Spruce Run

All about trout fishing in the great Garden State!
Fishybig
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by Fishybig » Wed Oct 28, 2020 5:07 pm

martalus wrote: ↑
Wed Oct 28, 2020 4:57 pm
There used to be big wild brownies below the Glen Gardner but above the reservoir. Is that no longer the case?
Haha funny guy😜 you've been gone a long time

martalus
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by martalus » Wed Oct 28, 2020 6:03 pm

Yes, I guess its been awhile. I remember fishing Spruce Run Creek by that since closed down restaurant on route 31 on March 7th of 2009 and caught two 16-18 inch wild browns on in the same pool on a trout magnet. I think I even posted a pic on the last iteration of this site. It was always a bit weird fishing near the highway and there was often trash in the river, but at that time apparently the water quality was still excellent.

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Rusty Spinner
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by Rusty Spinner » Thu Oct 29, 2020 10:16 am

martalus wrote: ↑
Wed Oct 28, 2020 6:03 pm
Yes, I guess its been awhile. I remember fishing Spruce Run Creek by that since closed down restaurant on route 31 on March 7th of 2009 and caught two 16-18 inch wild browns on in the same pool on a trout magnet. I think I even posted a pic on the last iteration of this site. It was always a bit weird fishing near the highway and there was often trash in the river, but at that time apparently the water quality was still excellent.
According to lightenup, they are gone. According to Division biologists that electro fish it since the quarry spill, they are still there and one I know of over 20". But their numbers are low to be sure.
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

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Rusty Spinner
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by Rusty Spinner » Thu Oct 29, 2020 10:22 am

Fishybig wrote: ↑
Wed Oct 28, 2020 4:50 pm
So what's the over.under on the current solution prematurely failing? Shouldn't erosion ,when related to a bridge be treated with very long term solutions?
I would need to stop by once work is completed in late November and see what they did to be able to offer an answer from a professional standpoint. What concerns me most is the huge number of days it is taking them which is a clear demonstration that they don't understand working in running water. They brought in Jersey Block to make a coffer dam. Absolutely no need to do that whatsoever which is sending up red flags to all who are in the know about this type of river restoration work. If my firm had done this job, we needed 4-5 days to complete it and yes, I looked at this work in case I got a call from the quarry folks which never happened.
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

martalus
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by martalus » Thu Oct 29, 2020 10:46 am

Too bad that a good stream is getting messed up. I am not sure what the density was, but whenever I fished that stream from the reservoir up to that restaurant I would get both small and large wild browns along with stocked rainbows. Rainbows would holdover quite well. Back in the early mid 2000s when they used to stock the reservoir, there would be some very large brownies running up both creeks-I remember fishing the Mulhock' one day in early fall in 2005 and seeing dozens of browns in the 15-20 inch range and one that was in the 25-30 inch range. At first I though it was a log until it moved and I saw the spots in the crystal clear water. I think this was a year or to after they stopped stocking but there was still a run up the creeks.

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lightenup
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by lightenup » Thu Oct 29, 2020 12:11 pm

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑
Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:59 pm
lightenup wrote: ↑
Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:18 pm
Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑
Wed Oct 28, 2020 9:31 am


I was correct in that it was for the quarry's SEP project, and I swung by yesterday. It's a disaster and the engineer is the same one that screwed the pooch on the Ramapo for one of my competitors when the Borough of Oakland tried to restore sections of that river a few years back. Being a WTS, all work in stream and on banks should be completed by September 15th of any year and stay closed out until March 15 of the following year for trout spawning. Instead, the DEP allowed the project to begin after 9/15 thinking it would be completed by early October and the Division biologists and DEP know our trout don't spawn until a bit later. But what my firm would see as a 5 day job (4.5 was my estimate), this company (name?) is taking months. They have apparently asked for an extension and were granted same through the end of November. Unreal....
Haven't seen a wild trout down that far since early last year. I fish there a lot and those little wild brownies and brookies in there are stupid and easy to catch. Upstream sure. I also haven't seen any of those large breeders that show up in the fall for 5 years....stream is on a heavy decline.
Regardless, that section is listed as Wild Trout water. I think DEP just wanted this over with so that the quarry and DEP staff can put it behind them. Sets a bad precedent if they allow a company that from what we know has never done river work to work during the closed trout spawning closure on a WTS.
They may be in for a surprise tonight...The wall they built to keep the water away from the construction looks far to low to stop today's rain...I believe it will flood over and cause a mess.

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lightenup
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by lightenup » Thu Oct 29, 2020 12:14 pm

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑
Thu Oct 29, 2020 10:16 am
martalus wrote: ↑
Wed Oct 28, 2020 6:03 pm
Yes, I guess its been awhile. I remember fishing Spruce Run Creek by that since closed down restaurant on route 31 on March 7th of 2009 and caught two 16-18 inch wild browns on in the same pool on a trout magnet. I think I even posted a pic on the last iteration of this site. It was always a bit weird fishing near the highway and there was often trash in the river, but at that time apparently the water quality was still excellent.
According to lightenup, they are gone. According to Division biologists that electro fish it since the quarry spill, they are still there and one I know of over 20". But their numbers are low to be sure.
haven't seen one in 5 years, that doesn't mean they are gone, but the little wild brownies are missing lower down now. maybe a few are left but I remember seeing and catching multiple wild fish on each pool, now, nada. Last large Brownie I saw was well over 5 pounds and sounded like a freight train when it swam..

