Limestone vs Freestone

[frankm205]

I'm looking to fish some of the PA limestone streams this year for the first time. What is the difference between the Limestone and Freestone streams as far as fishing techniques, water temps, bug activity etc...? Thanks!

[littlej81]

Limestone = scuds, cress bugs, walt's worms, hare's ears, pheasant tails
Freestone = hare's ears, pheasant tails, walt's worms, green weenie

keep it simple

[AaronJasper]

You could write a book on that one. Limestone streams can have the same bugs as a freestone. The main differeclnce is theorem stable water temperatures as a result of the water coming put of the ground and not from the surface. This makes for fishable conditions year round.

[Davyfly]

One of the major differences is the ph value in the water, typically limestone creeks have a high ph value 7 and may be more, but not always as there may be other influences that can change this.

You may well find many of the same aquatic species in both types of streams, in most most cases there will be a greater abundance one way or the other, particularly in the case of mayfly, stonefly and crustaceans.
Geographic locations may also be related to this.

One other factor that may differ is the type of aquatic vegetation. Here again it is related to ph value, water temperature and what other influences of contaminant that enter the body of water, such as agricultural run off, release of water from impoundments, and so on.
Do not always assume that limestone creeks provide the best habitat for trout, as that is not always the case either, neither do freestone streams, there are so many variables that can change this.

The fish wil often provide the rigth answers.

Davy

[AaronJasper]

By the looks of these two that I landed yesterday, I would say that this limestoner is doing just fine. I went out with Rich this weekend and we did well on two different streams. I will try to get a bunch of photos and a report up tomorrow.

One was taken on a stonefly and the other on a sow bug. As I said before a limestone streams can have many different insect species. The two streams that I fished were totally different as far as food sources are concerned, but not different as far as high quality fish!

[Magnet]

Aaron,
That first one is one of the most beautiful browns I have ever seen!

[Kaz]

This is a generalization, but true limestoners are more apt to be fishable after heavy rains.

Those two make the nice wild browns I caught yesterday look like fingerlings.

[Jkilroy]

I don't know how he doe's it but he always manages nice big fish! Nice.

[Magnet]

I have seen it many times first hand. Anyone who has had the oportunity to fish with Aaron Jasper will agree with me. If one thinks his success is conducive to a certain spot he is fishing, that is not the case. I can understand that its hard to imagine or there is a reluctance to recognize the fact that someone could be that skilled.

[AaronJasper]

Stop it! I am just lucky... Rich catches them too. Here is a 21 incher that he landed on Saturday.