# Good While it Lasted!



## capt j-rod (Feb 14, 2008)

Well it was a very bittersweet weekend. One of my favorite streams has been destroyed by the Facebook. We have fished this pristine little stretch of water for over 10 years. It is stocked and is usually kept pretty quiet. This year the state started a Facebook page of stocked streams, what day they are stocked and when. We fished Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. we caught fish each day, but our numbers were way down. We bumped into a few locals and they said that it is a total zoo. The fisheries truck comes every Friday at 9:00 A M and everyone is waiting for the fish to hit the stream. Sure enough, we were up early Friday keeping to ourselves when the entire county showed up with buckets and stringers... We were literally pushed out of the holes we were fishing. The stream was totally littered with polar pop cups, candy wrappers, trash, and fishing string. We actually left a day early. It was a great place, but we will be looking for a new hiding spot next year. I was actually laughed at for catch and release fishing... I was told they were gonna die anyways. I guess all great things eventually come to an end.


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## GrandRiverBassman (Mar 26, 2016)

Pennsylvania?


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

Pretty sure I know what stream you're talking about. Its in lake county. I used to live about 5 minutes away. Used to fish it for steeled almost every day. Then one day I happened to stop by and it was inundated with a mass of people. None of which I recognized. I found out later that night it was hotspotted on here. I now live out of state. No steelhead nearby, but I have a blue ribbon trout stream running through my little town. It was a tradeoff.

Edit: being from norwalk, its probably not the same stream.


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## capt j-rod (Feb 14, 2008)

The stream is out of state in Maryland. Pennsylvania has been hit or miss. The pressure was insane that these guys were putting on the fish. Really made us sad. We always took a few trash bags and picked up trash as we went. This year it was impossible. It was SOLID litter. At one hole we picked up over 30 cups, cans, and bottles. The fishing string was everywhere. Cigarette butts, candy wrappers, fast food wrappers, car tires, (many tires), and that was just the start. Everyone was literally stepping into the stream like you weren't there. It literally made us sick. We know a few local old timers from the diner and we went to see what happened. It is all social media posting when, where, and how many fish are stocked each day. Sadly we will not be returning. I think we'll just jig on Erie for the spawn next year. If anyone has a good location 4 or so hours away that they are willing to share please PM me. We release all the fish, support the area restaurants, and shops, hell we even clean the stream as we fish it. We just like to make a poor man's trout trip in the spring.


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## fishing pole (May 2, 2004)

Unfortunately , Get used to it!


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## matticito (Jul 17, 2012)

That's what happens with equal opportunity. You can't just tell a man that there are fish in a lake. Ya gotta tell them what body of water, what day they're stocked, etc, etc. I was happy to see they stock places in Maryland like Patapsco river and such. But the attitude of the persons that show up like that are crazy. They just looking for a free meal. Sure your license cost 20 or 30 a yr. Some just think of it as cheap grocery free for all.


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## lunker23 (Jun 28, 2013)

I effing hate truck chasers! Pathetic!


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Classic story that illustrates why I avoid stocked trout water like it's crawling with plague rats. The only exception I make is in WV some C&R only sections aren't awful, but it's still a secondary or tertiary option for me. It's not worth the headaches. I honestly don't understand why it's such a mystique with trout. Stocked trout suck to eat. People flock to a mudhole lake to catch a 10" trout but ignore lakes or waters full of 10" crappie that are a whole lot better table fare. Pellet head trout don't do much for me, and the extra hassles associated with dealing with truck chasers make it very unattractive to me.


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## capt j-rod (Feb 14, 2008)

I agree with stocked fish. We liked going because it was close and cheap for a fly trip. I seriously doubt 1/2 of the fish that are kept get eaten. It was more of a good excuse for everyone to get together once a year. Now we will chase walleye or go to Rockwell and pay stream fees on my membership. I always like that fast cold mountain stream water and the outdoors scenery. But I really hate late 90's lifted pick ups with glass packs and hillbillies with muck boots and zebco 202's on ugly sticks with a can of corn that they leave behind... Sorry guys rant over.


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## OnTheFly (Jul 30, 2010)

capt j-rod said:


> The stream is out of state in Maryland. Pennsylvania has been hit or miss. The pressure was insane that these guys were putting on the fish. Really made us sad. We always took a few trash bags and picked up trash as we went. This year it was impossible. It was SOLID litter. At one hole we picked up over 30 cups, cans, and bottles. The fishing string was everywhere. Cigarette butts, candy wrappers, fast food wrappers, car tires, (many tires), and that was just the start. Everyone was literally stepping into the stream like you weren't there. It literally made us sick. We know a few local old timers from the diner and we went to see what happened. It is all social media posting when, where, and how many fish are stocked each day. Sadly we will not be returning. I think we'll just jig on Erie for the spawn next year. If anyone has a good location 4 or so hours away that they are willing to share please PM me. We release all the fish, support the area restaurants, and shops, hell we even clean the stream as we fish it. We just like to make a poor man's trout trip in the spring.


go up to michigan... lots of good trout streams with natural reproduction and less jerrys


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