Area man completes epic quest to make all streams of America
From expert fly fishermen and dedicated spin fishermen to the lowly earthworm dunker, the operative word for Pennsylvania anglers right now is “trout.” As we enter the second week of our southeastern regional trout season and look forward to the statewide opener this Saturday on April 15, commonwealth fishermen are dreaming of that trophy rainbow, brown, brook, or golden palomino trout dancing at the end of their lines.
And more than a few of the local fishermen who enjoyed our regional opener will soon head upstate to trout camp for another crack at fresh trout and a taste of opening day déjà vu all over again. But anglers emigrating to upstate streams and lakes may lack familiarity with the best places to cast a fly or the primo honey hole in which to wet a line.
That’s where mapmaker Mike Gogal of Warrington in Bucks County comes in.
I spent a few days with Gogal back in February when he helped me man the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association’s booth at the Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Sports Show. There Gogal articulated his ongoing obsession to map every stream in the country. He also expressed palpable relief that he had finally completed this epic quest. “It’s been two and a half years of hard work,” he sighed, “but now I’ve finally completed the set with the launch of Stream Map USA’s North Central edition.”
Gogal operates Gogal Publishing Company, a mapmaking firm now specializing in unique outdoor maps designed for iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. His signature product, Stream Map USA, is a series of eight regional apps that cover every stream in the lower 48 U.S. states.
Back in 2014, Gogal, whose company had long produced
traditional paper maps of Pennsylvania streams (I still have a collection in my truck), decided to sit down at his computer and start mapping America’s streams with the intent of creating phone apps to supplement and/or replace the old parchment products.
“I wanted to abandon the traditional blue lines of old and map each stream in a unique color to make it easier to find and follow,” he said. “Any tributary would simply be colored differently. As I looked at the preliminary results, I realized these maps could really be something.”
The result of all Gogal’s hard work and research now allows fishermen to explore even the most remote rivers, lakes, and streams by merely tapping on the screen of their mobile devices. When an angler arrives at the ol’ fishin’ hole, Stream Map USA turns the mobile device into a handheld GPS. This feature is ideal for marking fishing hotspots, campsites, tree stands, scenic locations, or just about anywhere you might wish to revisit. To get back, simply tap your waypoint’s “Target” button and use the built-in navigation compass, which points the way and counts down the distance right to your spot, working even without cellular service.
Stream Map USA’s searchable color coded maps can be viewed over roadmaps, satellite images, or high resolution topographic maps. It also includes USGS Stream Gauge markers that provides instant access to current water conditions through the US Geological Survey’s National Water Information Service.
I have the app installed on my own phone and can vouch for its effectiveness. It will lead you to whatever kind of trout fishing you’re looking for. From Stocked Trout Waters to Class A Trout Waters, to Wilderness Trout Waters to Special Regulation stretches, these apps are the most comprehensive guide to American trout fishing you can find and an indispensable accessory for any serious trout fisherman.
“Stream Map USA is the culmination of years of work and I’m not stopping here,” Gogal confessed. “I plan to continue improving them and intend to make these maps the gold standard for outdoor enthusiasts and watershed managers for years to come.”
Stream Map USA is currently available for purchase on the App Store and Google Play. Each edition is priced at $9.99 and each purchase can be installed on multiple devices including both phones and tablets. For more info, visit StreamMapUSA.com or simply search for it on your app store.
DEER HARVEST DATA >> According to data recently released by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania’s buck harvest increased 9 percent and the overall deer harvest was up 6 percent for the 2016-17 seasons which closed back in January. Hunters harvested an estimated 333,254 deer in 2016-17, an increase of about 6 percent compared to the 2015-16 harvest of 315,813. Of those, 149,460 were antlered deer – an increase of about 9 percent compared to the previous license year when an estimated 137,580 bucks were taken.
The takeaway here is that this represents the state’s largest harvest of antlered deer since 2002. Bowhunters accounted for nearly 33 percent of the overall deer harvest, taking 109,250 deer (59,550 bucks and 49,700 does) with archery tackle. Meanwhile, 20,409 deer (1,350 bucks and 19,059 does) were harvested during muzzleloader seasons. The percentage of older bucks in the harvest remained high with 56 percent of bucks taken by Pennsylvania hunters during the 201617 deer seasons being 2½ years old or older. In 201516, 59 percent of bucks in the harvest were 2 ½ years old or older.
TROUT STOCKING >> In-season stocking of trout continues here in our southeastern region with the following streams slated to get fresh trout this week: BERKS: (April 10) Mantawny Creek. (April 13) Antietam Creek, Antietam Reservoir, Willow Creek. CHESTER: (April 10) East Branch Brandywine Creek, West Valley Creek. MONTGOMERY: (April 10) Skippack Creek. (April 17) Unami Creek.
TROUT RODEO >> The West Chester Fish, Game, and Wildlife Association’s Annual “Chip Gibson” Memorial Trout Rodeo is set for this Saturday, April 15, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the WCFGWA Nursery at 900 Ravine Road in Downingtown. This event is free of charge and open to all children age 15 and under. Lunch will be provided but participants must supply their own bait and tackle. FLY FISHING PRESENTATION >> Former Pottstown Mercury outdoors columnist Bob Ballantyne will present a program entitled “Key West and the Lower Keys Fly Fishing: Winter - The other Species” on Monday, April 17 at 6:00 p.m. at the West Bradford Fire Substation, 1385 Campus Drive, Downingtown. The program will host the “Project Healing Waters” group from the Valley Forge Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
TROUT SEASON ALSO MEANS
TICK SEASON >> As our weather warms the trout won’t be the only critters that are biting. Dog and deer ticks are posed to feast on flesh - both yours and your favorite pet’s. Those little bloodsucking disease carrying parasites pose a threat to all of us who enjoy our time outdoors. As cases of Lyme Disease continue to spike in our area, you can’t be too careful to protect yourself from the consequences of a tick bite. I’ve always removed embedded ticks with tweezers and alcohol, a method that risks leaving a part of the insect still beneath the skin. But I recently discovered there’s a better way to oust these pesky little buggers from your own or your pet’s epidermis. It’s a new product called Rid-A-Tick which bills itself as a safe and easy tick removal system consisting of an adhesive patch that you place over the tick while it is still in your skin or your pet’s. The patch, in effect, smothers the air-breathing tick and forces it to back out from your skin. After a few minutes, the patch is removed taking the tick with it. Check out this simple but effective tick removal method at their website at http://rid-a-tick.com/ index.htm.