Elkhorn Creek Hellgrammites

[jcb]

Or Go-devils, as we always called 'em...

I was walking the creekbank tonight and saw a soft plastic imitation hellgrammite someone had lost. Reminded me of the ONLY way we used to fish Elkhorn 20-30 years ago. It's been a long, long time since I've seen one in the creek, but years ago we could seine up 50 in a couple turns of the net. 50 turned to 30, to 10 to...nothing over the years.

Nothing could touch a go-devil for fishing. You could catch a dozen bass or redeye on one of those tough little buggers.

I've heard various theories about their seeming demise, the most plausible of which being that they were simply eaten by the millions of catfish fingerlings the 1994 (?) flood washed into Elkhorn from the KDFWR hatchery on Indian Gap Road. Others I've talked to have also suspected water quality may be an issue.

Any of you other creekers seen any go-devils on Elkhorn in recent years?

[lil skeeter]

ive done a little wade fishing and rock turning on elkhorn and have yet to see any, but the crawdads are another story.

[stratos185]

I have lived on the north elkhorn creek since 1976 and used to take my 2 young sons wading in the creek. Used to see as many hellgrammites as crawfish but they have gradually disappeared over the years. After the massive flood that occured on March 1, 1997 the creek has never been the same. My youngest son used to catch redeye and smallmouth on a flyrod till his arm was sore and after the flood nothing.

[AndyG]

I fished elkhorn a lot back 6 or 7 years ago. Back then I used live bait, I was just starting to fish. I remember how shoked I was that I couldnt seine up hellgrammites like I could in the river back in Harlan. In the poor fork you can easily get a couple hundred in a half hour with a couple guys and a good seine. Id get a hellgrammite or two occasionally on Elkhorn, but nothing like I was used to.

This reminded me- I once caught a red eye that was around 12", a good one, on a hellgrammite. The crazy thing was, the fish wasnt hooked, the hellgrammite had its bottom lip in its pinchers. I raised the fish completely out of the water with my rod and the hellgrmmite wouldnt let go until I pryed it off. I swear its true.

[nonamesleft47]

Haven't seen one on Elkhorn in a long time and I always sein and catch my bait on the creek, craws, minnows, whatever. I wonder if anybody biologist have ever researched this? You'd think it would have something to do with pollution but I've seen them in the Licking and some smaller creeks in the last few years and to me they have alot more pollution than Elkhorn.

[AndyG]

Haven't seen one on Elkhorn in a long time and I always sein and catch my bait on the creek, craws, minnows, whatever. I wonder if anybody biologist have ever researched this? You'd think it would have something to do with pollution but I've seen them in the Licking and some smaller creeks in the last few years and to me they have alot more pollution than Elkhorn.

I would sure think the creek in harlan thats full of them is way more polluted than elkhorn due to straight pipes and coal mines.

[Banjodale]

I've read that the 97' flood washed them all out. I'm not sure why haven't reinduced the dobsonflys that hellgramites molt into after a few months. It seems that one of the best smallmouth streams in Ky should have one of the best smallmouth prey, especially since they were there in the first place.

[jcb]

Andy, I've had that happen with a really small fish but a 12" redeye, that's incredible.

Banjodale, I've wondered the same thing. I might look into this with a KDFWR biologist friend of mine.

Seining was as much fun as fishing. Nothing beats throwing a go-devil inside a newbie's chest waders

[redneckshadrap]

No!

[Mancave]

I have fished the South Fork since '94 (floated and wading). Haven't seen a hellgramite, go-devil, tuffy, in at least 10 years. Turn rocks over every time I'm there hoping someday to be surprised. Seems like the fishing in general has deteriorated dramatically as well.

[jcb]

Thanks for the responses and also the private emails on this topic. Heard from my KDFWR friend, who said that although a return of the hellgrammite population would be a great thing for Elkhorn, restocking would be tough because of the difficulty in obtaining them in sufficient numbers.

He also said they just finished a fish population study on Elkhorn and were pleased with the results.

[redneckshadrap]

There's a creek in Richmond that has them....