Wild trout waters need some unfishable parts to thrive

[bigslackwater]

The other day while fishing a great stretch of water that was particularly challenging to get to, we were blessed with some amazing trout. There was one section that had high banks on both sides and wading was to the top of my waders. Had to feel around with my wading staff for the shallow spots. getting out and walking around looked like it wouldn't be any easier. We had to navigate through mud and multiple submerged logs, low hanging trees etc... Once we made it through this long stretch, we found the fishing was fantastic. We still had to walk around some sections that were just too hard to access. It got me thinking. Some of the best fishing I've had is areas that have some element of "unfishable water", Whether it be because of features such steep banks, cliffs, downed trees, deep long pools, but even posted private property works to make a section unfishable (assuming people obey the law). Most of us know of some posted areas that we wish we could get in to. Maybe it's that water that helps the trout thrive with no pressure from humans. Even if the stream is catch and release, I still believe they do better if the population has some form of refuge. On the flip side of this, back upstream where the water is smaller, stocked, and has easy access almost everywhere, the fish get pummeled by catch and keep fisherman. A wild trout is rarely caught. Wild trout can be found up and downstream but not in the stocked zone. It seems like they know that it's a warzone. Just a few of my thoughts I had while fishing. I know it's not a huge revelation but I thought it might be a good conversation.

 

[Tonykocis]

totally agree, not that I like long posted stretches because that's different. that can be stocked by the landowner over wild, fished by land owner and friends etc... not the same as just tough water to get too.

 

[Oregon_OwlII]

I've also had the opposite experience of bushwhacking to near-impossible water only to come up empty or just a few fingerlings. I keep telling myself "It's the journey."

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

Outside a trout tank at a fish nursery or a straight canal, doesn't any moving body of water have unfishable water? I've likely passed up a lot of unfishable water on every creek I've ever fished. My boys like to call it technical water, but it's usually impossible for me to catch anything there.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

I often wondered about this. I was not a fan of opening up Spring Creek Canyon for this reason. But I am not certain my view is supported by science.

 

[troutbert]

Agreed. Yet some people want to remove downed trees and logjams because they make it hard to fish.

I watched a PFBC crew electrofish on Young Womans Creek. In most of the stretch they got small trout. But there was one meander bend pool with undercut tree roots, leaning trees, fallen trees, and other branches that collected there. In that spot they found big fish and lots of them.

The PFBC guy said that on another day some local fishermen were telling them that the PFBC should "clean up" that stuff to make it easier to fish there. He was just shaking his head. If you "cleaned up" that stuff, there would be far fewer trout there, and the trout there would be much smaller. That's obvious. Anyone who's fished much should know that.

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Agreed. Yet some people want to remove downed trees and logjams because they make it hard to fish.

I watched a PFBC crew electrofish on Young Womans Creek. In most of the stretch they got small trout. But there was one meander bend pool with undercut tree roots, leaning trees, fallen trees, and other branches that collected there. In that spot they found big fish and lots of them.

The PFBC guy said that on another day some local fishermen were telling them that the PFBC should "clean up" that stuff to make it easier to fish there. He was just shaking his head. If you "cleaned up" that stuff, there would be far fewer trout there, and the trout there would be much smaller. That's obvious. Anyone who's fished much should know that.

Agree 100 pct i see that on some streams near me. A landowner once a year takes out the jams that accumilate during the year. Then after that there scratching their head 😵‍💫🤷🤷

 

[JeffK]

Agree. One anecdote: Back in the day there was a tree down in the Brodhead gorge that was extremely difficult to fish, but held huge trout. One guy in an effort to make the fishing easier sawed off the tree. Made fishing easier, but never saw a good fish there afterwards.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

Structure makes fishable water. Not sure why one would need to remove it except to make the water better to float a canoe.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

I agree, but it's the cover you noted not the distance from access points. Plenty of big fish live in easy to access spots that are hard to fish. Find good habitat, regardless of where it is in relation to homes, parking, highways, and some big smart fish has made a home there.

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Theres one little divot about 10 ft in length people always walk past cuz its too hard for them to fish...every year it holds the biggest brown in that area i e never seen anyone else fish it once ya hook it that where it gets crazy lol

 

[wildtrout2]

Agree. Most of my biggest trout came from undercut root systems, log jams, or otherwise gnarly structure.

 

[Bamboozle]

I agree, but it's the cover you noted not the distance from access points. Plenty of big fish live in easy to access spots that are hard to fish. Find good habitat, regardless of where it is in relation to homes, parking, highways, and some big smart fish has made a home there.

I agree...

When I was a kid lobbing bait & spinners on highly pressured stocked streams in Delco, the magic bullet was fish the tough spots. The MO was to look for bobbers and mono busted off in streamside structure and learn how to fish those holes.

I still fondly remember a day many, many years on Ridley Creek in Ridley Creek State Park. I was below Gradyville Road and there were folks above and below me but nobody fishing an undercut by a tangled mess of tree roots. I pulled three fish from that hole and had it all to myself.

What I don't like are places you can't walk through, wade through or even flip a spinner because it it is so overgrown, eroded or filled with dead-fall (think Section 4 of Clark's Creek & Section 2 of Letort Spring Run). I have no clue whether the wild fish benefit from this or if there is any relation to better fishing above or below.

What I think I understand from conversations with AFM's (and correct me if I am wrong) is a Class A section is a designation based on testing at selected sites within a section but the biomass is an aggregate based on those samples. It is not a value that can be assumed on 100% of a given section.

In other words, most Class A sections have sections within that wouldn't meet the criteria.

Right off the top of my head I can think of three Class A sections I fish where AFM's told me a certain parts of those Class A sections are Class B or C. I also know NONE of those areas are unfishable. While it is a completely unscientific way to determine biomass, coincidentally my catch rates in those areas is typically lower.

I also know and fish several Class A, B & C sections WITH unfishable portions and good to excellent fishing above & below. However, in almost 100% of those streams the unfishable areas are not sampling sites because they are so hard to access. Since hardly anyone fishes those places, it is also difficult to make assumptions based on angler catch rates.

Considering these examples, my untrained mind tells me it would be hard to prove the unfishable sections are helping the angling results above and below by providing what the fish need to thrive and possibly migrate to accessible areas.

Therefore, I assume accessibility has less to do with it than other factors.

 

[troutbert]

Theres one little divot about 10 ft in length people always walk past cuz its too hard for them to fish...every year it holds the biggest brown in that area i e never seen anyone else fish it once ya hook it that where it gets crazy lol

Is that a standing tree in the middle of the stream?

 

[Zipper]

When you fish root balls how close do you put your fly?

 

[Bamboozle]

When you fish root balls how close do you put your fly?

I as close as I dare. If I get snagged, I make an adjustment.

 

[falcon]

Those big fish dont spend all their time in those logjams. Figure out when they come out to hunt .... after dark into early morning. Better yet for the non nocturnal angler rising water with a bit of a stain. No need to get pattern specific in this situation .... just use a bugger.

 

[rustbeltwilds]

When you fish root balls how close do you put your fly?

Drop it in and hang on

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Is that a standing tree in the middle of the stream?

No its not standing lol