What Happened to Saucon Creek?

[InTheMend]

This is the stream I learned to be a real fly fishermen on roughly two years ago this spring. At that time, at least the person who showed it to me, kept it fairly secret. The creek despite my lack of skill and ability would yield dozens of wild brown trout a day as the bugs hatched and fish ate.

Late last April I held a trout legend competition on this stream to share the stream with other competitors in the area, the event only lasted a day and involved 16 anglers, and it was a huge success.(see video at bottom) However, we had a horrendous winter and the numbers of fish caught weren't bad, (89 in total), it wasn't what I would have expected from the creek.

We proceeded to have a drought no one seems to talk about stretching from July trough pretty much the winter where levels were low constantly. This fall I personally did not see one Redd as I had seen many the last year and aside from one or two good days when the olives hatched in october, it had been very slow for me.

This spring I was saddened to see the the numbers apparently dropped even more, and now to a point where it at least seems to me there is not a fishable population there anymore. I have stood there this weekend and the last as large amounts of BWO's hatch and with not a single fish rising in a location where 20 active fish would rise at a time a year or two ago. My friends and other anglers on the water I have talked to seem to echo this reality, including someone I talked to to from the PFBC. My question is has anyone else experienced the same thing and if so what do you think caused it, I hope a great stream like this can return to its former glory.

https://vimeo.com/93663561

 

[afishinado]

Sad to hear. I have not fished the Saucon this season, but reports from a few FFers I talked to has not been very good.

Stream populations rise and fall, but hopefully this is not an indication of what the norm is for other PA streams in the region and throughout the state.

Nice video.

 

[fly_flinger]

Late last April I held a trout legend competition on this stream to share the stream with other competitors in the area, the event only lasted a day and involved 16 anglers, and it was a huge success.

Pretty sure you answered your own question.

 

[afishinado]

fly_flinger wrote:

Late last April I held a trout legend competition on this stream to share the stream with other competitors in the area, the event only lasted a day and involved 16 anglers, and it was a huge success.

Pretty sure you answered your own question.

Wow! Less than a dozen and a half guys spread out on the stream C&R fishing for a few hours totally decimated it one day! :-o

Imagine if they fished for the entire weekend!....the Commish could be it back on the stocking list.

 

[TYoung]

afishinado wrote:
Wow! Less than a dozen and a half guys spread out on the stream C&R fishing for a few hours totally decimated it one day!

Imagine if they fished for the entire weekend!....the Commish could be it back on the stocking list.

I totally agree. That was a really stupid statement. Obviously fly_flinger is totally ignorant of how these tournaments work.

 

[Millsertime]

Agree. Stupid statement but think of the attention a trout comp brings to a stream. I would never assist in promoting a comp on any of the streams that are near/dear to me. Especially not a Class A.

 

[fly_flinger]

TYoung wrote:

afishinado wrote:
Wow! Less than a dozen and a half guys spread out on the stream C&R fishing for a few hours totally decimated it one day!

Imagine if they fished for the entire weekend!....the Commish could be it back on the stocking list.

I totally agree. That was a really stupid statement. Obviously fly_flinger is totally ignorant of how these tournaments work.

TYoung-
I'm not ignorant of how they work nor do I don't think it's a stupid statement. Do you think those 16 guys told no one about the stream? If they only told 1 other person each, that's 32 more guys fishing it now than before that competition. I'm quite sure they posted the name of the stream on the website for any member of trout legend to see. Those members tell people who tell other people and so on. Funny how it was good fishing before the little competition and now it's not. What changed besides the influx of comp anglers trying to catch everything with fins? NOTHING! So thanks for ruining this stream trout legend.

 

[fly_flinger]

Millsertime wrote:
Agree. Stupid statement but think of the attention a trout comp brings to a stream. I would never assist in promoting a comp on any of the streams that are near/dear to me. Especially not a Class A.

You reiterated my point exactly which means you agree with me. So not so stupid of a statement huh?

 

[Millsertime]

This is going to be a good thread!

