It Is Real

Climate change is one of the most talked about subjects that we seeing and hearing now, is it real or not? I'll give a few examples of how real it is. Last week in the morning when we came hoem from our dog walking there were "2" smaller bullfrogs out of the water on the edges of our gold fish pond looking for some sun and bugs to eat, they were black from being under the water in the bottom muck but they were out and about! The next day we were walking the dogs in the early afternoon in the cemetary and in the field were 6-8 vultures feeding on some thing, in a normal year we do not see them until late Feb. or early March and then it is the smaller black vultures who come back first. I also notice a large amount of black midges on the garage doors and a couple of little black stomeflies. Last Thursday we were out in the yard and heard a large flock of geese flying from the Sunbury resivor going West until they were overhead they turned North BUT these were Snow Geese and not the resident canada geese that stay here all winter. My friends we are seeing signs all around us telling us that our world is changing, want to help? The one thing you can do it find areas that need to have trees growing in them and plant some, it will help ever so little but at least your doing something. We all know to well what happens when June rolls around and the rain shuts off and Penn's just gets too warm to fish that lack of decent rain really hurts our resident trout population. Have you also noticed that we have a real lack of the "white flies" on the river in August below the dam in Sunbury, it used to be so large that you could see them on the bridge on both ends just piled up like snow but not any more, what happened to them? We are also seeing the Trico hatch on Spring Creek not as strong as it was a few years ago, yes we see some areas that have good populations but they are not as steady as they once were. Some of us old guys now realize that we have lived in a truly golden age of trout fishing, good water, great hatches and kind considerate people on the stream. It is really hard to find a place where your alone with pure nature and good fishing without some dam ass hole stomping along the bank and saying something stupid or the guy who has no manners and steps in just above or below you and never asked which way your going! By the way the midges are going on strong on both Spring and Fishing Creek's but we have been having a few days of high water due to the rain and not snow we have been getting.

Results of the 2022 Redd Count on Spring Creek

The total numbers are in and the results show that Spring Creek is in great shape, total for 2022 was 1473 redd's, 2021 total was 1755 and 2020 was 1633, a reduction in the total numbers but still very high. It just might have been that the brown's may have started earlier than normal or they may have done more after our count. Our section (from the blue bridge on Rock Road down stream to the bridge at Benner Springs hatchery was 133, 2021 was 127 and 2020 was 137, my inital tought was that we were off by a larger number given the fact that because of the number of man made fallen trees it was impossable to get in the water and trying to see from the hatchery side at the fence was impossible on the upper section (too steep), plus the sun's angle in the morning makes it hard to see into the water. The best numbers were at two other sections; From the 550 bridge downstream to the walking bridge at Big Spring was 180 and the section starting below Paradise downstrean to the birdge at Hartle Farm was 140. Please consider coming to the 2023 redd count about the 3rd weekend in Novermber, you will see a lot and learn more new water to enjoy. A time ago I wrote about the many advantages of fishing with someone, no not going with someone and then going your seperate ways but really sharing the many problems and solutions that twon people can slove. Please read the article "Two Anglers are Often Better Than One" on www.ginkandgasoline.com/blog/ it deals with the advantages. I had the best fishing partner anyone could ever want for over 30 years until his passing of cancer, we had a great time fishing and solving on stream problems, came up with new patterns and even learned new methods. Neither of us ever talked politics, only football, investments, retirement age and of course out West fishing. If we fished when Penn State played the only thing he wanted was not to hear a radio or have lunch where he could hear the score and always be done befor the game was over so I could drive home in peace. Pick a good partner and develope a good relationship and I'm sure you will see more fish and have a much better time sharing it with someone. The midges are on heavy on Big Fishing Creek and Spring- just make sure it's a good cloudy day.