Tucquan Ck, Lancaster Co.

M

Mike

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Two sites sampled last week, one in the glen and one upstream. Avg biomass was about 60 kg/ha for wild Brown Trout. Avg in 2001 was about 20 kg/ha. Avg in the late 1970's and early 1980's was zero or close to zero..
 
Wow, that's impressive. Another stream benefiting from better land use/trees getting taller? Never tried upstream of the Glen.
 
What caused this large increase in the trout population?
 
Now go gettem guys!
 
Any brookies mixed in? I seen old data showing them upstream didn't know if any were still around?
 
troutbert wrote:
What caused this large increase in the trout population?
Click to expand...

Anyone?

Does anyone who is familiar with the stream have any knowledge about changes that took place that could have caused this very large increase in the trout population.

I first went to this stream many years ago, probably in the 1970s.

We parked at the road bridge and walked down into the glen. It was forested along the stream down in the glen and also in the area of the road bridge. Looking upstream, it looked forested. So, what changed?

We did not explore anything upstream from there and I do not know the condition or land use in the headwater areas.

It seems reasonable to hypothesize that something must have changed very significantly in the headwater areas. But does anyone actually know what happened?

When something like this happens, it is very important to figure out what happened, and let people know about it.

Because from this we can learn "What Works" in stream restoration.

A large amount of money and effort is spent on stream restoration. Much of this produces very little in increases in trout populations.

But here you have a huge improvement, a transformation really. What happened?
 
This didn't just suddenly happen. It has had a head of good (albeit small) wild brown trout for quite sometime.

It used to be stocked but isn't anymore. You do the math.
I also think the constant hikers and users of the area help keep the trout in alert.
Not a place you go on the weekend for solitude.

http://fishandboat.com/anglerboater/2002/02_mar-apr/catchable.pdf
 
I'm more concerned with stream sampling freestone streams during drought conditions in heat waves to be frank.
 
A re-review of the data revealed that no wild trout were found in the late 70's and early 80's sampling. Stocking was done then, but also through 2001 when the stream supported a Class B wild brown trout population. So, while stocking cessation by the PFBC in 2002 may have been partially responsible for the increase that occurred between 2001 and 2016 the population was already expanding while stocking was taking place. There is nothing to say that the expansion would not have continued despite stocking. As for the influence of human activity on the vulnerability of the Tucquan trout to angling, habituation to a lot of activity has been seen elsewhere, so there is nothing to say that it could not happen at Tucquan.
 
Mike wrote:
A re-review of the data revealed that no wild trout were found in the late 70's and early 80's sampling. Stocking was done then, but also through 2001 when the stream supported a Class B wild brown trout population. So, while stocking cessation by the PFBC in 2002 may have been partially responsible for the increase that occurred between 2001 and 2016 the population was already expanding while stocking was taking place. There is nothing to say that the expansion would not have continued despite stocking. As for the influence of human activity on the vulnerability of the Tucquan trout to angling, habituation to a lot of activity has been seen elsewhere, so there is nothing to say that it could not happen at Tucquan.
Click to expand...

In your opinion, what caused the large increase in the trout population?

 
This example demonstrates a few things for me.

1. modern day stocking (1980-2001) of hatchery trout CREATED this wild trout population.
2. Continued stocking over a blossoming wild trout population did not reduce overall biomass numbers.
3. Cessation of stocking and associated angling pressure allowed the biomass to "right size" itself to the habitat available.
4. Another wild trout stream is born in the Susquehanna watershed due primarily to the stocking efforts of the PF&BC and more likely the local coop nurseries.
5. Hatchery/nursery reared trout hold over and reproduce.

 
There has been a lot of things done to improve the watershed in the entire area. Here is a link to a bunch of PDF's about it, if you care to read about it.

Many of these streams have been stocked for 100 years or so. It has only been in the last decade or two that wild trout have been thriving in some of these streams.

[d]Build[/d] clean it and they will come...
 
Yes, make and keep it clean.
 
#5 should be modified to say that some specimens of planted trout will and do holdover and reproduce.
 
I visited the Glen area today with my wife and daughter. We hiked in about a mile. My wife went all the way to the river but my daughter and I stopped at a few holes and plunked some flies in them. I caught a couple trout, had a couple more on and saw a few others. Lots of hiking activity on a sunday as this is a Lanco Conservancy property.

My assessment is its a small wide basin stream with little water and even less habitat. I don't know how it reached the biomass Mike indicated. I'd assume the median width is around 1.5 meters but most of its length the stream is spread out over 5-10 meters and shallow.

So Its a nice hike and a fun place to drop a few flies in. My daughter flyfished for the first time today and it was open enough to teach roll casting and some conventional casting techniques. She caught a chub. The trouts are confined to some pretty small snaggy divots and undercuts.

Water temps were cold and refreshing is hiking sandals.
 
^ wow it took one of Mike's reports to finally get you to cross the Susquehanna :hammer: I'm with you though Maurice, I prefer York county where I don't have to worry about seeing another soul all day.
 
Maurice or Anyone- Did you get a water temp? Water might feel cold but it probably isn't. Not on anyones case....I honestly don't worry much about the trout in these streams.
I figured someone would be fishing it today as these posts always get a good response. Surprised you caught any really. The small freestone creeks in Lanc co. are warm. Fish are grouped up in certain pools in most of them. The fish in lower fly area of Muddy Creek, York have been in in distress mode for a few weeks.

 
I didn't take a temp forgot the thermo back at the truck but it was in the 60s for sure. Fish were spunky and the stream clearly had a good flush over the last week. It was fine to fish.

This stream is clearly no "hidden gem" to worry about spot burning. Gimme a break. The biggest challenge here is not getting bit by a dog. Or getting poked in the eye by a branch while watching a bikini approach you on the path. LOL.

And don't get the thermal issues with a stream this size confused with one the size of Muddy Creek. This stream would be a smaller sized tributary in the muddy watershed. Its short and close to the headwaters. meaning it likely very rarely gets into the 70s here.

Hop, I was always curious about Tacquan Crik. Its a crik with fish but not a fishermans crik.


 
the bottom end close to the river is nice for fishing-below the big hole everyone swims in. I also get turned off by all the people. Only time I went was on a weekday and I'm guessing a weekend would be killer! I had people in the water below me swimming and dog in the water above me with a stick. If it didn't have the people I would enjoy that stream but will probably never see me again.
 
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