 

[InTheMend]

I believe Saucon Creek has been discussed and reported on dozens of times on this website, which has far more members and browsers than TL does, with most of the member on TL not being from the north let alone southeast PA. Half of the field in the comp was from out of state, and none of the anglers from the comp fish it at all frequently that didn't fish it before. It was 16 guys fishing for a day, something that happens every weekend on that stream. This shouldn't be a debate on competition as it had nothing to do with the deterioration of the creek.

 

[Smike]

From someone that has fished this creek over 15 years, it has been off and on and off the radar many times. While not secret I would not have organized a comp on the TT section (but that’s just my own opinion) but agree that has nothing to do with the fishing numbers.

With all that said, yes lots of bugs few fish, seems to be a unfortunate trend in that direction over the past 2 years. (or I just suck at fishing now) Would be great to see them survey it again.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

Interesting post and responses. Drawing attention to these streams is ALWAYS bad. The combination of reports on here, a fishing competition, being listed by the PAFBC and the popularization of wild trout fishing in general by all the above plus other media will ultimately be negative for the fish. Now who wants to tell me how streams need friends?

 

[afishinado]

If I knew nothing about the stream, and read that 16 experienced FFers fished the entire stretch hard all day, and averaged around 5 fish a piece, most less than 9"; I would put an X on it and fish somewhere else....:-?

It's a really decent stream, so let's get real, check things out, and find out what's really going on, if anything.

 

[Foxgap239]

I have fished this stream since early 1990's and the last 2 years has seen a decline in my catch rate. Now that doesn't mean much if it were just me but I've heard nothing but bad news about this stream. Most guys know the name Saucon Danny. I had a conversation with him last year and he told me he's seen the locals that use the park on the weekend taking stringers of fish out of there. I've never seen anyone doing that but he's there everyday. It is disheartening to hear the OP saw no redds. Used to be my favorite stream but it has definitely taken a hit, again based on my deceasing catch rate.

Mike, do you know when the last time this stream was shocked or when the next time it will be?

 

[Nuthin_Fancy]

In the mend wrote:
"Late last April I held a trout legend competition on this stream to share the stream with other competitors in the area, the event only lasted a day and involved 16 anglers, and it was a huge success.(see video at bottom) However, we had a horrendous winter and the numbers of fish caught weren't bad, (89 in total), it wasn't what I would have expected from the creek."

I suspect that the event mentioned had no direct impact on the population except for mortality associated with catch and release fishing. However, my question is why even mention such an event under the thread topic "What happened to Saucon Creek?" and post a video of the event to boot? What is a trout legend anyway? What is the point?

 

[krayfish2]

Comps are awesome. One should be held on the Lehigh during WW release.

 

[krayfish2]

Comps are one step above having a bunch of disease infested dirty pinners rolling into town and jacking up your favorite stream.

 

[jrmyln]

I agree with Saucon Danny to an extent. I have fished this stream for 19 years. In the past 2 years I have seen a lot of fish taken in the park. I have caught a lot less smaller fish but have caught plenty of larger fish. This goes for the entire stream, not just the TT stretch.

 

[gfen]

InTheMend wrote:
At that time, at least the person who showed it to me, kept it fairly secret.

InTheMend wrote:
Late last April I held a trout legend competition on this stream to share the stream with other competitors in the area

-shrug-

Did the 16 guys tell 16 friends?

Did their 256 friends tell 16 friends?

Did their 4096 friends tell 16 friends?

Did those 65536 guys tell the rest of New Jersey?

Maybe, and maybe not. However, it certainly has "teachable moment" all over it, eh?

Did that one guy way in the beginning, the one who "kept it fairly secret" ever take you to another spot of his, again? You should blast that over the Internet, too, and maybe you can take some pressure off of Saucon then.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

"...he told me he's seen the locals that use the park on the weekend taking stringers of fish out of there."

Maybe locals or not. I have not ever fished the Saucon.

I am always surprised to see guys catching and keeping wild fish from some of the small unstocked streams in my area. When I talk with them I find out they aren't locals usually but people who heard about the stream from other sources... ( the "locals" aren't interested in small fish). This targeting of wild trout by bait and spin and keeping them is a fairly recent trend around here. I have fished some of these places since the 1970's and never saw the amount of pressure we have now.