fine, where I told them to go. Well, "puts a smile on my face".


Maxima12
 
:-? :-?
 

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Salty
 
see also, pretzel logic
 
Well, What you gonna do ! I am sick and tired of nothing! Take back, what is yours, ours and everybody's. This whole post and all 130 guesses means nothing. Spotburn, blackburn, afterburn! As a old friend said. "Blow up the outside world". Inside, yes inside. I always was inside looking out! Forget about the ones who do not believe, We will give them a cracker and send them on their way!

Maxima12
 
Now with that, go to Milesburg Pa. at the corner market, go over the bridge about 100 yds. Take a right, drive down rd till you see a Building on right, a pump station or whatever!. A big Mulberry tree is there too!

Fish and fish the hole at the pump house, a big one is there. Get deep after the fast water! I think 2 nice one's, quit! 2 is enough! But remember a lot more stream! If i go and you are there! Guess what! I know several other good places! Glad you came along, At 2, we go upstream toward Bellfonte, get some texas dogs. I am getting 3

Too much info" Not quite enough, let's talk about Dowdays Hole So, if you are at both places =, I still have miles to fish. Super miles!! And that is what I like! Competition . Yeah baby yeah! I am all in! Maxima12
 
maxima12 wrote:
Now with that, go to Milesburg Pa. at the corner market, go over the bridge about 100 yds. Take a right, drive down rd till you see a Building on right, a pump station or whatever!. A big Mulberry tree is there too!

Fish and fish the hole at the pump house, a big one is there. Get deep after the fast water! I think 2 nice one's, quit! 2 is enough! But remember a lot more stream! If i go and you are there! Guess what! I know several other good places! Glad you came along, At 2, we go upstream toward Bellfonte, get some texas dogs. I am getting 3

Too much info" Not quite enough, let's talk about Dowdays Hole So, if you are at both places =, I still have miles to fish. Super miles!! And that is what I like! Competition . Yeah baby yeah! I am all in! Maxima12
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I already know those spots. I live near there.

By the way, it's spelled Dowdy's Hole, not Dowdays.

And did you know that the stream does not even flow through Dowdy's Hole anymore?

Dowdy's Hole is still there, but the stream got diverted when they re-located the road after Sayers Dam was built, in the 1960s.

The stream used to run further towards the north, very close to the road. Apparently they were concerned about the stream eroding the road embankment, because they put in a massive channel block of rocks and fill, that diverted the stream to the south, into a straighter channel.

Dowdy's Hole is now still a large, deep pool, but it is stagnant, with only a little seepage water flowing through it, and it's loaded with carp. A very interesting place to see, that even not many local people know about.

I've talked to some older local people, though, that used to swim at Dowdy's Hole when the stream still ran through it. They said it was a very popular swimming hole.

 
Maybe I'm just dumb, but after fishing for more than half a century I still know of no places where I can send someone to guarantee to catch fish.

If someone is looking to find a fishing spot, now more than ever online there so many places where they can find free maps and listing of streams, rivers, lakes and ponds in every area of the state.

To think the reason why more people don't fish is because they can't find fishing places is ridiculous.

Face it, our once rural state has been urbanized. Many of our youth have no interest in fishing or hunting like the youth of the past.

Yes, try to help out anyone trying to learn to fish, we do this every day on here.

We've been helping people out on PAFF for decades; long before you showed up on here Maxie.



 

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"I only target big brown trout"...haha must be nice
 
maxima12 wrote:
Now with that, go to Milesburg Pa. at the corner market, go over the bridge about 100 yds. Take a right, drive down rd till you see a Building on right, a pump station or whatever!. A big Mulberry tree is there too!

Fish and fish the hole at the pump house, a big one is there. Get deep after the fast water! I think 2 nice one's, quit! 2 is enough! But remember a lot more stream! If i go and you are there! Guess what! I know several other good places! Glad you came along, At 2, we go upstream toward Bellfonte, get some texas dogs. I am getting 3

Too much info" Not quite enough, let's talk about Dowdays Hole So, if you are at both places =, I still have miles to fish. Super miles!! And that is what I like! Competition . Yeah baby yeah! I am all in! Maxima12
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Can someone please tell me where I can get the level of detail, like holes names, on the Internet? This sounds like some fantastic detail that I must be missing.
 
I remember a thread going on here not long ago, about specific holes - or stretches - of popular streams.
Though it spot burned a bit, it thought it was fun.

Troutbert - that's an interesting side note about Dowdy's hole.
I've fished that spot many times, and had no idea the stream had been relocated.

They did the same thing at the end of the little juniata, where it meets the frankstown branch.
It used to make a small loop right before the junction. And I've been told that they had some flooding issues with houses in the area.
So they dug out a new channel, giving it straight shot to the frankie.
 
The more I think about it all this "spot burning" in whatever form is just plain unsportsmanlike behavior. And it has reached an epidemic level with the internet. Anyone with any sense can see what it has done to many once great fisheries. Find your own spots and learn from exploring and doing. Share with friends and family. Like they say "if you don't have something to sell, don't advertise".
 
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