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Project begins to restore fishing spot
It's the things he's seen -- and not seen -- this summer that will always stick in Jim Zoschg's mind. In years past, an evening drive along Route 120 and the Driftwood Branch of Sinnemahoning Creek in Cameron County would have revealed lots of fishermen. That's not the case now. On June 30, 28 cars from a Norfolk Southern train derailed near Gardeau, along the McKean/Cameron county border. About 44,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda or lye, spilled out. Some of the pollution entered Sinnemahoning-Portage Creek, wiping out all of the fish -- including wild brook and brown trout -- and insects in the next 7 1/2 miles of water. John Arway, chief of the environmental services division for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, said surveys have revealed that the spill killed fish as far as 30 miles downstream the Driftwood Branch of the Sinnemahoning, however, all the way to the stream's confluence with the First Fork and Wycoff Run.
Low Flows Compound a High Drama
This summer has certainly been one of great joy for holiday- makers and sun worshippers. The sun has been working overtime while the rains have been on strike - until this last weekend. River fishing has been virtually at a standstill except for some trout fishing around dusk and sewin fishing at night. Rivers like the Towy and Rheidol have produced a few quality sewin intermittently despite the low water levels. Sewin, often referred to as the children of the tide, have been scarce on most rivers and even on rivers where stocks appeared more numerous, the fishing conditions have been atrocious. Anglers sometimes equate catches with stocks when in fact the catches often reflect the fishing conditions. Anglers are very concerned about the future of sewin and salmon stocks especially as several of those important nursery streams are drying up.
NOTES: Event features fishing legend
The Blue Grass Chapter of Trout Unlimited will host a special event on Monday, Aug. 14, with fly-fishing legends Dave and Emily Whitlock. Dave Whitlock is a renowned conservationist, fly tyer, writer and artist. His presentation and fly casting demonstration will be held at 6 p.m. at the Good Ol' Days Farm, 544 Old Frankfort, in Midway. Reservations are required, and tickets are $30 per person. For tickets call Holly Phipps at (859) 351-7158, or e-mail: hphipps@ballhomes.com. "How fortunate for the world of fly fishing that Dave Whitlock was born in the right place, in the right era, and got started on the right road," wrote John Randolph, editor of Fly Fisherman, in 2000. "In a sport where the arcane is standard fare, he makes fly-tying innovations and new fishing techniques practical and understandable.
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