Musconetcong state land restoration project mid June

[Bucksnbows]

Just a heads up to all that fish through June in the Musky that Trout Unlimited has hired my firm to restore a 1/3 mile of the Musconetcong WMA waters immediately upstream of Warren Rod & Gun Club/Musky Trout Hatchery.  Flows dependent, we plan to work the week of June 18th and be done by that Friday or earlier.  I've heard all sorts of strange rumors, none true, that TU is making this a catch and release only stretch.  Just wanted to mention that.  This is general regulations waters open to the public and will remain so when the project is done this summer.  

[Bucksnbows]

This restoration work will restore nearly a century of man-made stone dams designed to make pool habitat for trout fishing as this used to be club-leased water.  Because the entire section lies on top of the limestone belt of the Musky, we will likely tap into new groundwater sources in our excavation.  That will provide summer thermal relief for the trout when water temps climb into the lower 70s.  There are riffles, runs and pools in the design and we will have some great insect producing riffle habitat to boost the aquatic insects that the food web is based on. 

If you wander down to watch that week, best to keep far away from our excavator operator.  Ron "Cowboy" Weekes likes to hammer the bucket and soak anyone that gets too close for his comfort.    

[SPEARFISH]

Just curious what restoring a stream entails.  Do you make deeper pools, add rock, restore banks, etc...?

[SPEARFISH]

Sorry,  I must have posted while you were submitting your summary.

[Bucksnbows]

31 minutes ago, SPEARFISH said:

Just curious what restoring a stream entails.  Do you make deeper pools, add rock, restore banks, etc...?

You can see a bit from our design where the pools will be.  The excavated materials we keep within the channel, and that becomes mostly point bar material and sometimes we use it to restore banks.  Everything is anchored in with our structures so that we control the scour areas and the deposit areas with our structures.  

Below, we are deepening a right bank pool and using the materials we dig to add to the left bank point bar where the excavator is sitting.  The point or gravel bar acts to narrow flows as the water recedes to ensure scouring of the pool while in high flows, the river just flows over the point bars and deposits more fine materials as flood waters recede.   

[kanigie]

That's great Brian, look forward to it. I just just checked out that stretch 2 weeks ago, pass it all the time but never drove down.

[Bucksnbows]

1 hour ago, kanigie said:

That's great Brian, look forward to it. I just just checked out that stretch 2 weeks ago, pass it all the time but never drove down.

You haven't been missing much, but that will change in a month.  We always see a period of five or so years post restoration where that site gets pounded by anglers.  But over time, they stop fixating on our restored waters and spread out pressure again.  This site will be just like that would be my guess.  But you have a full mile of restored water across from your home that nobody ever bothers to fish because the state doesn't stock it.  

BTW, one evening this coming week we need to meet up at Point Mountain and chase some surface feeders on sulphur dry flies.  Let's stay in touch.

 

[kanigie]

You haven't been missing much, but that will change in a month.  We always see a period of five or so years post restoration where that site gets pounded by anglers.  But over time, they stop fixating on our restored waters and spread out pressure again.  This site will be just like that would be my guess.  But you have a full mile of restored water across from your home that nobody ever bothers to fish because the state doesn't stock it.  
BTW, one evening this coming week we need to meet up at Point Mountain and chase some surface feeders on sulphur dry flies.  Let's stay in touch.
 

I’m around all next week! Text me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bucksnbows]

11 minutes ago, kanigie said:

 

I’m around all next week! Text me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Sulphurs are the working man's hatch because they start so late in the day that you can catch it after work. 

It's my favorite hatch in NJ trout waters and one of the longest other than our tricos.  But who wants to get up at dawn to fish that hatch?