Maurice
Administrator
Staff member
We (MCTU) had another very successful Opening Day providing hot food, snacks and beverages and merchandise(we sell flies, hats, coffee mugs and t-shirts) to the hordes of anglers who flock to the Muddy Creek watershed. I was stationed at the High Rock stand, it was a blast talking to the anglers, giving fly casting lessons and fly fishing instruction to what started out as one guy with a new flyrod whom had never fly fished before.
One of the fun things about interacting with the "couple times a year" trout fisherman is hearing the misinformation and conviction of false assertions. I like to inspect the stringers as they come by and admire their catch, all the while looking at the fins and coloration for indicators of wild brown trout. The explaining the difference. Most folks get very excited to learn new things, some however, not so much...
Here are some things I learned from some of the folks I interacted with.
1. The regional opening day is stupid because its too cold and kids don't get to enjoy it. the F&BC only changed it so the politicians could fish two opening days. I tried to explain it was changed to extend the season due to typical warmer temperatures in June in SEPA. I was told that was BULLSH$T. And that I probably believe everything the government tells me.
2. Muddy Creek, or rather the north branch is Navigable water. And the posted stretch upstream OK to fish even though its posted. I explained the whole navigable issue(little J court case, DEP navigable list and its invalidity in law, etc) And was told as a double down that The "Game Warden" showed him a book with it in it and told the guy if he throws you out, call me...
3. Always a good one...That the "Natives" (wild brown trout)only get so big because when you catch them they are always 5-10" and the state don;t stock them that small. After explaining umpteen times that technically they are wild fish or streamborn but not "native" to this continent and that Brook trout are the only native salmonoid to PA, I was informed of an isolated population of rare wild fish in York County. Apparently according to this dude, they have purple, blue, yellow, red and green spots. they only get to 6" long and exist in a 1/4 mile stretch of a small stream right upstream of the confluence of a bigger stream. I said are sure they are not Brook Trout, he said "No, they are natives" I said well they have to be either brook brown or rainbow trout...he said no these are called native trout. He was obviously not a biologist.(and neither am I) so I left it there.... :roll:
4. On a leisurely trip over to the bridge hole to see how the folks were doing I saw this guy yank and bank another rainbow and put it on a chain stringer...alongside another 8-9 trout. He had his wife and young child with him and his son up on the bridge. An old guy walking past said hey you can only have four on that stringer and still fish. He said no, he is keeping all his families fish on the stringer(his wife and daughter were not even fishing). Old guy says well you can get a hefty fine for that. SMH!
Anyway the objective on our part is to share knowledge with the fishing community on Opening day and hopefully make a few bucks. We were successful on both counts despite the failed attempts listed above.
Good stuff.
One of the fun things about interacting with the "couple times a year" trout fisherman is hearing the misinformation and conviction of false assertions. I like to inspect the stringers as they come by and admire their catch, all the while looking at the fins and coloration for indicators of wild brown trout. The explaining the difference. Most folks get very excited to learn new things, some however, not so much...
Here are some things I learned from some of the folks I interacted with.
1. The regional opening day is stupid because its too cold and kids don't get to enjoy it. the F&BC only changed it so the politicians could fish two opening days. I tried to explain it was changed to extend the season due to typical warmer temperatures in June in SEPA. I was told that was BULLSH$T. And that I probably believe everything the government tells me.
2. Muddy Creek, or rather the north branch is Navigable water. And the posted stretch upstream OK to fish even though its posted. I explained the whole navigable issue(little J court case, DEP navigable list and its invalidity in law, etc) And was told as a double down that The "Game Warden" showed him a book with it in it and told the guy if he throws you out, call me...
3. Always a good one...That the "Natives" (wild brown trout)only get so big because when you catch them they are always 5-10" and the state don;t stock them that small. After explaining umpteen times that technically they are wild fish or streamborn but not "native" to this continent and that Brook trout are the only native salmonoid to PA, I was informed of an isolated population of rare wild fish in York County. Apparently according to this dude, they have purple, blue, yellow, red and green spots. they only get to 6" long and exist in a 1/4 mile stretch of a small stream right upstream of the confluence of a bigger stream. I said are sure they are not Brook Trout, he said "No, they are natives" I said well they have to be either brook brown or rainbow trout...he said no these are called native trout. He was obviously not a biologist.(and neither am I) so I left it there.... :roll:
4. On a leisurely trip over to the bridge hole to see how the folks were doing I saw this guy yank and bank another rainbow and put it on a chain stringer...alongside another 8-9 trout. He had his wife and young child with him and his son up on the bridge. An old guy walking past said hey you can only have four on that stringer and still fish. He said no, he is keeping all his families fish on the stringer(his wife and daughter were not even fishing). Old guy says well you can get a hefty fine for that. SMH!
Anyway the objective on our part is to share knowledge with the fishing community on Opening day and hopefully make a few bucks. We were successful on both counts despite the failed attempts listed above.
Good stuff.
