2022 C&R

[ollie]

C&R starts this Friday. Anyone else going besides Buzz and I this year? This will make like the 16th year in a row I have gone. Some incredible days and others not so much worth telling about. Still good memories to be had.

[Foghorn]

The Mrs. and I may hit 3 of the 4 parks for the opener. We live closer to Maramac Springs, but it seems to be more of a miss the last couple winter seasons. Gal at the James Foundation told me last year they weren't stocking for the winter season. Not sure how official  her comments were but we didn't find many fish on or first and only visit there. 

[tjm]

1 hour ago, Foghorn said:

they weren't stocking for the winter season

Do they stock the Parks for C&R? I was told once that they did not.

[ollie]

Not sure, but in years past I know they have. You don't just catch 50-100 in a day if they haven't stocked,  I can tell you that! lol

[tjm]

Probably tens of thousands of fish in any of the park streams at any given time aren't there? So if the a mile of Roaring River holds say 1000 fish, why couldn't you catch 50 of them? How many are killed or removed per day during C&R? Do we think that all the trout in the stream Friday will be dead by next month?

Actually I was told by two different biologists, one years ago and one recently that that RRSP didn't get C&R stocking, but I'm not sure  that either had full knowledge of what the hatchery manager actually does. Not stocking makes sense I guess on the concept that most trout survive C&R.

[Foghorn]

The other 3 parks either stocked for the C&R season or had an abundance of fish leftover from the last of October. Montauk at one time restocked their stream after January 1st. It was strange with Maramac as the previous  season had good numbers of quality fish.

[tjm]

I've only been fishing RRSP since '85, and probably not more than 20-25 times per year; but I've never once been there when there were not  lots and lots of trout. I have been there when none of those trout wanted to ride in my car. It's probably been 20 years since I fished  any of the other parks and I never did fish them much at all, a couple times maybe three. I can't imagine try to hit them all in one day,  or even three of them; too much drive time for me. 

[ollie]

Uhmmmm, I guess if they never stocked it then I am a better fisherman than I thought!  lol Especially since I have never caught that many in a day during regular season. Although I haven't been during regular season in quite a few years. Maybe that is the difference.

[Foghorn]

12 hours ago, tjm said:

I've only been fishing RRSP since '85, and probably not more than 20-25 times per year; but I've never once been there when there were not  lots and lots of trout. I have been there when none of those trout wanted to ride in my car. It's probably been 20 years since I fished  any of the other parks and I never did fish them much at all, a couple times maybe three. I can't imagine try to hit them all in one day,  or even three of them; too much drive time for me. 

In the past we would drive to Bennett on a Thursday and fish Friday. Might fish Saturday if the fish were of any size and if not head to Roaring Friday evening. Last year we drove to Montauk on a Saturday evening to fish it Sunday. Those possible plans may be on hold now as the youngest grandkids have had the flu-type symptoms and passed them on to our daughter and possibly Susie now. It is a good bit of driving though.

[trouty mouth]

Meramec Springs 100% has had C&R stocking. 2020 was the last year I fished it and they stocked it like 3 days in. The first day was depressing.

Meramec Springs is more put & take than the other parks; it's too short and the fish don't have as many good hiding spots. The last day of the season, if the park gets picked clean and isn't stocked, C&R will be about 50 old men smoking cigars and fighting over the same hole to catch some goggle eye.