Ramapo Report 4/21

[BT67]

First outing of the trout season for me. Was watching the weather today with the predicted T storms in the afternoon. Out mid morning, First spot my go to spot in Mahwah, decent flow...nada , nilch, nothing not a nibble or anything that resembled a fish seen(Obviously not stocked) 2nd spot picked 2 small stockers. Next spot , waited out storm, got back on river, now a helleva lot cooler and windy. Got 3 small stockers at this spot and thats it. Disappointed...probably fished for 5-6 hours just 2 weeks after the opener and fish were few and far between and what I caught were all small. 2nd year in a row now with Covid restrictions has really put a damper on the Ramapo fishery with is usually better with the help of TU spreading the fish around. There was supposedly a full pre season and April fish stocking all before the opener, where the hell are all the fish?

[FASTEDDIE29]

It’s possible they skipped a couple spots with the state being short handed with help. They can swim up and down pretty quickly when pressured. Have you tried other spots near your favorite stretch? Hope you find em’ next time man.

[Billfish715]

Eddie is on the money about the stocking. Yes, there was preseason stocking in many places but not all places. Seasonal helpers were limited so help with stocking was also limited. Some places were stocked in the days just before the opener. I know of several streams that were stocked with almost a full truckload of fish all off one bridge or in one spot. The same truck would then drive about 400 yards farther and dump the rest.

Other places on the stream were ignored. The trucks can only hold so many fish for only so long and in many cases, multiple stockings had to be done in one day. They had to release a massive amount of fish during a very short timeframe. Stocking was limited because of time and resources.

During the preseason period and the week following the opener, I fished at one spot that had been stocked at least twice with almost a full truckload of trout. It was non-stop catching. A move to a favorite spot not far from there was almost a complete shutout.

By now, some of the fish have spread out but the numbers are thin. In places where there is put and take fishing, the taking seemed to be pretty good on the opener.......if you were in the right place. When you figure that 200 trout might have been stocked in one spot on the stream, and 25 fishermen each caught and kept a limit, that’s 150 fish. If that was on opening day or the next day, how many of those 50 that are left are still where they were put?

I don’t blame the state. They had a big job to do. What would have taken an additional month to do was finished in a few weeks by condensing the schedule. I do think fewer and fewer fishermen will be out until the next stocking period. Even then, the majority of stocked waters will not receive any fish.

If you like fishing, you’ll have lots of room to yourself. If you like catching, you’ll have to be pretty good or wait until they stock again.

[RWole]

Hopefully the State goes back to the traditional stocking schedule. It is much nicer having the full season of stocking April - May. I think its much more beneficial for those without boats, gives them a longer season. I do not agree at all with the way stocking has been done the past 2 seasons.

[Drossi]

No complaints on this end regarding stocking. I've found fish each time I've gone out, save for one excursion to an obvious stocking point. I've also found fish places I know they weren't stocked in given the COVID protocols on stocking help so they have spread in the higher water.

Get out, walk, enjoy....it's not always about non-stop catching. :)

[Hookmanski]

No complaints on this end regarding stocking. I've found fish each time I've gone out, save for one excursion to an obvious stocking point. I've also found fish places I know they weren't stocked in given the COVID protocols on stocking help so they have spread in the higher water.

Get out, walk, enjoy....it's not always about non-stop catching. :)

I agree with you man. Several times this year so far, I stopped off at random stocking points while running errands and was able to hook up with a stockie or two. They’re doing their best, and the fish are pretty, but you can’t expect it to be phenomenal given the circumstances. I love the hunt too which helps with that.

[BT67]

been fishing for trout since I was a young teenager, I'm in my 50's now. I know how to fish and have no problem walking and moving around. I never fish where there are crowds. Bottom line is these last 2 years COVID restrictions stocking situations sucks in my opinion. There is no way they have stocked a full pre season and spring allotment already, no way. I have other trout fishing friends that agree wholeheartedly. We are just 3 weeks into the season and the Ramapo supposedly got stocked with 13K trout! even if areas were absolutely pounded for 3 weeks there still should be literally thousands left.

Gonna hit up another river tomorrow with a buddy and see if anywhere else is different.

[Billfish715]

Despite a disappointing preseason (April 2nd) trip to one of my go-to spots in Warren County, I returned on Saturday to the same stretch and was pleasantly surprised. Dozens of trout were rising everywhere in a spot that had no action when I was there last. I know that trout were stocked after April 1st and I have to assume these fish were a result of one of those stockings. Perhaps they swam downstream from a stocking point farther upstream but the best case scenario is that they were stocked closer to where I was.

While the trout were very selectively feeding on emergers, it was tough matching the hatch. I switched flies several times with only a fish here and there on each change. I finally dug out a small emerger and tied it on. That was the ticket as I picked 7 or 8 fish and turned many others until it was time to leave. Even better, I was the only fisherman there, albeit I was back off the beaten track. All fish were released to be caught again and spread out more.

[Drossi]

been fishing for trout since I was a young teenager, I'm in my 50's now. I know how to fish and have no problem walking and moving around. I never fish where there are crowds. Bottom line is these last 2 years COVID restrictions stocking situations sucks in my opinion. There is no way they have stocked a full pre season and spring allotment already, no way. I have other trout fishing friends that agree wholeheartedly. We are just 3 weeks into the season and the Ramapo supposedly got stocked with 13K trout! even if areas were absolutely pounded for 3 weeks there still should be literally thousands left.

Gonna hit up another river tomorrow with a buddy and see if anywhere else is different.

I'm 50+ as well and have been trout fishing since I was old enough to manage wading a river on my own (7). Can't comment on the Ramapo as I've never set foot in it. I do stand by my sentiments otherwise. Found fish again on Saturday away from the stocking points. That they outsmarted me is another question, fish rising all around, me cycling through a bunch of dry flies, I finally did get one on a partridge and orange soft hackle. :)

It's bug season.

[BT67]

I'm 50+ as well and have been trout fishing since I was old enough to manage wading a river on my own (7). Can't comment on the Ramapo as I've never set foot in it. I do stand by my sentiments otherwise. Found fish again on Saturday away from the stocking points. That they outsmarted me is another question, fish rising all around, me cycling through a bunch of dry flies, I finally did get one on a partridge and orange soft hackle. :)

It's bug season.


yeah the post was about the Ramapo specifically. Went out west with a friend on Saturday and had a totally different experience. Lots of fish and bites on one of the nicest stretches of water I've fished in a long time.

[baetis]

It is amazing how quickly spots get fished out. I've stuck with fly fishing this year and the C&R period was lights out. A fish every drift. You go one week after catch and keep opens and it is 2-3 fish per trip instead of 20-30.

I did fish one small brook where they apparently dumped 90% of the fish in two spots instead of spreading them out which was disappointing.