I know everyone already knows this...

[mikemus725]

Here is an article I came across on flyfishpa.net

September 6, 2007 - Respect Wild Trout

Just because we are in September, and the nights are bit longer and the low-temps are somewhat sleep-friendly, it does not mean that our trout waters are not at stressful levels. For instance streams like Penns and Valley are critically low-levels, and are probably at lethal levels for hooked-and-played-and-released trout. Just take a look at what has recently been done out in the Rocky Mountain States and all the closures that have occurred due to the bone-dry conditions and intense heat. The water temps out there easily reached levels comparable to what we are still experiencing here in PA. Now our PFBC won't close our waters, due to their belief that closing waters brings more un-needed publicity to them, but a little respect by us fisherman can insure most fish make it through these tough times. We politely urge you leave these waters alone until we get some consistently cooler weather and/or a decent shot of water-cooling precipitation. So stay away, and hit Spring or Big Fishing if you are in central-PA or one of the eastern PA tailwaters if you need to fish the eastern part of the state.

 

[JackM]

Just to start a little controversy, does anyone besides me wonder how many people that post "stay away from X Creek" notices are actually fishing those creeks themselves? Maybe they are doing so responsibly (i.e. morning or late evening) or only after taking a stream temperature, etc., but I think more than would admit it aren't following their own blanket advice to "stay away."

 

[pete41]

All this talk about stay away,don't fish water above certain temps ,etc. is new to me as we didn't hear it when I fished the East and I guess just starting in the West.I always figured the soft bodied ,listless trout weren't worth bothering with anyway.
Even the Firehole river was vastly over-rated>educated but weak trout that the guides and fly shop owners would tell you[when you were accepted;lol] were uninteresting.
So my question is,why would anybody want to catch trout that fight like suckers,on a bad day???
Climb Mt.Nittany instead-they sure could use the support.

 

[Padraic]

I take the warning to avoid 70 degree water very seriously. I also think it is important to avoid fishing over trout that are bunched up at the mouths of colder tribs (such as happens on Penns in the Summer months).

I confess though, I hadn't heard about "low" water being a jeopardy though. I know it's darn hard to catch fish that are in low clear water, but I didn't think it was any danger. Any thoughts on why a stream that is low, but at a decent temp, would lead to higher incidental mortality? Theoretically, that would mean you could never fish certain streams. Such as the freestone headwaters that are most of our wild brook trout streams or some limestoners.

 

[JF_]

You have to remember that article is from Sep 6 when the temps were much higher for a prolonged period of time. It's now Sep 25 and although we are having a couple warm days right now, the weather has changed since then. The article is pointing out both low water and warm temps, but doesn;t get that point across clearly.
John

 

[JackM]

I would assume the unspoken problem is either warm water or low DO, both of which could be a bi-product of low water, though not neccessarily so. I think we should all be responsible about unduly stressing trout we want to catch and release, but I continue to have some uncomfortable feelings about the way some of these "stay away" directives are issued.

PS, good point John, I was assuming this was a current report and was thinking that while Penns may still be low, the temps are probably not critical. Thanks for pointing this out.

 

[Acristickid]

God please send us some rain. Please.