Quote Originally Posted by ScottP View Post
... As I moved upstream, the fish started pushing 12" - woohooo! I rounded a bend and came to a house on the far bank; the owner came out to inform me, nicely, that I was fishing on their property (I missed the signs, somehow), and asked that I move upstream a bit. As soon as I got back on public water, the size of the fish reverted back. ...
I have often wondered what the fishing was like say, 1 mile downstream. Since few landowners own more than 100 yards of streambank, it's never made sense to me to ask permission to find out. But your experience certainly brings that question back to the forefront of my mind.

Since my local streams are not in or near Shenandoah N.P., they do not receive much pressure even on the public stretches due to their small size and lack of stocking (except for one that has a road next to it), and the nearby landowners are mostly either hunters or just want a peaceful place to live in the woods. So the biggest difference between the public and private water is mostly the size of the stream. And maybe peak summer temperatures.