Tully Water Temp

[Mike]

Not enough inflow in the summer to maintain Nockamixon lake levels with any enhanced discharge beyond the present minimal conservation release. It is a low water yield drainage basin except during storms. The aquifer is poor.

 

[krayfish]

I refer to that stream as a sewer or carp farm but somehow, someway....the trout manage to survive. I think that they can withstand temps in the high 70's for longer than we would be led to believe. It's almost like they are in hibernation / catatonic state. If we don't catch them, o think the carryover numbers would be surprising. You find them living in the Swattie, Susky and other waters that near or exceed the 80 mark. The thing that burns me about the Tully ate the guys fishing every morning during tricos when the temp starts out at 71 degrees. They catch and release during the heatwaves / dog days. That's probably killing more than herons

 

[Mike]

krayfish,
Given the amounts of fish that are caught during the trico hatch and the water temps at that time, plus the use of light tippets by some, and what I have seen as being overplaying of fish by others (in warm water), it would not surprise me if delayed hooking mortality accounts for more mortality on this stream section than legal harvest. Furthermore, in a survey I conducted of anglers in and along the DH Area during a previous late June, I asked 50 anglers if they had harvested a trout from the DH Area within the previous five years. Only 16 percent (8 of 50) said yes, and some qualified their response by saying that they did so because the fish was clearly injured. I have done a number of angler use and harvest surveys along a number of stocked streams over a 30 plus year period, and this is not the kind of response that you would get or the kind of low harvest that occurs on streams that are heavily fished and heavily harvested. And remember, those streams had an 8 fish creel limit and later a 5 fish creel limit while the Tully DH area has a 3 fish limit, which means that even when people are harvesting at the Tully, their harvest is limited.

 

[pcray1231]

yeah, I'd bet that of fish in the DH section of the Tully, even during the "harvest" period, less than 1 in 50 catches are kept. So if even 2 of 50 die, it's gonna outnumber legal harvest. In other words, it's a virtual certainty, regardless of water temps.

Though there is a bit of poaching on that water, before the harvest period. Still, a very small % of the fish are lost due to harvest.

 

[jdaddy]

krayfish wrote:
I refer to that stream as a sewer or carp farm but somehow, someway....the trout manage to survive. I think that they can withstand temps in the high 70's for longer than we would be led to believe. It's almost like they are in hibernation / catatonic state. If we don't catch them, o think the carryover numbers would be surprising. You find them living in the Swattie, Susky and other waters that near or exceed the 80 mark. The thing that burns me about the Tully ate the guys fishing every morning during tricos when the temp starts out at 71 degrees. They catch and release during the heatwaves / dog days. That's probably killing more than herons

and of course they do this at cacoosing because it is by far the largest thermal refuge on the stream.

fwiw, during the heatwaves Plum is typically warmer than the tully even after the cold water pool is exhausted.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

So, given what Krayfish has said, why not propose a closed season on the Tully through July and August?

Is that regulation ever an option for PA? I believe other states like Montana do it, correct?

 

[krayfish]

Well said but too many guys have spools of 9x and boxes full of #28 tricos. Once the water gets to the point where it's 70 degrees as the low, I'm done fishing there.

Guys play a 12" fish like it's a tarpon. 6x at the very lightest. When they take, tear their lips off. Get them in and let them loose. Don't discount the herons. They put a hurting on the population.

Anyone else every stalk the bonefish in there? 5-7 lb carp on a 3 weight will test your metal.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Carp and bass in the summer. One of my favorite streams for such things!

My fear is that I'm gonna catch a trout in the process, though.