# Paint Creek



## flyfisher4life1 (Sep 5, 2011)

Just came back from Paint Creek, caught my first ever brown trout it was 14", caught it on a dry fly. Man, now I'm sure hooked on the Paint! This was my fourth trip ever, and the first time I ever caught something :yikes:, I changed stretches and sure enough I caught the brownie that was feasting on dries right behind a riffle. Special thanks to troutmaster for informing me on starting points on the river. I going out again next Saturday, hope to see another fly fisherman!:coco: 
Sorry for no pics... next time!


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## jaytothekizzay (Apr 1, 2002)

Ill be fly- fishing on the creek tomorrow morning

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## flyfisher4life1 (Sep 5, 2011)

jaytothekizzay said:


> Ill be fly- fishing on the creek tomorrow morning
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Good Luck!!!


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## Davelobi (Feb 14, 2012)

Ahh, the beautiful Paint.
I remember dunking leaf worms in the under cut banks for the opener and early season. Later in the summer, tiny black n silver Rapalas worked well. 
12-14 inches was the normal brown and a 16-18 got us excited.
The chubs and suckers soon far out numbered the trout and the DNR decided to poison the river, kill just (all) the fish and re-stock. The paint joins the Clinton river just below Rochester road (an awesome swimming hole by the way, where they meet) and that is where the junk fish entered. When they poisoned it (late 70's?) some 22-24 inch browns came floating up. I don't think the river has ever been the same but it remains beautiful (and not hours west for us east side of the state guys).

sorry, just seeing the name brought back great memories of childhood fishing with my dad.

Thanks


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## troutmaster (Jun 7, 2011)

Congratulations! Hope there's many more to come for you. 


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## flyfisher4life1 (Sep 5, 2011)

Davelobi said:


> Ahh, the beautiful Paint.
> I remember dunking leaf worms in the under cut banks for the opener and early season. Later in the summer, tiny black n silver Rapalas worked well.
> 12-14 inches was the normal brown and a 16-18 got us excited.
> The chubs and suckers soon far out numbered the trout and the DNR decided to poison the river, kill just (all) the fish and re-stock. The paint joins the Clinton river just below Rochester road (an awesome swimming hole by the way, where they meet) and that is where the junk fish entered. When they poisoned it (late 70's?) some 22-24 inch browns came floating up. I don't think the river has ever been the same but it remains beautiful (and not hours west for us east side of the state guys).
> ...


Awesome stream! Ehh?! Saw a couple of suckers, but hope they die off.


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## flyfisher4life1 (Sep 5, 2011)

troutmaster said:


> Congratulations! Hope there's many more to come for you.
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Thanks! You should go out on Saturday.


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## dsmith1427 (Dec 14, 2011)

I have been catching more chubs than trout and I throw them back. Should I be throwing them (chubs) back? or feeding them to the racoons?

Don


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## Davelobi (Feb 14, 2012)

dsmith1427 said:


> I have been catching more chubs than trout and I throw them back. Should I be throwing them (chubs) back? or feeding them to the racoons?
> 
> Don


absolutely Chuck them chubs over your left shoulder for luck.
Throw em far enough, they can flop around for a while. Don't want them getting a lucky secon chance in the river. Might not make a dent in the population but why support them?

I've even stepped on them. Makes kind of a satisfying revenge sound for not being the brown you were targeting.


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## Silverexpress (Sep 6, 2006)

I hope you guys are kidding.

http://www.lakesuperiorstreams.org/understanding/creekchub.html

Those chubs are food for big trout. 

And learn to treat those fingerlings like fragile eggs. Given a chance they'll grow up to be those big trout that eat the chubs. My theory as to why there are so much small fish and chubs in the parks is - most of the bigger fish get spooked. Thus it becomes a safe haven for smaller fish during the season.


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## flyfisher4life1 (Sep 5, 2011)

Davelobi said:


> absolutely Chuck them chubs over your left shoulder for luck.
> Throw em far enough, they can flop around for a while. Don't want them getting a lucky secon chance in the river. Might not make a dent in the population but why support them?
> 
> I've even stepped on them. Makes kind of a satisfying revenge sound for not being the brown you were targeting.


lol


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## flyfisher4life1 (Sep 5, 2011)

Silverexpress said:


> I hope you guys are kidding.
> 
> http://www.lakesuperiorstreams.org/understanding/creekchub.html
> 
> ...


