Monocacy looking good

[salvelinusfontinalis]

then you werent there the few times i was ;-) I seriously and very intently fished above the falls. :lol: I get what you are saying though. In general in your experience the stream up there doesnt get much business. That good be, in effect, why the fish are doing so well. Thanks for your imput.

 

[tabasco_joe]

gfen wrote:
I fish these waters on a regular basis, both the park area and the area around Bridalpath Rd in both directions, up to Macada and down towards to Ilicks Mill.

I've never, once, seen anyone creel a fish in the Bridalpath area. I've also never seen anyone actually take anything in the broad, flat area just above the Ilicks Mill park. I rarely see anyone up tehre at all, except as they park their cars and walk down to the stocked section because everyone knows that they don't stock above the falls.

Clearly I'm not capable of being everywhere at once, but I've spent plenty of time over the last 23 years in the park, and again, I've never seen anyone seriously fishing above the falls, not once. And this includes the bulk of the time when I was young, naieve, and happy to catch anything that swam and wouldn't have questioned trying to pick something off from up there.

a

I'm sure you get on there more than I but I have seen fish creeled above the falls in the large flat. And they were not larger than 12 inches, more like 6.

 

[AlwaysWading]

Once again we are treated to nothing other than a fluff piece by the PFBC. Two things need to take place on that stretch of the Monocacy.

First it needs to be C&R fly fishing only. No more spinning, which in that stretch of water tends to bring in people with live bait.

Next there needs to be more enforcement, to catch the very people who fish with live bait and keep everything they catch, no matter what the size is.

Add in one more rather important item. Go upstream of the bridge where the photo on the bio report is and you will find the eastern stream bank stripped bare by a property owner. Trees, undergrowth, all taken out as the attempted to place a little picnic area there, with signs meant to keep fishermen out. Since when does a property owner have the right to strip a stream bank bare? Where is not only the fish commision but DER, both who should have fined the property owner, along with reminding them they do not own the property as it is a railroad right of way. Until those in charge get serious, get off their lazy rumps and perform a job function for they pay their receive, the Monocacy will not be the shining star they claim it to be; which is actually was about three years ago.

 

[gfen]

FFO? No. C&R? Yes. Everyone should have rights to fish just like we do, although I support C&R

I won't argue on your take for people who strip stream banks, it might be nice to see some sort of enviromental legislature geared up to keep our streams if not public at least healthy.

 

[troutbert]

Since when does a property owner have the right to strip a stream bank bare?

There is no PA law against stripping vegetation along stream banks. Just what the law SHOULD BE in regard to streamside vegetation is an interesting question. But right now, it's essentially anything goes.

There are supposedly regulations dealing with erosion and sedimentation, and developers occasionally get fined in this regard. But it is very common for farmers to have tilled corn fields and highly eroded pastures right up to the stream banks.

And golf courses and city parks commonly have groomed lawns extending right to the water's edge.

Same thing with flyfishing lodges and fly shops. And some PFBC properties, such as on Big Spring and some places on Spring Creek.