Run

It is Oct. The temps have gotten cooler. The rain has come with it as well. Do you think we will get a push of fish?

swinger

i know what you mean... I am wondering if we will just get a push, or will it be a run?

If past history holds true this year, there will be some fish coming in with the rains.  There will be more fish coming in as the water temperature lowers and the days get shorter.  With the mutt fish we have, there are some early runners and others that will not be in the streams until later in the year.  It is still early.  All the buzz is being generated by some early fish being caught and pictures plastered all over the internet.  There are always fish in and around the mouths of the creeks in September and few make it up the streams.  The big runs don't start usually happen until mid to late October.  You can be pretty much sure that by November there will be fish in the streams and pretty far up the creeks.

Who pushes the fish?

Whoever gets there first. It's like putting on a pot of coffee at camp.

If you catch the last steelhead, you have to go round more up.

ORIGINAL: pxatim

mmm can't wait for some percolated coffee

I dig.

ORIGINAL: KJH807

swinger

i know what you mean... I am wondering if we will just get a push, or will it be a run?

 
.......... or will it be a migration?

IMO, rain isn't what drives these fish in.
Most folks seem to think mass waves of fish enter with the rain, but rain isn't what causes them to run into the creeks.

The only exception are the creeks so shallow at the mouth that they can't enter.

fish enter according to their schedule, when their "bio clock" tells  them it's time.
They filter in all along in  numbers large and small from Sept to Dec.
If water temps are right, plenty "opportunist" fish enter as well looking for easy meals.


..L.T.A.

ORIGINAL: MackJ

Surely you aren't suggesting rain and flows have no effect, are you?

i didn't say "no effect", but MUCH less than most folks think

This seems to fly in the face of so many people's personal experience that I am skeptical.

who's personal experience?
and just how often do they actually fish to "really" know?

I'd suggest many of those folks experience is based on fish  being "on the bite", more due to fishing in prime water  conditions and not because mass waves of fresh fish entered.
Heck, most here don't know the difference between a "genuine" fresh fish and a hen that's been in the creeks for over a month or two

   On the other hand, if they are near the mouth and otherwise ready, I believe that increased flows do trigger entrance into the creek.

then you've never seen them stack up on top of each other in gin clear, ultra low and warm water Octobers like i have

and it's cool with me , you can "believe" what you want.
But when they're "ready", they come...regardless of rain
(again, that's on the condition there's enough water for them to enter)

  In addition, steel may be unwilling to move much during low water, so those already in the creek would have a tendency to run farther upstream under cover of stained and/or higher water.

yes, high water will get them moving up and spread out.
That's a fact
But it doesn't trigger mass waves of fish from the lake like most everyone thinks

also, on the larger creeks where there is some water, some will move up regardless of rain.
I've  watched many a fish move up in gin clear, ultra low early season conditions.
Squirting up thru gravel riffles in only an inch or two of water.

too many LONG  dry spots on the Pa tribs for that happen or you'd see it  there too


..L.T.A.

MackJ I think we may be all talking about the same thing, but with different perspectives.  For those who remember the days when a run would come in and the streams were so full of fish you could walk across their backs, that is what you will expect to see when there is a run.  Most people realize that fish are pretty much coming up the streams all the time in the fall in small groups, especially when there is plenty of water.  These smaller groups of fish are not considered a run to many.

If it were only the amount of water in the streams that trigger the fish to run, we would have fish in the summer every time we get a heavy rain.  We don't see that so there must be something else to trigger the fish to come in.  As stated before water level is important, but water temperature and the amount of daylight are important as well.

I would bet that a good amount of fish came up the streams this week because of the rain and cooler temps.  I would anticipate many more will be heading up over the next few weeks as well.  When will the peak run be???  Who knows.  Are there fish to be caught, sure.  How far are they upstream?  Go out and see.