Exactly Mike. Although steelhead are west coast imports and mostly/exclusively a stocked species, there are lake trout and many others coming back to Erie. Zebra mussels may be a horror to intake valves but they do filter pollution.
Well said on the flies affected. Google Slate Run (wets and north of Poconos) and click on the fly shop's store url and read about the return of the drakes, lime wells to revive Babb's Creek etc.
Murf
Member: www.virtualflybox.com
From: "Mike Morris" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: [VFB] Flytying, genetics, Myth?...
Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2005 08:53:24 -0500
Excellent thought;
In our lifetimes the environmental picture has changed drastically,
mostly for the better and the hatches we saw years ago have changed with
the changing water quality. Like I said the changes are mostly for the
better for example the Detroit river has not caught fire in some time
and there is a very healthy steelhead run out of Lake Erie, a lake
declared dead and irretrievable in the early 70's. Alas some of the
changes are not so good, increased pressure on aquifers and on potable
water and urban sprawl has seriously effected the water tables in many
areas, this is most noticed in the water temperatures and low water
conditions in summer. The warmer water tends to push out some species
of mayflies especially the crawler type who rely on cold running water
to breath. Stoneflies are also very intolerant to warm water.
Floods and droughts which we have had a couple doozies of in the last
few years are also capable of changing the benthic diversity. Look at
the Beaverkill this year, horrific floods in April produced a very small
March Brown hatch and may effect this hatch for years. I believe I also
read something about Agnes in 1973(?) wiping out the green drakes on
some Pocono rivers and they have never returned.
Mike M
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