Middle Creek Lancaster County Wild Brown??

[JeffP]

So as a kid we lived right on Middle Creek down from the dam. We knew the creek inside and out. We would occasionally catch native brook trout that came from a trip. We would sometimes hear rumors of native browns but never saw any. The Lake definitely had thermal impacts on the creek but fall walks during low water would reveal a decent number hold-over trout. In our fly tying club at school, a few students would fish lower Middle near the Brethern Church. We always assumed water quality was much worse down there due to all the farm fields, manure, and lack of trees.
As an adult, I have lived in Lititz for almost 30 years now. While I mostly fish for native trout, I have spent my fair share of time on both lower Hammer and Middle. My biggest surprise came when I stopped by the bridge down from the church 1 winter and the hole at the bridge looked so good, I went home and got the fly rod. My 1st 3 casts I caught 2 trout. Since then I have been pretty impressed with the holding water, number of springs, and holdover trout.
I've been out a lot this year and can't buy a stocker. I've missed a lot. Maybe 0-30 on streamer strikes. I went out this morning and again missed a few. Upstream from the Limerick Road bridge a 10 inch trout slammed my bugger. When I reeled it in I was shocked to see a wild brown. I am 99% sure it was. But damn, I reached for my phone and I had left it in the car. I was wondering if anyone else had caught or heard of natives in lower Middle Creek. I just can't imagine with the amount of nitrates in that farm country there could be native.

 

[JeffP]

Sorry. I wrote my response in paragraphs but it didn't show up that way. When I went to edit, it had paragraphs so I couldn't fix it.

 

[Swattie87]

One of its tribs (and its trib), has wild Browns, so I’m sure they can get into Middle. I’m sure you know which one I mean. You weren’t that far downstream of there so it makes sense. As Middle warms that fish may end up in that trib. And most (but not all) of the farming impacts are downstream of where you were.

 

[JeffP]

Swattie, that's funny that I didn't even think of that. I would think that's a definite possibility. I guess I was thinking that is farther than it really is. I know some of the brookies we would catch were probably a mile down from Elders. I still find it hard to believe that a trickle like that could supply even a few trout that I happened to catch a mile downstream. That is the only possible source of those brookies though.

 

[JeffP]

I would be interested in checking summer temps throughout Middle. A big spring kicks above bridge on Clay Road and an even bigger one not far down from bridge on Rock Road. Not sure what that road is it crosses but I followed that spring down to Middle and it gets huge before it dumps in.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I fished Middle Creek in the SGL's twice a year for 20 years.
Once in the early season and once in the summer.

Generally speaking, holdover fish can be found if you pick spots and move quickly in the summer. They are there but not in huge numbers. My memory serves correct, fish that were there were of decent size suprisingly. Likely due to the bird poop from the Lake causing underwater bugs. Im not sure. I will say that thing is filthy with gnats in the summer. You almost need to burn a cigar or cigarette the whole time to keep them out of your face.
I have never caught a wild brookie in it in the summer. It is a pretty stream to fish then but dont expect to catch many trout. Fish the entire thing and maybe find 3.
Still worth it. Bass and sunfish can be found too .

Early season its stocked and only a few brookies venture into it from Elders.
If the Lake was removed and had trees planted, it would be a true wild trout stream. Some of the stream seeps that feed the lake have wild trout. Cant comment what kind. If browns, it may have came from there. Through the lake, over the dam , to you.
A brown like that is likely "running". Special fish.
All that said in 20 years of fishing it twice a year i have never caught a wild brown. However i have caught holdover browns in the summer. Its possible a limited reproduction took place and a few fish made it. Again, its not a wild trout stream by any means.

I will disclose that i have not fished it once in the last decade. So things may have changed.

I have never caught a wild brown in Elders.
I hope i never do.

 

[JeffP]

There were years I probably counted 10-12 trout in the fall from the bridge on K-Ville road to slightly upstream of the bridge on Mountain Spring Road. One friend caught a 20 incher in fall downstream from where Golden Witch is now. Elders run to the hole at Golden Witch always held a few I don't think the woods stretch from the dam is stocked the way it once was. The spring seep browns intrigue me but I was miles downstream of that. I would love to go back in time and see what it was like before the dam. The Hammer had a chance for a do-over but that was lost.

 

[JeffP]

Oops! I caught the native on Limerock Road not Limerick road. Salvelinus, I sent you a PM yesterday.

 

[Swattie87]

Yeah, I figured the Limerick to Lime Rock translation. Brown Trout are effective at turning up in places you don't necessarily expect them. Their temperature tolerances are greater than they get credit for. That being said, I do think Middle Creek is an unlikely place for them to be with the dam situation though. Maybe a handful can hold on limestone spring seeps, but I don't see Middle Creek being colonized by Browns, with the dam in place. Without it, it could be a legitimate wild Trout stream down to the area you were fishing or so though.

Also, the trib I mentioned before (and its trib) also have Brookies. Elders is not the only possible source of Brookies in the watershed, though ones near its mouth are likely from there. I also suspect, but can't confirm as it's on private land and I haven't fished it, that the next small, unnamed trib downstream from Elders coming in from the northwest likely has Brookies in it too.

 

[riverwhy]

I doubt the one from the Northwest has brookies. I have looked carefully but never fished it. There was a nice pool along a pond there that I always thought could have fish of some kind. There used to be a nice sulphur hatch on it. There has been more building along the road since we grew up there, but even before that time I never saw a brookie. That trib pretty much starts flowing through concrete troughs. The parcel of land with these concrete structures is currently for sale. Not sure how large the acreage is, but friends used to hunt that area for deer.

 

[JeffP]

I have to think the dam influence has to be negligible by the time you get to lower sections of Middle Creek. My point was that lower Middle may actually be more acceptable to trout due to the decreasing influence of the dam. At a lot of places the creek is pretty well compressed together and deep. Seglock/Furnace kick in at 322 and numerous springs hit at at various spots. I mentioned the one on Clay Road and the huge one on Burkholder Road. I totally forgot a nice size one right at Rock Road as well.