Got my ass kicked in the Gorge today.

[thrashers.wheat]

Now if I posted about where I fished completely alone nearly all day for wild brooks n browns yesterday you'd have a legitimate complaint, but the Gorge?? C'mon.

So, where were ya??

JK!

 

[gregschmegg]

"Our old Musky no-kill was fly only, single, barbless hook only."

For years it was that way, still dont know how it was subject to change.

I think its great a local fly shop stocked the place and have had fun fishing it this year. How hard would it be to add in a barbless hook regulation in that no kill? Will that take years too?

Also ive seen Sneelhead land some quality fish in there over the years (among allot of other places) , and i agree with him try to be a little less promoting of our local waters, if not for just keeping the pennsyltucky guys home for a weekend. But I also understand if your excited enough about it and feel the need to post it on a public form, then have it!

See ya on the river.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

How hard would it be to add in a barbless hook regulation in that no kill? Will that take years too?

The current Chief of Freshwater Fisheries feels mortality isn't affected by barbs or trebles and has studies to back that up. So impossible more or less. But if it did happen, it couldn't happen until 1/1/2016 which is the next regulatory change period for fisheries. We just started the most recent reg changes on the 1st of this year and they are on a two year cycle just like hunting (which is on a different cycle, 1/1/2013 - 12/31/2014).

 

[gregschmegg]

"The current Chief of Freshwater Fisheries feels mortality isn't affected by barbs or trebles and has studies to back that up. "

Well we ALL know that's a bunch of bureaucratic bullshit Rusty, like changing regulations to No-Kill would impact license sales. Likely whatever study was done back then was also done in-favor of opening regulations.

 

[BioGuy]

The current Chief of Freshwater Fisheries feels mortality isn't affected by barbs or trebles and has studies to back that up. So impossible more or less. But if it did happen, it couldn't happen until 1/1/2016 which is the next regulatory change period for fisheries. We just started the most recent reg changes on the 1st of this year and they are on a two year cycle just like hunting (which is on a different cycle, 1/1/2013 - 12/31/2014).

I'm not sure what studies the Chief has to back this up, but it took me about 3 minutes to find a meta-analysis of 18 different studies on hooking mortality in trout that shows a 2x mortality rate in barbed over barbless hooks.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management

Volume 12, Issue 4, 1992

A Meta-Analysis of Hooking Mortality of Nonanadromous Trout

<dl style="margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 16px;"><dt style="margin: 0px; display: inline;">DOI:</dt><dd style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 3px; padding: 0px; display: inline;">10.1577/1548-8675(1992)012<0760:AMAOHM>2.3.CO;2</dd></dl>Matthew J. Taylor[SUP]a[/SUP] & Karl R. White[SUP]a[/SUP]pages 760-767

​

 

[Pete]

The current Chief of Freshwater Fisheries feels mortality isn't affected by barbs or trebles and has studies to back that up. So impossible more or less. But if it did happen, it couldn't happen until 1/1/2016 which is the next regulatory change period for fisheries. We just started the most recent reg changes on the 1st of this year and they are on a two year cycle just like hunting (which is on a different cycle, 1/1/2013 - 12/31/2014).

I can't help but feel that the "studies" would have slightly different results if "Rapala-type" lures, with more than one treble, had been carried as a separate category.

One treble may usually result in hooking in the lip and/or other mouth part.
Two, or more, often puts one in the mouth and one in the gills.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

"The current Chief of Freshwater Fisheries feels mortality isn't affected by barbs or trebles and has studies to back that up. "

Well we ALL know that's a bunch of bureaucratic bullshit Rusty, like changing regulations to No-Kill would impact license sales. Likely whatever study was done back then was also done in-favor of opening regulations.

Don't shoot the messenger, I agree with you

Most anglers have no idea how their voice can be directly heard and how it can lead to regulatory changes. Just ask our own NJPatbee. It was his doing primarily that led to our new Flat Brook no-kill!

 

[flymantis73]

hooked a gorgeous rainbow in the gorge this morning, broke me off, gotta get better at my knots for the fly to tippet. felt nice on the 4wt.

 

[Greased Line Swinger]

I completely agree, but these Kamloops that have been in the river for a year or more fight better than any wild rainbow here in NJ. And now we know some of them are spawning in the SBR and we have some wild Kamloops that are starting to show. A much nicer and better fighting strain of bows than our current wild bows which came from previous state stockings.

I think this one was stream bred; 8.5, maybe 9 inches.

 

[pduane44]

I think this one was stream bred; 8.5, maybe 9 inches.

I hate to sound negative, that definitely looks like a stocker to me. The deformed, worn down pectoral fin is a sure sign of a fish that has spent time in a concrete raceway.

 

[Greased Line Swinger]

Maybe. I caught that two Aprils ago. I don't remember the fins being worn down (I've seen plenty of those), and think maybe the pectoral fin looks like that from being in the net and the camera angle. But maybe you're right. I didn't think such small fish were stocked though.