smithgall feeding?

[flyguy287]

I have fished Dukes around four or five times in the past year and have never seen a feeding station. I have heared about the feeding and feeding stations, but have never seen one. If they do exist, why do they have them.
-Josh

[flyguy287]

*Where*(not why)

[Jimmy Harris]

Josh,

They do not have automated feeding stations at Smithgall. They feed by hand. The reason they have to feed is the same reason all of us with big fish have to feed. The streams in this part of the world, with the granite substrate bottoms, just don't have the right pH to support a lot of bug life. If you don't have sufficient bug life, you can only support a limited amount and size of fish. The quality of the water in our streams is very good so all we have to do is supplement the amount of food available and we can have some super fishing. If done properly (& I think Smithgall is doing a very good job) supplemental feeding in no way lessens the fishing experience. Judging from the number of anglers on Dukes, and on our streams, who have tough days, I would wager that fishing these kinds of streams may be more difficult than your average stocked stream.