Rahway River 9/27

[phil]

Originally Posted by Suntzu

Stop looking for my trout, you will not find them
From the mill downstream to the parkway is beautiful smallmouth water
Just no smallmouth only sunnies, stunted at that

from the mill to the pkway is my hood now. ive only been here 3 weeks and with the drought conditions the way they've been that's good to hear because it was crazy low until last night...

[Billfish715]

The stretch below Orange Ave (once called the Lehigh Stretch) was maintained by avid fishing groups from the area who built rock dams and maintained the "fishability" of the river through there. Former Fish and Game councilman Hank Kelly lived across from the river in the stretch below the mill.That stretch was always maintained and well-stocked. Since the terrible flooding, that entire stretch has been bulldozed and channeled which has encouraged whatever trout that were stocked to move out. It never held trout much before, but the river looked more like a trout stream than it does today.

[phil]

Originally Posted by Billfish715

The stretch below Orange Ave (once called the Lehigh Stretch) was maintained by avid fishing groups from the area who built rock dams and maintained the "fishability" of the river through there. Former Fish and Game councilman Hank Kelly lived across from the river in the stretch below the mill.That stretch was always maintained and well-stocked. Since the terrible flooding, that entire stretch has been bulldozed and channeled which has encouraged whatever trout that were stocked to move out. It never held trout much before, but the river looked more like a trout stream than it does today.

interesting stuff, thanks. im thinking about joining the rahway river association and/or the trout unlimited group to stay involved in the goings on.

ive had thoughts about how to improve the fishing in my stretch and how to keep fish around without being obvious and bringing in heavy duty equipment, etc but I don't think the folks upriver would be too happy with my "ideas"

[Suntzu]

I think the Rahway River chapter of TA meets Wednesday's at the cranford community center
They do stream restoration work but not on the Rahway, more on SBR and the Musky I believe
Don't create DSM's in the river. Breaks, weird etc are ok but dams don't help they hurt the fishing

[Billfish715]

The stretch below Morris Ave. has the most promise at rehabilitation. That stretch was worked on extensively over 50 years ago. Some of the little runs and riffles there, today, are a result of the work that was done years ago. To build a dam (in the pure sense of the word) is impractical and impossible. Rocks placed in strategic positions and heights oxygenate the water and improve its quality and flow however. Fish are attracted to those spots and tend to hang around longer. They would have to be maintained yearly given the history of flooding on the Rahway. The area below St. George's Ave. is an attractive stretch that should be included on the spring stocking list. It is more fishable than most other places upstream, The river is not dead by any means but the effects of flood control have changed its character. It is a stream that is stocked with trout but certainly not a trout stream. It was and still is a put and take fishery so take it for what it's worth. You can put the trout you catch into buckets and move them to other areas, but eventually the river will claim them as well.

I learned to fish on the Rahway when I was a kid along with hundreds of other kids who found it a safe place to go that was within a bike ride for most of us. Opening day was a big deal back then. The banks were lined with kids and adults and families. For most of them, it was a yearly tradition and an event. The area above and below the dam in the center of town was packed. It was elbow to elbow with people staking their spots well before dawn. Winfield, Jackson's, Drescher's, the foot bridge, Route 22, Morris Ave., were packed. The Rahway might as well have been the South Branch or Musky. It was that popular. Those are stories for another day, but there is still a warm spot in my heart every time I pass by those places that were so much a part of my past, present and future.

[Suntzu]

Same for me. I have fished it every opening day for the last 40 years save one when I was living too far away
Hope is in the horizon as there is a plan underway to do significant dredging Nd flood control
The Mill Dam gate broke 12 years ago and cannot be closed. As a consequence the river upstream from there is essentially drained and silted over They should simply remove the dam

I remember fondly the opening days lines bs ms, making bonfires and the sense of community and love if fishing this created. I and every kid in the neighborhood fished the river all summer, and explored the UC lakes and ponds
It's a 23 mile river that travels through some of the most densely populated parts of the state and yet is very accessible and for the most part picturesque it deserves to be saved so that future generations of kids can learn to love fishing as we did

[Billfish715]

Fishing was fishing when we were kids. No matter how big or small or which species was around, if it had gills and fins, it was a target. Whether it was big red comet goldfish in Nomahegan Park or using size 14 hooks on 8# test mono to hook chubs and fall fish at the shooting range( before the dam was built) or shiners in Echo Lake, it was fishing. We dug worms in a manure pile at a local farm or found them under the leaves and thatch along the banks.. Homemade dough balls and hand picked night crawlers from the lawn at night all worked as bait. A bass was an exotic species that was seldom caught. If we wanted any other exotics like perch or crappies, we'd have to bike over to the Clark Reservoir. The Ash Brook in Clark also used to be stocked with trout. Our whole world was right here in Union County. Can you imagine a time when the section of the Rahway River just above, under and below the bridges on Route 22 was stocked with trout and crowded with fishermen? More on this at another time.

[logs22]

Attachment 89889

Originally Posted by Billfish715

. I learned to fish on the Rahway when I was a kid along with hundreds of other kids who found it a safe place to go that was within a bike ride for most of us. Opening day was a big deal back then. The banks were lined with kids and adults and families. For most of them, it was a yearly tradition and an event. The area above and below the dam in the center of town was packed. It was elbow to elbow with people staking their spots well before dawn. Winfield, Jackson's, Drescher's, the foot bridge, Route 22, Morris Ave., were packed. The Rahway might as well have been the South Branch or Musky. It was that popular. Those are stories for another day, but there is still a warm spot in my heart every time I pass by those places that were so much a part of my past, present and future.

I hope my son has these same type of memories growing up in Cranford near the river, and I am doing my best to ensure he does....(pictured are just two of our many adventures, Echo Lake and Rahway River near Sperry Park...)

[phil]

Originally Posted by logs22

Attachment 89889

I hope my son has these same type of memories growing up in Cranford near the river, and I am doing my best to ensure he does....(pictured are just two of our many adventures, Echo Lake and Rahway River near Sperry Park...)

***live update received within the last hour:

the sunfish in cranford are blitzing on munchkins at the no named pond near the gsp. its a hot bite and the uncatchable koi are shallow.

[logs22]

Originally Posted by phil

***live update received within the last hour:

the sunfish in cranford are blitzing on munchkins at the no named pond near the gsp. its a hot bite and the uncatchable koi are shallow.

I think it's formal name is 'Big Bend Lake' although lots of people call it Mohawk Lake/pond. Has the weed/algae/slime situation improved enough there to make it worth fishing for some bass? I know they are in there somewhere, although I usually start in pond and end up fishing river by dam. It's good like Rahway River Park pond like that - pond on one side and river right behind - two for price of one.