Stauffer Creek Redds

[Don Andersen]

Folks,
Now with a new knee, walking Stauffer Creek doing my annual redd count started Friday with a stretch downstream of B for W walked.
The redd count was 5 in this stretch where the average is 9 and the maximum seen in the past 15 years was 16. This stretch has seen a low of 2.
Spooked only 3 fish during the hike, several more spotted in a deep pool. Friend with me saw a pike as well.
The fencing on the north side needs some major repair.

Don

[buckman]

Staufer Creek was my go to stream 35 years ago,fishing was challenging and the trout were plentiful.I remember finding a recently dead hen brown. She was 28 inches long very deep and weighed almost 11 lbs.

Its a gem and needs some help,I am not one for implementing more restrictions on anglers but in this case perhaps there should be a limited number per day from May until the end of August.

Also some areas could be made a no wading zone so the spawning areas are not disturbed as much.

[stob]

Originally Posted by buckman

Staufer Creek was my go to stream 35 years ago,fishing was challenging and the trout were plentiful.I remember finding a recently dead hen brown. She was 28 inches long very deep and weighed almost 11 lbs.

Its a gem and needs some help,I am not one for implementing more restrictions on anglers but in this case perhaps there should be a limited number per day from May until the end of August.

Also some areas could be made a no wading zone so the spawning areas are not disturbed as much.

I do not think limited #'s but there should be permanent no wade zones in many streams ... just toooo many people now-a-days and it the #'s will only increase in the years to come

[flyrodfisher]

The redd counts vary every year...no one knows that better than Don.

One problem is any existing beaver dams in the late fall...preventing fish from getting to their spots.

[Don Andersen]

Stauffer is crowded only a couple of times each year.
If a closure is needed, I’d prefer it to be from March 1 > May 15 to protect swimup fry.
And only in areas that have heavy spawning activity. The Lazy M upstream for 1000 years and the head springs at Stainbrookes.

Don

[Don Andersen]

Originally Posted by Don Andersen

Stauffer is crowded only a couple of times each year.
If a closure is needed, I’d prefer it to be from March 1 > May 15 to protect swimup fry.
And only in areas that have heavy spawning activity. The Lazy M upstream for 1000 years and the head springs at Stainbrookes.

Don

Damned iPad - 1000 years is really 1000 yards.

[Sundancefisher]

Too bad there isn’t as many redds.

I walked the whole Dogpound one year for Redds. Some big brown trout ones the size of a Volkswagen Beetle just downstream of the Highway.

Lots of brookie redds going into the forest further upstream.

Got followed by a cougar up there without knowing it.

Curious if fewer redds at Stauffer also would see fewer redds on the dogpound.

[flyrodfisher]

This must be the internet....in 6 replies we go from talking about a redd count that is well within statistical means, to talking about stream closures

[Don Andersen]

Walked another stretch from Lazy M buildings to the bridge upstream and counted 21 redds with only a single big one spooked. As far as I could tell, spawning is about done.
The redd locations have changed many times over the years. We only encountered one multi redd where two fish used the same area, I’ve seen multi redds a number of times.
The redd count varies considerably in this area generally effected by beaver dams creating slack water that browns don’t seem to use. As there was no dams, the count was about average. I’ve seen in the mid-30’s for highs and lows down to 5.
Going to rough plane a rod today and do another walk about Sunday.
I’m sure the question will arise, why not check from the Buck for Wildlife bridge to the Lazy M. The answer, the fish don’t seem to spawn in this area. I’ve only seen 2 redds once. Waste of effort.


Don

[Don Andersen]

Originally Posted by flyrodfisher

This must be the internet....in 6 replies we go from talking about a redd count that is well within statistical means, to talking about stream closures

What is statistical means?

Don

[flyrodfisher]

Originally Posted by Don Andersen

What is statistical means?

Don

Poorly worded on my part as I do not have your entire database.
But...reasonably within your min and max.

[Don Andersen]

The area downstream of B for W parking lot is and has been for 5 or 6 years at 1/2 the number of redds seen in the years before that.
So, depending on length of data set, when should someone get concerned?
If you were operating a business where 1/2 of your customers didn’t show up for 5 years, would you get concerned or just shrug your shoulders and blame the lack of interest on ………..

Don

[Don Andersen]

The fine weather got me on another stretch of Stauffer Creek today. Walked the section from the Lazy M bridge upstream to the next 1/4 section line. Typically this section holds 30 redds however some years it had dropped to a dozen or less. Rarely higher than 35. The variance can be attributed to beaver dams raising and slowing water flows.
This year, in spite of a partly breached beaver dam screwing up the best spawning area, the redd count ended up at 30.
Depending on weather, the next section may get done this week.

Regards,

Don

[italk2u]

Thanks for all your hard work and diligence, Don. Hopefully the good news will keep on coming.

[Don Andersen]

The number of redds seen are on the low end of average and no where as many as seen even 10 years ago.
Thr cause isn’t clear why the population is not higher. Certainly WD has had an effect. I’ve seen black tailed fish several times.
Whether or not WD was in Stauffer for some years is unknown.
Several of the redds were HUGE indicating much larger browns. There was a gal who spawned at the B for W parking lot area for 5 years or more who created a similar redd. The creek changed slightly and she wasn’t seen again.
Saw a flock of ducks @ Clear Creek. That is new. Haven’t seen that for a while.
The only area left to check is the Stainbrooke/Leavitt Springs areas. May get to that this week.I like to leave that section as thr Brookies tend to spawn towards November.

Don

[Don Andersen]

Got to walk the Stainbrookes Springs area Sunday with a friend.
We saw perhaps 30 brookie redds with some fish still on them, we didn’t see any browns active.
We encountered <>22 brown redds which for this area rivals the numbers counted in years past. The redds were concentrated in three areas as is typical. There were at least two multiple redds where the count may be off by one.
Saw some things of concern.
1) The north cattle watering site 1/2 way through the site was destroyed enough that cows were using the area inside the exclusion fence breaking down the stream banks.
2) A number of the smaller spruce trees have turned a slightly yellow colour. The needles seemed to be alive. This group was within the Willow section about the mid point of the quarter.

A real plus, the willows that have moved back into the restored banks area are heavily moose grazed. Saw several moose beds.
And the water was off-colour all day likely due to the several hundred ducks parked in the slack water upstream of the culvert.
Just a short section left to due this year. We ran outta light on this section.

Don

[fishinsteel]

Nice read, Thx for posting...one of my favorite creeks to fish...