KLG/Pequest

[BlackLabel]

I fished the gorge early today until about noon then the temp got to 70. Fishing wasn't nearly as good as the spring but not bad. After the water got to warm there I went to the Pequest to get one of those big fat 'bows that live over there.



Good fish from the gorge


Also got this in the gorge. What do you make of this Aaron? Wild???



Pequest 'bow

http://s552.photobucket.com/albums/j...icture2329.flv
The brown at the gorge was nice enough to hang around. Forgive the horrible camera work but its hard to see what your shooting with a point and shoot.

[AaronJasper]

That rainbow looks like it could be wild for sure. It's very clean and the fins are perfect. How the hell did that fish elude us in the spring?? I thought that we caught every fish in that place between us?! I guess that a few made it without getting hammered. You should try fishing dry/dropper as the runs are getting shallower and the fish more alert because of being in there so long.

Did you spook a lot of fish? It's good to see our fishing holding on for so long.

[Walshmiko]

Great pics blacklabel!! I also the other day caught a near perfect rainbow that was around 5 inchs, You guys see the ramps yet? Its looks more like a look out post, there so high off the water..That gorge is warming up for sure but it seems like a lot more wild fish have been showing up. Do they take to the warmer water any better then the stockers?... Few nights back they had the upper part of the road open for cars, it was very weird to have cars drive behind ya while fishing, it may take some getting used to on the upper because it pretty tight

[LopatNympher]

Check out the spots on the leading edge of the anal fin. Beautiful rainbow nick.

Nick, you should have called me, I'd have played hookey from work to get one of those fat bows!!!!!

[BlackLabel]

Heres a better place to talk about this Walsh but yes its very strange. They look like really small stockers. If theres a bunch that could be really good in a few years. I did catch a few rainbows this spring in the gorge that had eggs coming out of them. Thats strange in its self since I thought most stocked bows were fall spawners but I guess not all. So maybe there are some wild bows in the gorge.

[Walshmiko]

That would be something if the gorge turn into a wild rainbow stream..I sometimes wonder If stocking keeps the wilds at bay with reproducing though...

[TexasChris]

I've heard (from a pretty good source) that NJ stocks some of it's streams with small 3-5 inch rainbow fingerlings early in the fall unannounced. They are often mistaken as wild fish, but are really just hatchery culls from the pequest.

[Walshmiko]

That would explain it then..

[BlackLabel]

I wish they would stock the KLG with nothing but the small fish. They could turn into a really sweet fishery.

[Johny L]

Those rainbows in KLG did not come from the Pequest hatchery, they are either wild or came up from Solitude (the private club below KLG), the extra 'bows Fish & Wildlife stocked went into the Musky and a couple other rivers (I think the Toms was one) but the South Branch did not receive those fish.

I would like to think those fish are wild, as the South Branch has tribs that have wild rainbows but I have my doubts. Those fish are all plump, cookie cutter size 5''-6'' and if you notice are a different strain of fish than the Pequest rainbow, more silvery like a steelhead smolt. I'll have to ask a Solitude member if they did stock those little 'bows.

Also a good portion of the nicer fish in the gorge are from the private club, they stock both rainbows and browns, that are much better quality than the Pequest fish. They stock cut-rainbows too, so if you catch a rainbow with a slash in the jaw its one of the clubs fish.