Not a pretty picture for the start of the season

krayfish2

krayfish2

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There's an awful lot of red on this map and it's only March. I thought last spring was a mess with low water and high temps.... could be worse this year. Yes, I'm hitting the panic button early. Someone do a rain dance.
 

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Ed Shenk's prophecy being fulfilled
 
It's being caused by Trump...fracking....with spinning gear.
 
USGS interwebs. Ha! Back in the day all you needed to do was go down to the localy owned and operated fly a shop and ask the poverty stricken owner what the conditions were. Maybe youd even get a free cup of stale coffee. If you were feeling generous you'd purchase a card of honeybug yarn.... ...but only on special occasions. Wouldn't want them fly shop owners getting all uppity, thinking they'd make a living off you or something. Ahhhhhhh, them were the days.

Oh what were we talking about? Oh yeah, streams are low right now. We need a better snow pack. At least 3' at the beginning of April.....
 
I remember last year's thread.

"It's too dry already". 2 weeks later "too much water!!!!". 2 weeks later "It's too dry again."

Relax. It's weather. There are dry spells, wet spells, warm spells, etc. Do I know what summer will bring? Nope. But I know I don't know.

If there is a time where being low is not all that bad a situation, this is it. What we want to avoid is a several week dry span in mid July through the end of August . And the time to worry about that is mid-July through the end of August.

I know this is not exactly right, but a big part of me says there has to be so many dry spells and wet spells, it all averages out in the end. So might as well get the dry ones out of the way when they are welcomed. Then we're "due". For the Yinzers, we'll have hidden vigorish on our side in the summer. That's the rain dance.
 
Krayfish2,

I believe that you are hitting the nail on the head. We have not seen any significant rainfall in the area. We did have a little rain on Monday. However, nothing really significant and or drenching. I saw a report that that below average rain fall is due to the el nino. Hopefully April Showers will bring may flowers as well as help out some of our streams. If not we will be in big trouble for the summer!
 
We need rain now period. There is no sugar coating it as some try to do. It has already been a warmer than normal winter and spring. The water temps are higher than average and the water is lower than average. Not good.
 
I agree with pcray. Last year things looked pretty dire mid May through Mid June. That is certainly a more crucial time than right now. Then the second half of June and the first half of July were wet. Everything worked out better than most were predicting.

This isn't the west. It's not a matter of being able to look at the water that is available at the end of winter and saying either "we're screwed" or "we're in good shape". We could easily all be complaining that the streams are blown out for the majority of spring hatches.
 
Things can change for sure, but right now the streams should not be in the shape they are. We could end up getting a few inches of rain in the next couple weeks. Who knows? For the current state of the streams we need rain. It might not be so bad for the fish at this point of the year, but for the fisherman it kind of sucks.
 
I remember last year's thread.

"It's too dry already". 2 weeks later "too much water!!!!". 2 weeks later "It's too dry again."

Relax. It's weather. There are dry spells, wet spells, warm spells, etc. Do I know what summer will bring? Nope. But I know I don't know.
Click to expand...

True...and my early and mid season last year was mostly a lost cause because of it. In fact, with the weather, conditions, and starting a new job, I only fished locally maybe a dozen times from March-August. Between blow-outs, extreme low water, March closures, and the extreme heat of summer, the 2015 season was mostly a lost cause for me. By Independence Day, I'd mostly written off the season and started getting the shotgun and decoys prepped.

Not really seeing anything there that takes away from the validity of OP's point.

Not saying that anything can be done about it or that anyone's to blame, just that we could be in for a rough go of it.
 
What was Ed Shenk's prophecy? BTW, anyone ever send him a letter for used rods? Saw his ad in the Mid Atlantic. Curious.
 
I guess we are looking at the lesser of 2 evils. Rather see the lower flows now while the water temps are still low. Just hoping for rain, consistent rain, over the next couple of weeks get water back into the system. I see blowouts as a better thing than real low flows.

If you golf, there's no way a sand wedge divot should explode in March. Your ball should be plugged and not kicking up a puff of dust when it lands. We is mighty dry right now.
 
Getting a lot of roll on my tee shots but the greens aren't holding well. Superintendent hasn't put any water on them yet.

I agree area streams could use a bump from some rain. Realize right now there are no thermal concerns but you'd at least like to start April with decent flows. Really has been dry the last few weeks.
 
I was hoping this thread was about some poacher getting caught.
 
Low, high, too warm....not a problem. That's why I love the tailwater fisheries. The flows are thoughtfully managed for the anglers pleasure and the benefit of the ecosystem overall. Like a well groomed golf course for fishermen.
 
Last year the Main Stem of the Del was amazing with the low water. Lots of people cried about it, but I think it opened up more opportunities for those looking.
 
Not to mention the 71 degree temps at Balls Eddy in mid May. I'm guessing you didn't see the pics of dead fingerling brown trout either
 
Yep, between the weather and the releases going up and down erratically, it was tough.

However, if you were on foot and respected the ecosystem it was a very interesting year.
 
The best anglers adapt.
 
Mike

What is the best way to adapt your trout angling when the water temps are over 72 degrees. Does the same adaptation to fishing style work to catch dead fingerlings?

David,
I was wade fishing in May....it wasn't that interesting. It was kinda sad to see. I believe I fished at Cadosia on July 4th and the water was 63 degrees......not the 75 degree temps the system saw from May through mid June. When you need rain, you need rain....and we need it.
 
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