Yea, your right. Such as shad in the Huron, their worthless but they sure are food for bigger fish!(Steelhead, Muskie, etc)


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## Silverexpress (Sep 6, 2006)

Browns don't grow on hook and feathers or on a diet of Mepps.

http://www.lake-link.com/forums/General-Fishing-Discussion/discuss.cfm/80273/eating-chubs

http://www.helium.com/items/997152-fishing-tips-chub


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## flyfisher4life1 (Sep 5, 2011)

Silverexpress said:


> Browns don't grow on hook and feathers or on a diet of Mepps.
> 
> http://www.lake-link.com/forums/General-Fishing-Discussion/discuss.cfm/80273/eating-chubs


They sure don't...


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## Davelobi (Feb 14, 2012)

Silverexpress said:


> I hope you guys are kidding.
> 
> Those chubs are food for big trout.
> 
> Given a chance they'll grow up to be those big trout that eat the chubs



Oh my! 
I seriously hope you are the one that is kidding.
Those chubs grow like crazy. From a thousand fertalized chub eggs.. 2 thousand survive! Then they eat the larval and terristerial bugs and worms that should be trout food in a designated trout stream. Then they eat the trout spawn and fry.

Oh, and by the way, as far as the "big trout that eat the chubs" ..
There are no big trout in the paint. Most of the browns and chubs are about the same size. There are a few fun size browns in there but not chub eating size.

Please continue your good stewardship of this pretty little creek by eliminating the rough (junk) fish one at a time as you catch them. 

One last thought; the state wouldn't bother to poison kill all these pesky trash fish out off the river if they were trout food.


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## vano397 (Sep 15, 2006)

Davelobi said:


> Oh my!
> I seriously hope you are the one that is kidding.
> Those chubs grow like crazy. From a thousand fertalized chub eggs.. 2 thousand survive! Then they eat the larval and terristerial bugs and worms that should be trout food in a designated trout stream. Then they eat the trout spawn and fry.
> 
> ...


I seriously beg to differ on the size of the trout in paint creek. I had a lot of days down there that I caught nothing but planter sized fish yes, but I had some of those days when everything is over 14 and wants to eat whatever you throw, including rapalas/streamers the size of chubs... Also the biggest brown I have ever caught, which sadly escaped before I could take a picture, was out of paint creek... I wish it was out of the PM or Jordan or somewhere pristine like that, but it was out of this unique little creek, and it was the fattest 24" brown I have ever seen! So there are plenty of chub eaters in there.


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## dsmith1427 (Dec 14, 2011)

Davelobi said:


> Oh my!
> I seriously hope you are the one that is kidding.
> Those chubs grow like crazy. From a thousand fertalized chub eggs.. 2 thousand survive! Then they eat the larval and terristerial bugs and worms that should be trout food in a designated trout stream. Then they eat the trout spawn and fry.
> 
> ...


My thoughts were the same. I was on a trip in Montana when a guide killed an invasive fish and fed it to he bears. He apologized to me than explained they are a more aggressive species that compete with trout for food. Given the opportunity, the invasive species would greatly affect the trout population. 

Also, a lot of the chub that I caught, are quite large, six to eight inches and I have not fished in the park. My fishing was above and below the park. 

Don


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## Davelobi (Feb 14, 2012)

Glad to hear that the paint has made a come back with some browns of size. Been a while since I've been there but I'd be very surprised if the average size is over 12 inches and a high teens would be a rare fish. Good pan fryers for sure but I hope most of them make it back to the creek.


The big chubs will make your heart skip a beat for a second then you can tell right away that it is a chub by the non fighting wiggle on the other end and disappointment settles in. Not the trout you came for. Pitch it up on the bank and wade to the next hole.

Nice urban fishery. Trout are fun to fool. Not much public access.


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## Silverexpress (Sep 6, 2006)

dsmith1427 said:


> My thoughts were the same. I was on a trip in Montana when a guide killed an invasive fish and fed it to he bears. He apologized to me than explained they are a more aggressive species that compete with trout for food. Given the opportunity, the invasive species would greatly affect the trout population.
> 
> Also, a lot of the chub that I caught, are quite large, six to eight inches and I have not fished in the park. My fishing was above and below the park.
> 
> Don


Creek chubs are not invasive species. They are a natural species. Whereas Browns, and Rainbows are Introduced species in the Clinton Valley Watershed.

The retenone kills in the past where done to give the Browns and Rainbows(Steelhead) a good starting point from a fisheries point of view.


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## The Downstream Drift (Feb 27, 2010)

I would spend some more time on the creek if you think there "are no big trout in the creek". Every year I (and several others I know) land over a dozen fish that are between 18 and 22 inches. They are there, you just have to find them.


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