Impact of predation greater in low water?

[troutbert]

The low water predation scenario shows the importance of good cover for trout. A place they can hide under.

Look at the hiding places on a stream flowing through fairly natural forested floodplain:

1) Under undercut tree roots along the bank.

2) Under leaning tree.

3) Under fallen tree. (large woody debris)

4) Under logjam. (large woody debris)

Now look at the hiding spots on a stream with groomed lawns on both sides:

:-o

 

[salmonoid]

troutbert wrote:
The low water predation scenario shows the importance of good cover for trout. A place they can hide under.

Look at the hiding places on a stream flowing through fairly natural forested floodplain:

1) Under undercut tree roots along the bank.

2) Under leaning tree.

3) Under fallen tree. (large woody debris)

4) Under logjam. (large woody debris)

Now look at the hiding spots on a stream with groomed lawns on both sides:

:-o

In culverts, under a road or driveway?

 

[troutbert]

salmonoid wrote:

troutbert wrote:
The low water predation scenario shows the importance of good cover for trout. A place they can hide under.

Look at the hiding places on a stream flowing through fairly natural forested floodplain:

1) Under undercut tree roots along the bank.

2) Under leaning tree.

3) Under fallen tree. (large woody debris)

4) Under logjam. (large woody debris)

Now look at the hiding spots on a stream with groomed lawns on both sides:

:-o

In culverts, under a road or driveway?

True.

Undercut bridge foundations are good too.

Undercut concrete foundations of crumbling old dams.

And I've seen some good spots hiding under sewer pipe crossings.

 

[steveo27]

bearfisherman wrote:
Have seen lots of NWS in Elk County, mostly tribs to the Clarion. And lots on the Clarion itself.

I noticed this for the first time this summer fishing a trib to the Clarion. We came across an unusually large number of water snakes along the stream. At one point, we even witnessed them in a deep pool chasing/catching the stocked trout that were stacked up like chord wood.

 

[Reeder]

We used to find water snakes along Loyalsock Creek near some of the larger holes like the bridge at Hillsgrove. It has been a while since I have seen one though. I can't say I have ever encountered one on a smaller stream up this way.

 

[k-bob]

reeder, I like loyalsock tribs a lot, but some may have acid rain effects, so fewer aquatic bugs, fewer minnows that feed on aquatic bugs, and fewer watersnakes that feed on minnows, if they are in low buffering bedrocks such as burgoon

(sullivan county geology map on p.4)

https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2013/5085/support/sir2013-5085.pdf

"Water samples from the Burgoon Sandstone Member of
the Pocono Formation were the most acidic. The median pH of
water samples from the Burgoon Sandstone Member was 5.9;
from the Mauch Chunk Formation, 6.6; from the Catskill Formation,
6.9, and from the Huntley Mountain Formation, 7.0.."

 

[Chaz]

This is great information, thanks Sarce. As for water snakes and eels, I rarely see either when fishing, especially eels. NWS I do see, but I don't recall seeing any on the tributary streams I fish, and I've fish all over the Northern Tier. I have seen them in SNP. When I do see herons it's usually 1 at a time and if they are in front of me moving upstream, it usually wrecks the fishing for a distance.
I remember the hurricanes mentioned, they devastated much of eastern PA, especially the 2 in '55 in the Poconos and Delaware Drainage.