Trout Stocking Postponed Due to Heat & Drought

The drought and warm weather are interfering with Garden State anglers plans of Fall trout fishing... at least for a couple of more weeks.

The New Jersey of Fish, Game & wildlife announced they are canceling their popular Fall trout stocking until October 12, 2010 due to unusually warm water throughout the state.  Stream temperatures are still running in the upper 60's and low 70's, much too warm for the oversize two year old fish the Division stocks each Fall. These fish are used to living in the cool 52 degree water at the hatchery and to stock them in such warm water is too risky for the fish.

Brown Trout Stocking in Lake Erie Tributaries

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commision is stocking brown trout into the tributaries of Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay again this year. The first stocking took place on September 28, 2010 at Trout Run. These seven inch long trout are fin clipped for identification purposes before being stocked. Additional stocking locations are Presque Isle Bay, Crooked Creek, Godfrey Run, and Orchard Beach Creek. All tributary stockings will be done as close to the mouths of each stream as possible as long as there is adequate water flow. If stream flow is low, the fish will be stocked directly into the lake near the stream mouth.

Lake Erie Fisheries Biologist Chuck Murray reported that, “The goal of this program is to emulate the brown trout program on Lake Ontario, but on a smaller scale. The intention of this effort is to add some diversity to the tributary fishery, create a near shore springtime fishery, and enhance the offshore summer boat fishery. These brown trout stockings will supplant the surplus steelhead stocked since the elimination of the Coho program in 2003. The brown trout stocking program was started in 2008 through the gracious donation of 100,000 certified disease free eggs provided by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. New York has provided the same number of eggs to the PFBC each year.

Murray also added that, “This will be a cooperative venture between the PFBC and local cooperative sportsman’s nurseries. In addition to the thousands of brown trout to be stocked by the PFBC, approximately 35,000 additional brown trout were already stocked earlier this year by 3-CU and the Wesleyville Conservation Club with the assistance of the PFBC Cooperative Nursery Unit. The success of the program will be monitored through creel surveys and existing assessment programs over the next several years. Brown trout stocking will be about 50,000-100,000 annually, representing about 5-10% of the steelhead stocking levels.”

US Patent No.150,883

This is the patent number for the first ventilated fly fishing reel, designed and patented by Charles F. Orvis in 1874.  This is also the name for the Orvis Company's new "patent collection" of clothing and other products that are skillfully crafted in the USA.

Classic men's clothing, watches, knives, wallets, belts, shoes, boots and much more.  There's even a braided cowboy lasso rope and regulation size leather football.  And while you're browsing the collection, don't miss the 1951 Ford F-1 Pickup Truck that has been completely restored to original condition.

Like the original Orvis reel there's a special feeling of craftsmanship, tradition, and pride that comes with stamping four words onto the label of a product: Made in the USA.


And here's a little bit of trivia; the ever popular and classic Orvis CFO reel was named after the company's founder, Charles F. Orvis.

NJ Fish Kill Caused By Broken Commercial Net

A broken net on a commercial fishing vessel caused the wash-up of thousands of dead menhaden in the North Wildwood area over the weekend, according to an investigation by the Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife.

The fishing vessel reported that one of its nets broke, releasing an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 pounds of fish. Most of the fish washed up along Hereford Inlet, although some fish were reported scattered on North Wildwood beaches from the inlet south to 18th Street.

Menhaden are a bait fish that is a member of the herring family and are also known as mossbunker, bunker or pogy.

The vessel works out of Lund's Fisheries in Cape May. Lund's has accepted responsibility for the incident and will remove the fish. The DEP is working with Lund's and local officials to ensure a quick and thorough cleanup.

The incident was not related to low dissolved oxygen levels as what was originally thought. Low dissolved oxygen levels are believed to have caused the massive die-off of menhaden last month along an eight-mile stretch of Delaware Bay in Cape May County.

New York DEC Conducting Lake Ontario Tributary Angler Survey

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today announced that an angler creel survey on Lake Ontario tributaries will be conducted this fall. The creel survey will be conducted on 23 tributary streams ranging from the Niagara River eastward to the Black River in Jefferson County. Major stream fisheries the survey will include are: Eighteenmile Creek, Oak Orchard Creek, Sandy Creek, Irondequoit Creek, Oswego River, Salmon River, North and South Sandy Creeks and the Black River.

"Lake Ontario and its tributaries have consistently supported the highest angler activity in the state, exceeding 2.6 million angler days in our most recent statewide angler survey," Commissioner Grannis said. "In addition to their value as part of the state's vast natural resources, most recent estimates show that these fisheries brought nearly $113 million to the New York State economy in 2007."

The main objectives of the angler creel survey will be to determine angler activity (number of hours spent fishing) and number of fish caught by species in New York's Lake Ontario tributaries. Other information anticipated from the study includes: fish species sought by anglers, percent of fish caught that are released, catch rates (number of fish caught per hour), residence of anglers, and angler satisfaction with current angling regulations. Fish will also be examined for missing fins and implanted tags as part of ongoing studies that look at natural production of Chinook salmon and the performance of fish stocked by different methods. This information will help DEC in determining how well current fisheries management policies are meeting the needs of tributary anglers.

