CHESTNUTHILL TOWNSHIP -- The recent heat wave is difficult for some, and uncomfortable for others.
Usually on a July day, Big Brown Fish Hatchery near Effort is packed with people hoping to catch the big one, but with the recent hot weather it's been tough--not only for those fishing but for the fish themselves.
A group from Drums tried their luck for a few hours.
"Definitely having a hard time catching something here today," said Angela Reinmiller of Drums.
Charlie Conklin, the president of the hatchery, tells Newswatch 16 the reason the trout aren't biting is because the water is too warm.
"When that water gets up into the 70s, the trout don't bite well and that is the point we've gotten to," Conklin said.
The hatchery is a place where people pay for what they catch. Not only are the hot temps affecting the ponds, it's also affecting business.
"They just don't bite as well and people come here because they want to catch fish. In fact, our thing here is that the fish are always biting and they are always biting but they aren't biting in this pond," Conklin said.
Even though those who were fishing in that pond were having a hard time catching trout, over in a smaller one, the fish were a little bit more active.
The reason fish are more visible in the smaller pond is because of a free flow. The water is cooler and that's why this section is packed to the gills with trout.
"We chose this pond because there is obviously more fish here and like I said before, there is also shade so we are trying to stay cool in the shade too," said Dave Baldwin of Kunkletown. "They like it when it's colder and deeper obviously. This is a hotter section here. They are all up on the surface."
People at the hatchery hope rain this week will perk up the trout. Until then, they plan to pump as much cold water and oxygen into the ponds to keep the fish biting for as long as they can.
