What Happened to Saucon Creek?

I want to remain politically correct but those who fish the Saucon in the park know exactly What "locals" I'm referring to.
 
I got you. The kind that fish with a hand line wrapped around a beer can. Those kinds of locals are not known for angling prowess but maybe those Saucon Browns are easier than I thought.
 
I completely missed the part...... "Last April, I hosted a TL event". Since you comp guys are the alpha males of the sport and must have ultra high testosterone levels making you want to complete .......try hosting a pie eating contest to raise money for stream improvements. It would have been a better idea.
 
I have noticed the lack of fish this spring as well. I was there twice and had not caught a fish or saw any rises either time. The last few years prior to this there were plenty of fish in there.

I had a VERY long conversation with Dan and another guy named Barry I believe. Both of these guys know this stream very well since they have lived in the area for many years and agreed with the lack of fish in that section this year. I don't think anyone knows for sure what happended, but Dan was a firm believer that poachers cleaned the TT section and the park section out.

I was not too happy to hear that a competition was held in that section either. I agree with what Fly Flinger said. That section is very short and fragile and that advertisement brings in the masses.

A bunch of people wading it in the fall over the spawn can really do some damage as well.




 
Just went to the Troutlegend website. Apparently they are a "not for profit"...but they have a CEO and an online store. Perhaps they can funnel some $ into stream improvements for the Saucon or some other streams?
And because fishing is a sport maybe they can think of it like paying to have the tennis court resurfaced or a gym floor coated with sealer.
 
20 + Years ago it was great but has declined badly, also the same with the Bushkill at Easton. It really rages after a storm then falls , rather quickly, to below average flows, which I think his part of the problem, check out the storm release under the 78 bridge, why no retention pond? Did someone get paid off? There is no TU chapter, as the folk in Hellertown would rather just fish for their stockies, that said I still fish it on occasion just for nostalgia.
 
Well sounds like its time to tell 16 friends there is no more decent trout left in Saucon..
 
There's probably no "one" answer for this, but likely a combination of several factors.

There's been a LOT of construction in the area, and despite the efforts to contain siltation, it gets in the creek.

Poaching - no doubt this has an effect. Danny knows this stream better than almost anyone else.

Predation - low flows and an increase in the heron population leads to a predictable result.

Replacing grass fields and wooded areas with concrete and asphalt leads to increased stormwater runoff. The large spikes in flows, and the resulting scouring of spawning beds can't be good for the spawn.

TL comp? OMG - C&R fishermen. They hold more events on Spring Creek than probably anywhere else, and the fishing really stinks there. Seriously lame reason.

Things have a way of evening out over time. Wild browns are incredibly resilient.

This too shall pass - may take a few years, but no need to push the panic button just yet......
 
So do Comps have shuttle service ?
 
Depends if there are taxi's.
 
Have there been any significant changes to the physical structure of the stream?

Are the pools and cover about the same as before?

 
Every year there is at least 1 post about the Saucon being down. Every time I've gone over there, to check it out, and every time I've gone to the bridge and seen trout in pretty good numbers either lying there resting, or in a feeding frenzy.
I doubt that Saucon Creek fell off a cliff, and I doubt there is much difference in the population. Saucon Creek is a spring creek, it never freezes, even in the headwaters, it is a spring creek it never freezes.
If anything has impacted the populations of Saucon Creek it is the floods over the last half dozen years. Spring is late the water is cold everywhere, there's been very few sunny days. Saucon Creek will be fine. To prove it I will go there in the next couple of weeks and catch a bucket of fish.
 
foxtrapper1972 wrote:
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?
Click to expand...

Really? It's an urban wild trout stream, it already is on peoples radar. I'd like to know how you think bring attention to this stream or any stream is a bad thing.
An stream without friends is a stream in trouble.
 
troutbert wrote:
Have there been any significant changes to the physical structure of the stream?

Are the pools and cover about the same as before?
Click to expand...
I'm going to say they are not. It floods a lot. With more floods and more construction there is most likely an impact. Like I said though, this has been posted before, and it's been wrong before.
 


"Really? It's an urban wild trout stream, it already is on peoples radar. I'd like to know how you think bring attention to this stream or any stream is a bad thing.
An stream without friends is a stream in trouble."
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So you are saying that drawing attention and creating additional pressure on a stream is a good thing? Please explain.
 
i think the late spring is more likely.
 
I fished the Saucon yesterday and saw a lot of BWO coming off and a few fish rising in them. I also saw multiple fish in many holes. Give the water another week or so to warm up and the fishing will improve. I also fished the FFO section of the Little Lehigh yesterday and found the same conditions but the creek was almost completely void of fish.
 
2013 it fished great for me. Last year not so much. This year I'm also off to a slow start as far as fish landed. I fished it for about two hours each Saturday and Sunday late afternoon. Only managed to land 1 fish each day with a couple other hookups.

Last year in early spring there were two very high water events which I think impacted the hatches, particularly the sulpher hatch. In 2013 there was a stretch I would fish during the hatch were there would be 10 - 15 fish rising and it was quite easy to pick off 5 - 7. Last year I would check this spot each time and I didn't see a single fish rising. I'm not sure if the sulpher hatch just wasn't strong enough to get them to rise in this section or the fish were missing.
 
On a side note, apparently I fished it the same day as this "Trout Legend" tournament. I was fishing up near the high point bridge with nobody around. Next thing you know two guys come down the trail stop right where I'm fishing. I said something to the effect of 'hey hows it going', thinking they were just gonna ask how I was doing and move on. One guy replied okay, and then they just stood there without saying anything, just glaring, waiting for me to finish the run. I decided to change flies and the dude kept looking at me like hurry up. I kept fishing the run upstream and eventually the one guy fell in behind me.

It was one of the most annoying experiences I've had while fly fishing and now at least I know the reason. First experience with comp fishers and I guess its what I expected. Quantity over quality.
 
There was a small fish kill in the raceways earlier this past summer. It was reported to the PFBC but I was told not to worry about it.
 
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