Little Lehigh Past

[phiendWMD]

I'm curious why the Little Lehigh used to be no wading. I'm not sure when that change was made. Apparently before my first visit there not all that long ago. I see people post about those days fondly and it sort of confuses me. I'd like to understand what I'm missing.

 

[Bamboozle]

I don't why Section 8 of the Little Lehigh was no wading but I was always under the impression it was a City of Allentown decision that the section was that way, however I may be wrong.

About 10 or more years ago, they decided to try and let the riparian buffer grow naturally in most of this section. No removal of downed trees, etc and not mow the grass right up to the water anymore.

Doing this would make fishing from shore difficult in most of this section - hence the change in regulations. However, to my eyes other than people wading, nothing has changed and I still fish from the bank as easily as before.

In my basement I still have the "No Wading" sign the WCO gave me as I happened to be there the day he was pulling them off the trees.

 

[troutbert]

It was probably a legacy handed down from Fishermans Paradise, which still has a no wading rule.

The reason it was instituted at the Paradise was that the fishing was so crowded, literally elbow to elbow, that allowing wading would have caused conflicts.

At one time the no wading rule on Spring Creek extended way up to near the pistol range. Most of that section is wooded, not groomed, so it was very difficult to fish it without wading. So they changed the no wading to just the groomed stretch near the hatchery and parking lots.

The special regs area on Kettle Creek used to have a no wading rule also. That is wooded, not with groomed banks, so difficult to fish from the banks. Back in the early 1970s the local WCO would hide and watch with binoculars, then fine people who stepped into the water.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear phiendWMD,

Years ago in the late 1980's and early 1990's I used to fish the Little Lehigh a lot. I liked the no-wading rule. Once people started wading below the Fireman's Bridge I abandoned the place and literally haven't returned since.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[JeffK]

I enjoyed the no-wading as well. Fish were less disturbed by fishermen and they would feed most of the day. Reaching many spots from the bank also created quite a bit of challenge that I enjoyed. A lot tougher to nymph and high sticking wasn't viable in most spots so it caused one to focus more on dry fly action (or dry-dropper). But that wasn't a problem since some fish were rising most of the day.

 

[Bamboozle]

I only fish Section 8 of the Little Lehigh in the winter, but I still only fish it from the bank as I have for decades. I honestly never felt a need to wade.

It cracks me up when I see guys festooned with chest waders, nets and 3000 pounds of gear standing in a foot of water fishing a spot I can easily cast to from the far bank...

The same types do the same thing at the Run in Boiling Springs which is even funnier to watch...

 

[sandfly]

I started fishing the no wading in 1972 and stopped when the regs changed, probably will never fish there again.

 

[HopBack]

Watch some youtube videos of fishing chalk stream fishing in the UK and you'll understand a little bit. Its how fly fishing was traditionally done. Its a purist way of looking at it. A gentlemen doesnt enter the water and only uses dry flies.

Of course they also paid kids to dump boxes of bugs in the water ahead of where they were planning to fish so I guess tradtional doesnt necessarily mean sporting.

The only time I dont ever get into the water is if im on the letort or sight fishing for carp.

 

[dc410]

HopBack wrote:

The only time I dont ever get into the water is if im on the letort or sight fishing for carp.

I absolutely can’t agree with you more, HopBack. The Letort is in many cases too dangerous to get close enough to wade let alone the skittish nature of the fish. The carp thing ... yeah, if you even try to get into the water your chances of actually sticking one have diminished to almost no chance of hooking up with one. When they figure out that you are there ... it’s game over! They’re way smarter than trout.

 

[Chaz]

It was instituted long before the wild trout started showing up in surveys. The stream was well stocked with big trout and even more crowded than it is now. Fishing there has become a chore now that guys are standing in the stream where they should be fishing.
Over the years I was present when surveys were done down through this section and it was plain to see why it fished so well. I’d still fish it if I didn’t have to contend with the wading traffic. I prefer not to fish it now.