WB Fishing Creek

[wildtrout2]

I was wondering if anyone has fished the WB of Fishing Creek in Sullivan county this past season? If so, how was the fishing? It was a great stream in the early to mid 2000s, but quickly went down hill!

 

[PALongbow]

I plan on fishing up there this year but was wondering the same. I own a section of Fishing Creek in Benton so if you get up that way let me know.

Ron

 

[wildtrout2]

Ron, that is a real nice area, with plenty of options. I've stayed at the Fishing Creek Lodge in Central a number of times.

 

[PALongbow]

Yes nice place to stay in Cental and plenty of open water to fish. I get up the Brass Pelican often to eat breakfast and dinner.

Ron

 

[freestoned123]

Your best bet is heading up towards Elk Grove area to fish.. Sullivan Falls always holds some fish. The gas companies have come in now and the traffic is insane through Central up to Elk Grove. PM me if you have any questions regarding the area.

 

[troutbert]

The West Branch is still stocked way up into the state gamelands. About 4-5 miles up there.

 

[wildtrout2]

Yes Dwight, that's why that stream went down hill!!! Great example of stocking over wild fish. What a shame.

 

[Chaz]

I've only fished it a couple of times, but the fishing sucked both times, TB did ok the time I was with him. Too many other good streams in the area.

 

[troutbert]

The time Chaz and I fished it was in 2002. I did well on brookies that time. I think the reason was that I was lucky to pick a section that had good habitat, i.e. nice pools and cover.

It seemed to me that quite a bit of the SGL stretch has shallow habitat.

 

[wildtrout2]

Yes TB, that's the year I fished the WB for the first time. That was a great wild stream (from Shingle Mill Run upstream) back then. I did well on some nice natives and even caught my 2nd biggest (18") wild brown. I actually saw the biggest native I've ever layed eyes on at the WB. It was no less than 14", and prolly closer to 16"! It came from the depths of an undercut pool and swiped at a real small brookie I was bringing in! I'll never forget that day. Ahhh, the good old days.

 

[DGC]

I've never fished the watershed but have looked into it for other reasons. It seems to have quite a few issues.

I don't know who this sportsman's association is, but they got a grant for a study:

Fishing Creek Watershed Study

 

[wildtrout2]

Big time thanks for that link DGC! That certainly answered many questions I had regarding the WB. It's a sad story up in that region.

 

[salvelinus]

As a teen back in the late 60's I went to a camp on the East Branch in Central. I remember catching many trout in the area. A friend and I fished the West Branch maybe 7 years ago, we had a nice day. Sorry to see it has gone downhill. It's a beautiful area.

 

[bstone97]

My families hunting camping is right on the WB, last cabin before gamelands. The last couple floods have really change the stream. Its the worst I've seen it in my life time. If any one would wanna meet up and go explore the gamelands brookie streams let me know I've hunting up there my whole life and would be happy to show others around.

 

[steveo]

Small world. My family had a cabin up there in the 60's right at Elk Run. Really wished they would have held onto it. Sad to hear that they are stocking that stream. Back then it was all Brookies.

 

[wildtrout2]

I fished Elk Run about 9 or 10 years ago. I remember the stream running over sheer rock for a ways, just up from those camps.

 

[bstone97]

wildtrout,
If you haven't been up that way in 10 years you wont even recognize it any more.

 

[troutbert]

bstone97 wrote:
wildtrout,
If you haven't been up that way in 10 years you wont even recognize it any more.

When you say won't recognize it anymore, what sorts of changes are you referring to? What sorts of changes have you seen?

 

[bstone97]

The flooding the last couple of years have done a number on it. There are spots up on the gamelands that the whole valley washed out, looks like a bomb went off. A lot of the small feeder streams completely changed their courses. And on top of it all there is now a gas well going up on top of the mountain on the private property thats surrounded by the gamelands. I plan on fishing it this year so i can keep you posted on what i learn and see.

 

[Chaz]

You know I've read all the posts and I remember several other threads about Fishing Creek and WB. It seems there's a very volitile population in this drainage, and remember quit well in the early days of the message board a long thread about Fishing Creek and Whatis wrong with it. It's in an area that is very steep, running off the Allegheny Plateau, which is also very infertile, so it changes every year.
Since about t'05 there have been many floods in the region and things get really screwed up for a period of time, then settle down again. Hopefully they'll be settled down for a while again. Someone needs to work on the acidity thing and figure our what's causing it.