Stream visit frequency

[tbear]

Just wondering how many times a year or season that some of you fish the same water. I don't think it would be good to fish some of these small streams week after week after week. Does water temp. and time of year have any play? Will the trout become more wiery the more you visit?

Kind of along the same lines....How often will you try a stream that might hold trout before not going back. There is a stream that I have been to 2 times now and it supposedly holds trout, but still nothing. Just wondering how many times some of you will try a stream before moving on.

 

[dryflyguy]

Interesting question.
I really spread my fishing around and like to hit certain streams at certain times of the year.
For instance, in march, I like to hit the BWO's on spring and fishing creeks by state college - just 1 or 2 trips.
In April, iI like to fish the blue quill and hendrickson hatches in the north central mountains - kettle and pine creeks, although fishing creek has a great blue quill hatch.
In May, It's hard to beat the sulpher action on the little juniata.
But on average, I would have to guess that I hit my favorite streams 3-5 times a year.
One other thing I do - If a certain stream is fishing well, and I want to stay and fish it for a few days , I try to never fish the same sections in consecutive days. Having done this when I was new to fly fishing, I found that I would never do as well in a certain spot on the 2nd day, as I did the day before. I'm certain that the fish have some memory, and will be tougher after getting pounded by me the day before.
So, even if you do really well in a certain spot, I don't think it's really good to go back there again the next day.
Besides, I like to fish different spots to keep things interesting - it would get very boring pounding the same hole over and over again. I have a few fishing buddies who do exactly that - they can't understand why I don't want to keep going back to a good honey hole

 

[Stone_Fly]

Excellent Question! I fish up to 80 different streams a year, seldom returning to the same stream more then a couple of times. Exceptions include Pine Creek, Kettle Creek, and some of the Lehigh Valley spring creeks that are local. Since the Perkiomen Drainage is my home water I like to visit that watershed several times a year, but seldom the same sections, and I stay off the main branch once summer arrives.
The small streams I do fish I usually go to for specific reasons, like a particular hatch, or scenery, or because I know it doesn't get fished much, or it's a back country stream that gets me away into bear and snake country. These streams are mostly on public land, I make sure to only visit privately owned waters once a year unless the landowner knows me. On the others I always ask permission.

 

[shipnfish2006]

For me when it comes to a stocker, Ill usually fish it until the fishing declines or the waters get to warm. Sometimes fishing the same stretch 2-3 times in a week at the beginning of the sulphur hatches, once everything becomes more full blown it might be once every two weeks or so. Also by then I've expanded where I'm fishing more and I don't find myself on a stocker stream very much. As for wild streams Ill fish streams such as Falling Springs and Big Springs Ill fish the same section maybe once a month depending on how well I covered them in the previous visit and a lot of times in depends on if im fishing a hatch or I was just tossing streamers and nymphs around. As for wild mountain streams off the beaten path, I'll only fish them if I feel the water temperature is good enough to safely fish without harming them and normally I wont fish the same stream more than twice in a season, depending on the water level in the stream I might not even fish more than once.

 

[ryanh]

I dunno...
I been doing the circut in SWPA looking for class a or b wild trout waters or otherwise good stockie streams that are not too well known. It has been rough. I do not think I will revisit any of the streams that made the stinker list until I have fish all of the ones w/ potential. Then maybe I will go back. If I get shafted again i doubt I will make a 3rd attempt without some bullet proof intel.

As for fishing the same h20 consecutively.... why not? Look it, do you think that there is one day per year that places like Benner Springs or The Falls at Valley creek or "the ditch" don't get fished? If you find a good spot on a popular stream by all means hit it if you want to because if you don't someone else will. Now on a small mountain stream thats a different story. Let the water rest.

 

[mattd]

I think it all has to do with the streams you are fishing. Most streams I fish are less than 15ft wide and not stocked. I do my best to try not to hit the same section of stream in the same year. On stocked streams it doesn't really matter to me unless the stream holds wild trout. It is always hard to keep away from your favorite secret spot. By leaving these spots untouched you will be preserving what makes you love the stream. As far as fishing the same spot on consecutive days I'm sure you would not do as good. I'm not sure if trout have a memory or not, but I do know it can take a while for a trout that has been caught and handled to recover and return to normal feeding habits.