The creel survey started in mid-September and will run through May 2011. The timing of the survey will coincide with the angling opportunities for Chinook and Coho salmon, brown trout and steelhead (rainbow) trout in the tributaries. Anglers seeking species other than those listed previously, including Atlantic salmon, black bass, northern pike, yellow perch and sunfish, will also be included in the study. On several tributaries there is considerable boat angling activity (i.e. drift boats), which will also be surveyed as part of the study.

Creel survey technicians will be covering pre-established survey routes to count anglers and conduct brief interviews with them as available. During interviews, technicians will be clearly identified as DEC staff. Anglers providing accurate information on their fishing experience and cooperation in this survey with DEC staff will greatly aid the Department in compiling a representative assessment of the Lake Ontario tributary fishery.

For additional information on the creel survey contact Steve LaPan, DEC Lake Ontario Unit Leader, P.O. Box 292, Cape Vincent, NY 13618-0292, or by phone at 315-654- 2147

Fall Smallmouth Bass on the Upper Delaware River

In September and October you can have some excellent smallmouth fishing on the Upper Delaware River. 

Many fishermen travel to the well known wild trout fishery of The Upper Delaware River to catch the wild rainbows or browns the river is famous for and on their way pass a stretch of river with its own challenging wild fishery.

This stretch of the Delaware encompasses over fifty miles of prime smallmouth habitat and is part of the nearly seventy-five mile long Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River.

Cross Current Guide Service and Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide, Capt. Joe Demalderis can guide you with light tackle or fly fishing gear for the smallmouth on the Upper Delaware. Floating the river in a sixteen-foot ClackaCraft drift boat is the perfect way to experience the fun and excitement of smallmouth fishing.

Cross Current Guide Service always has premium tackle available for their clients to use, or of course, anglers are always welcome to bring their own.

So, grab your fly or spinning rod and enjoy a day in the autumn foliage catching some feisty smallmouth bass.

American Rivers Awarded an Orvis Grant to Help Restore California’s Yuba Watershed

Washington, DC – American Rivers, the leading conservation organization fighting to protect and restore the nation’s rivers, announced a $15,000 grant from The Orvis Company to help preserve the Yuba River Watershed, one of the last strongholds for wild, self-sustaining, threatened salmon and steelhead runs.

The Yuba watershed, located northeast of Sacramento, California, encompasses more than 850,000 acres from the peak of Mount Lola in the Sierras at more than 9,100 feet to the Yuba River’s confluence with the Feather River in the Central Valley.

The Yuba watershed has the potential to provide vast amounts of clean water, however, Sierra meadows have been degraded due to past land use including road building, mining, and grazing.  American Rivers is working to assess the damage to the meadows and restore those of highest priority.  Healthy meadows will retain floodwaters, provide slow releases of cold water, and improve habitat for native fish and other wildlife. 

The Orvis Company, a long-time support of American Rivers, is the oldest mail order company in the US and donates 5 percent of its pre-tax profits annually to protect nature.  In addition to this grant, The Orvis Company has sponsored American Rivers’ landmark report America’s Most Endangered Rivers™ for the last two years.  Currently, The Orvis Company is running a photo contest with profits benefitting American Rivers.

”Orvis’ support is critical in our efforts to restore the Yuba River Watershed,” said Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers. “We are grateful for Orvis’s ongoing commitment to our work in restoring and protecting the nation’s rivers and communities.”

Fly Fishing iPhone Application

Fly fishing went high tech sometime ago with the introduction of the first fly fishing web forum and message board.  But that's at home or at the office technology. What we now have available is on the water applications that fit inside your iPhone.  Very neat stuff.

Whether it's good or bad doesn't matter because it's here.  By far the best is the Orvis iPhone Fly Fishing App. And you have to admit it's pretty cool!  I might have to get an iPhone just so I can play around with this app.

Some people will complain about taking this technology streamside and how it will disturb the peace & serenity of the sport, but let's face it, people have been carrying their cell phones on the water for quite some time now.  For many of us our cell phone brings a level of safety in the event of a serious injury and more than one poacher has been nailed because someone had a cell phone along. 

This app replaces the knot tying booklets that many people carry in their fishing vests with a much more user friendly guide that includes not just directions, but animations.  Talk about useful, it's like having someone else show you how to do it while you're on the water, but you don't have to have someone else with you.  Now, that's hardly destroying any peace & serenity. It's plain old pretty slick!

The Orvis iPhone App will be more useful off the water than on with its multitude of features including real-time fishing reports for hundreds of fisheries including water flows, tide charts, hot flies and more. A fly casting feature will show you how to correct the top casting mistakes and also teach the basic casts; great for those new to the game or veterans who could use a little rust knocked off.

This is the most useful fishing app available and I'm sure it will see more use at home, on the commute to work (maybe even at work) and at your local fishing club meetings (...wanna learn how to tie a Bimini Twist?).

This app contains some of the best fly fishing geeks & gurus giving you step by step instructions and on time pertinent information.  So if you have to have the latest & greatest apps in your iPhone, this is one you don't want to miss.