Subject: NANFA-L-- NY Collecting
psalm119.111 at juno.com
Date: Mon Oct 11 2004 - 00:24:38 CDT
While visiting the Finger Lakes area for my neice's wedding, my family had planned an outing to Stony Brook Park. But the weather forecast changed for the worse (50's and rain) and my family one by one made other plans. Luckily as any serious fish nut would, I had studied the area for a 75 mile radius just in case the opportunity arose and I had packed the necessary equipment. So as everyone else set off I rechecked my maps and set out for an area about sixty miles away, just south of Letchworth State Park to check out some creeks off the Genesee River in Allegeny County. I was hoping to find another site for Rainbow Darters.
The first stop was on Rt 19A just before Rt 27 at Wiscoy Creek. From the road it looked like prime darter water. But once in the creek I found the entire creek bed and every rock covered with orange brown slime. Only a few fish were found, one 5 inch Central Stoneroller, a couple Western Blacknose Dace and a lone Johnny Darter.
The next stop was also on Rt 19A in the town of Fillmore just before crossing the creek, which I believe is Rush Creek, was a Pump Station on the right which provided streamside parking. As I grabbed my nets the sun made an appearence and stuck with me the next couple hours which made the setting even better. This was a beautifull creek with several riffles and shallow runs just a short distance from the Genesee River. Some of the shallowest runs did have the same orange brown slime but not as thick, though most of the creek was quite clean. The bottom was a mix of sand and gravel usually topped with stones and larger rocks. Occassionally some rocks would have java moss growing on them, no other aquatic vegetation around. Here and there would be a small deep hole with a fallen tree or branches and debris. These were always full of a variety of minnows.
The species found were:
Rosyface Shiners
Bigmouth Shiners
Sand Shiners*
Mimic Shiners*
Central Stonerollers
Fathead Minnows
Longnose Dace
Western Blacknose Dace
Creek Chub (I'm not positive on these as I tend to throw them
back so fast I forget if I caught any)
Fantail Darters
Greenside Darters
Rainbow Darters (Abundant)
Northern Hogsuckers
Common Suckers
Stonecats
Mottled Sculpins
* May have been either or both my eyes and memory are getting bad.
I headed back North to Rt 390 to exit 11 to Rt 15 S to Fishell Rd to a public Fishing Access under Rt 390. I haven't fished here in close to twenty years. Used to find a few each of Blackside Darters, Brindled Madtoms and Tadpole Madtoms but this evening it was much tougher going only netting one Blackside Darter, one small Brindled and no Tadpole Madtoms. I also found numerous Johnny darters, Stonecats, several Greenside Darters and Rock bass. The water was actually shallower then it used to be and the numerous sunken logs and stumps were absent.
The area below Letchworth is beautfull in the fall and there are some great camping areas as well as many more creeks, even the Genesee River is shallow enough for seining in the area. My family will do some camping there next year for sure.
Mike Lucas
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: Fri Dec 31 2004 - 11:27:42 CST