Open for Comment - Pine Creek

Chaz

Chaz

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Joined
Sep 13, 2006
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From PFBC, something positive proposed. This will seel licenses.
The Commission will consider adding the following waters to its list of Approved Trout Waters Open to Year-Round Fishing regulated and managed under 58 Pa. Code §65.19:
County
Water
Lycoming and Tioga
Pine Creek from SR 414 Bridge in Blackwell (350 meters upstream of the confluence with Babb Creek) downstream to the confluence with Slate Run (upper limit of the 1.2 mile-long Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only reach), a distance of 11.1 miles
Lycoming
Pine Creek from 150 meters upstream of the confluence with Naval Run (lower limit of the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only reach) downstream to the confluence with Little Pine Creek in Waterville, a distance of 15.1 miles.

Link
 
Thanks Chaz.

I think this is a good proposal and can't think of a reason to oppose it. Unless this thread reveals an angle I had not considered, I will soon be writing to Arway in favor.
 
Sounds good. I am not familiar with the open-all-year regs, does this mean that there is no harvest from March 1 to opening day even though fishing is permitted?

Edit: answered my own question. From the PA code:

§ 65.19. Approved trout waters open to year-round fishing.
(a) The Executive Director, with the approval of the Commission, may designate waters as approved trout waters open to year-round fishing. The designation of waters as approved trout waters open to year-round fishing shall be effective upon publication of a notice of designation in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

(b) It is unlawful to fish in waters designated as approved trout waters open to year-round fishing except in compliance with the following seasons and size and creel limits. It is not a violation of this section if a trout is immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which it is taken.
 
Yep, gonna have to send in a "two thumbs up" for this!
 
Interesting.

I've had a few people tell me that the areas of Pine Creek for which this is proposed is up for being reclassified as class A wild trout water. Regardless of how hard I tried to explain to them that Pine could never be class A they wouldn't budge. Apparently these folks have been terribly misinformed...
 
OldLefty wrote:
Interesting.

I've had a few people tell me that the areas of Pine Creek for which this is proposed is up for being reclassified as class A wild trout water. Regardless of how hard I tried to explain to them that Pine could never be class A they wouldn't budge. Apparently these folks have been terribly misinformed...
Click to expand...


Yeah, it would never go class A unless they selectively surveyed only the mouths of the coldest tribs.

What this WOULD do is change the stocking from pre-season AND in-season to in-season only. So "Opening day" would change to the inseason stocking day. On the other hand, any local co-ops COULD stock it preseason but the harvest limits would remain the same as the statewide general regulations
 
Maurice wrote:

What this WOULD do is change the stocking from pre-season AND in-season to in-season only. So "Opening day" would change to the inseason stocking day. On the other hand, any local co-ops COULD stock it preseason but the harvest limits would remain the same as the statewide general regulations
Click to expand...

Is there some kind of rule about that? Why could they not stock it earlier?

Sometime in early to mid-March for example. Then when we get some warm spring weather, people could get out there and fish. I thought that was the whole idea.

Regarding the idea about this section possibly being reclassified as Class A, I've never heard anyone say that.

That section is not even on the reproduction list.

And Pine is not even on the reproduction even anywhere NEAR there. It's only on the repro list above Galeton, which is a very long way upstream from Blackwell.
 
They could stock it preseason but they don't. At least not anywhere else. Because they don't want to create a preemptive opening day with no harvest. If they did stock it early all the harvesters would complain about why they cannot keep the fish.

We have one in York and thats the way its handled.

So it will mean fewer fish overall for the sections, and with little or no wild trout it will be pretty bleak. But as I said the co-ops could stock it.

Maybe Mike will chime in and verify my assertions.
 
I've had a few people tell me that the areas of Pine Creek for which this is proposed is up for being reclassified as class A wild trout water.
Click to expand...

I think the fish stocked in the stretch below slate run must throw a lot of people off.

The numbers that I've seen put the number of wild browns for that stretch of pine creek at something like 10-12 per kilometer. In any case, I don't see how a stretch of water being open all year can be bad. Hendricksons hatch before opening day somewhat regularly the last few years.
 
They could stock it preseason but they don't. At least not anywhere else.
Click to expand...

Not true at all. The lower Tully, from Red Bridge to the mouth, is ATW year round. They stock it "preseason". And it always cracks me up that people line up on opening day, and half of em are releasing them anyway. Like, umm, you know you could have done that yesterday too, right?

Though it would not surprise me if, in this case, they were trying to keep stocking numbers down. Pine is huge, and takes a LOT of fish.
 
I think there is some push in that area by certain groups. It's heavily stocked anymore, just last week for one. by the sportsman club.
 
I think it's a good idea, they could put a couple hundred thousand trout in there starting in the fall and ending in mid-May. Pine would see a lot of action, but it already does, and it would attract a lot of anglers for what many consider the off season stimulating economic activity.
 
For those who think that section of Pine gets a lot of fish you may want to read the Pine Creek Management Plan on PFBC's website. Over the years there have been complaints regarding folks fishing at the mouths of the cold water tribs when trout congregate due to high water temps in the main stream. Folks allegedly kill numbers in excess of the legal daily limit and, in short order, most of these trout are gone.

The way PFBC has chosen to address this issue is to reduce the number of trout stocked in season. Reasoning is that fewer trout stocked means fewer trout remaining to seek refuge from the high water temps of the main stream.

As for stocking beyond what PFBC does, the only area of which I'm aware, at least from Cedar Run downstream, is the delayed harvest section at Slate Run. The hotel and Slate Run Tackle stocks a good number of larger trout in this section of stream.
 
There are clubs that stock up near and above Babb beside what PFBC stocks.
 
I've seen my share of people fishing the mouth of Slate Run during the warmer temps and I agree its a problem. I don't understand why the PFBC doesn't close the mouths of the Slate and Cedar during that time. I know they do it in other states. Wouldn't that solve the problem ?
 
Does anyone know how many trout the PFBC stocks in Pine Creek? And the breakdown by section?
 
Wolf's General Stocks it, not the hotel (as far as i know). You can buy a button at the shop to support next years stocking. It's a great program and they stock quality fish. If you're ever there stop in and buy a button.
 
I thought they did but don't know for sure. The fish stack up like crazy. It's like a fish blanket underwater.
 
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