West Branch of Fishing Creek / Sullivan county

[wildtrout2]

I was wondering if anyone has fished the WB in the last year or so? I fished it from 2002 to 2006, probably 15 times, and had good wild trout fishing on most trips, even caught some NICE natives back then. Then it started going down hill!

I haven't been back since, and in fact I have been told I wouldn't recognize the area because of the gas situation? Does anybody have an update on the quality of fishing on the WB, or the lack there of?

 

[duckfoot]

This is my backyard. PM me for more info.

 

[Chaz]

What? It isn't worth sharing, I'm interested in that stream too. I'm sure others are also since it is mentioned regularly. It's a stocked stream for crying out loud.

 

[duckfoot]

The reason is that I'm inexperienced and only saw the headwaters last year (I wrote up a report on it...I think in April), so it's hard for me to comment more than a couple sentences.

I'm planning on getting out and looking into some suggested places that some people have PM'ed me to key on. I'll report back with the info.

 

[troutbert]

wildtrout2 wrote:
I was wondering if anyone has fished the WB in the last year or so? I fished it from 2002 to 2006, probably 15 times, and had good wild trout fishing on most trips, even caught some NICE natives back then. Then it started going down hill!

I haven't been back since, and in fact I have been told I wouldn't recognize the area because of the gas situation? Does anybody have an update on the quality of fishing on the WB, or the lack there of?

If you want to check out Marcellus gas activity in an area, you can look at satellite photos on AcmeMapper and spot the well pads.

I didn't see any well pads in the drainage of the upper SGL stretch. I saw 2 pads on the divide between the headwaters of Elk Run and the headwaters of Muncy Creek.

 

[troutbert]

The last time I fished the W Br in the SGLs was in 2007. I caught a few fish, some stocked, some wild, near the lower end of the SGL.

I fished it several times over the years and the results were mostly like that, a few trout, not great. But one time I did very well for native brookies.

I haven't fished it enough to really understand the stream like a "regular" would. But from what I've seen, like most "mountain streams" it's all about physical habitat.

The section where I did well for brookies was about a half-mile stretch with good habitat, i.e. pools and cover.

But much of that SGL stretch has poor physical habitat, flat and shallow.

Also, that section is still stocked. If it was not stocked the wild trout would do better.

 

[duckfoot]

troutbert wrote:
I didn't see any well pads in the drainage of the upper SGL stretch. I saw 2 pads on the divide between the headwaters of Elk Run and the headwaters of Muncy Creek.

You're correct. Those are the only two pads on this mountain.

I would also echo troutbert on his opinion. The vast majority of fish are going to be caught down where the summer cabins are, on the flat before the game lands. Everything above that is going to depend on the flow coming off the mountain, and damn, what hell that flood a few years ago unleashed. Some parts of the streams are cut deep now. I believe I wrote a report on May 5 last year for WB Fishing Creek where I did see some hatches. Very small bugs and waterskippers, if I remember right.