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Rusty Spinner
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by Rusty Spinner » Thu Oct 29, 2020 1:46 pm

lightenup wrote: ↑
Thu Oct 29, 2020 12:11 pm
Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑
Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:59 pm
lightenup wrote: ↑
Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:18 pm

Haven't seen a wild trout down that far since early last year. I fish there a lot and those little wild brownies and brookies in there are stupid and easy to catch. Upstream sure. I also haven't seen any of those large breeders that show up in the fall for 5 years....stream is on a heavy decline.
Regardless, that section is listed as Wild Trout water. I think DEP just wanted this over with so that the quarry and DEP staff can put it behind them. Sets a bad precedent if they allow a company that from what we know has never done river work to work during the closed trout spawning closure on a WTS.
They may be in for a surprise tonight...The wall they built to keep the water away from the construction looks far to low to stop today's rain...I believe it will flood over and cause a mess.
Ugh! On the bright side, there has been a fair amount of talk within the DEP about some form of approvals for river restoration companies working in NJ including dam removals to keep out the riff raff who cause issues like we are seeing here. Not sure of the logistics or timeframe, but several federal and state employees and outside partners have mentioned it to me the last year or so.
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

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lightenup
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by lightenup » Fri Oct 30, 2020 12:44 pm

It went over the Dam but it looks like all is well. BTW it snowed this morning by me as well.

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lightenup
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by lightenup » Sat Oct 31, 2020 12:13 pm

lightenup wrote: ↑
Fri Oct 30, 2020 12:44 pm
It went over the Dam but it looks like all is well. BTW it snowed this morning by me as well.
Update, the berm sank a bit in the middle and the area of construction is filled with sediment now...

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Rusty Spinner
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by Rusty Spinner » Mon Nov 02, 2020 9:25 am

lightenup wrote: ↑
Sat Oct 31, 2020 12:13 pm
lightenup wrote: ↑
Fri Oct 30, 2020 12:44 pm
It went over the Dam but it looks like all is well. BTW it snowed this morning by me as well.
Update, the berm sank a bit in the middle and the area of construction is filled with sediment now...
Just what you want in the channel during this week's spawn. :roll:
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

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lightenup
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by lightenup » Fri Nov 20, 2020 2:52 pm

It looks like the retaining wall is finished, and from what I can see from the road, it has a funny curve to it and the pool is now shallow and filled with sediment. Someone who knows more about this stuff should drive down and take another look. They may have ruined one of the best fishing holes on the creek, or not. I'll update when the park is open again.

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Rusty Spinner
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by Rusty Spinner » Mon Nov 23, 2020 9:32 am

lightenup wrote: ↑
Fri Nov 20, 2020 2:52 pm
It looks like the retaining wall is finished, and from what I can see from the road, it has a funny curve to it and the pool is now shallow and filled with sediment. Someone who knows more about this stuff should drive down and take another look. They may have ruined one of the best fishing holes on the creek, or not. I'll update when the park is open again.
I may be able to run over this morning. If not today, then before Turkey Day.
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

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lightenup
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by lightenup » Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:40 pm

I stopped an looked today. Hopefully the current cleans out the pool a little. I also see a large tree stump deflecting water before the wall downstream, what happens when that rots away?

brookie222
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by brookie222 » Sun Dec 06, 2020 5:32 pm

Eastern Concrete (Glen Gardner quarry) is seeking a change of use to their permit to begin to accept, process and store aggregate material. There is a Zoom hearing scheduled for this coming Tuesday, December 8th, on the application. Notice of the meeting can be found if you search at https://www.njpublicnotices.com/ . There have been discharge issues from this quarry requiring remediation in the recent past. Is anyone from the trout fishing/ stream conservation community planning to attend or present?

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Rusty Spinner
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by Rusty Spinner » Wed Dec 09, 2020 10:23 am

brookie222 wrote: ↑
Sun Dec 06, 2020 5:32 pm
Eastern Concrete (Glen Gardner quarry) is seeking a change of use to their permit to begin to accept, process and store aggregate material. There is a Zoom hearing scheduled for this coming Tuesday, December 8th, on the application. Notice of the meeting can be found if you search at https://www.njpublicnotices.com/ . There have been discharge issues from this quarry requiring remediation in the recent past. Is anyone from the trout fishing/ stream conservation community planning to attend or present?
My RVTU chapter is circulating a sign on petition against this expansion.
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

JAD
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by JAD » Thu Dec 10, 2020 12:44 pm

Any way to get that petition online?

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lightenup
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by lightenup » Sat Dec 12, 2020 3:42 pm

JAD wrote: ↑
Thu Dec 10, 2020 12:44 pm
Any way to get that petition online?
Yes please!!!!

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lightenup
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Re: Spruce Run

Post by lightenup » Sat Dec 12, 2020 3:43 pm

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑
Thu Oct 29, 2020 10:16 am
martalus wrote: ↑
Wed Oct 28, 2020 6:03 pm
Yes, I guess its been awhile. I remember fishing Spruce Run Creek by that since closed down restaurant on route 31 on March 7th of 2009 and caught two 16-18 inch wild browns on in the same pool on a trout magnet. I think I even posted a pic on the last iteration of this site. It was always a bit weird fishing near the highway and there was often trash in the river, but at that time apparently the water quality was still excellent.
According to lightenup, they are gone. According to Division biologists that electro fish it since the quarry spill, they are still there and one I know of over 20". But their numbers are low to be sure.
Sure Rusty, tell everybody...like the stockings and fishing pressure and quarry screw ups don't put enough pressure on my private creek. ;)

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