Big native!

[wildtrout2]

After catching many hundreds of natives over the years, my biggest still remains at 13.5". I figured it was maybe a 6 or 7 year old trout? Well, yesterday I saw a native (positively identified) that was at least 16" and maybe as big as 18" in a deep pool on a Clinton county freestone stream. I have NEVER seen a native this big, and probably never will again! It really flipped me out. lol I'm wondering how old this native could be, any thoughts? Mike?

 

[afishinado]

In PA freestoners my record native is 12 [size=xx-small]15/16[/size]". Never saw a native brookie anywhere near 16". That would be quite a prize to catch (and release).

 

[csoult]

Why don't you let me know which pool. I'll check to make sure that it's over 13-1/2" for you.

 

[gfoledc]

Cody I would be willing to help!

 

[Fishidiot]

Interesting - hope yuh see him again (or better yet, catch him). If you can get him and a good photo, I'd recommend notifying the local AFM (PFBC biologist) or Mike as this would be of interest to them.

As I've said before on this forum, my largest wild freestone brookie in over 30 years of fishing in PA is an 11 inch fish. However, fish of the size described here certainly are possible and (as we've also discussed) are mentioned frequently in historical writing.

I'd guess the fish is probably 5-6 years old. This is old for a brookie in this part of the country.

 

[sipe]

Hypothetical: knowing that this fish is near the end of its life, would any of you consider harvesting this fish for a mount?

 

[PatrickC]

Interstingly the largest native I ever caught was in a deep pool in wonderful Clinton coutny as well.

In answer to Sipe's question: No, I would photograph the fish for a reproduction and hope that it lives to share it's genetics in another spawn or 2. Food for thought.

 

[wgmiller]

Big Spring has large native brookies...

 

[PatrickC]

wgmiller wrote:
Big Spring has large native brookies...

When did you say we were fishing there Geo? ;-)

 

[wildtrout2]

wgmiller wrote:
Big Spring has large native brookies...

This is true, there are several spring creeks (CV) that probably have some this size, but I'm talking about a freestone stream. That's what makes this native so rare. Like I said, in 30+ years of chasing wild trout, I've yet to see it's equal. Once in Sullivan county in the early 2000's I saw saw one that was around 16", but this one was a good bit bigger.

 

[wgmiller]

Not on the weekend ;-) I haven't fished Big Spring in a while. I think it was starting to see too much pressure and didn't want to be part of the problem.

 

[PatrickC]

wildtrout2 wrote:

wgmiller wrote:
Big Spring has large native brookies...

This is true, there are several spring creeks (CV) that probably have some this size, but I'm talking about a freestone stream. That's what makes this native so rare. Like I said, in 30+ years of chasing wild trout, I've yet to see it's equal. Once in Sullivan county in the early 2000's I saw saw one that was around 16", but this one was a good bit bigger.

The creek I'm referring to is a very small freestone. It would not surprise me to find several 13"+ in this creek. It is such a PIA to get to, it sees minimal pressure (some I'm sure, but minimal). Need to get over there again.

 

[tulenkot]

I saw a similar sized native in a deep and large pool in Lycoming County last year. It swiped my size 4 bugger and I missed it. I saw the fin stripes clearly. This was after catching several in the 12 inch range from the same pool. The girth of the one I missed was incredible. I'm convinced that starting mid to late summer these fish will swim up select streams from larger marginal trout streams
or rivers. Just curious, was it a mixed brook/brown stream?

 

[wildtrout2]

tulenkot wrote:
Just curious, was it a mixed brook/brown stream?

Yes, it's a mixed stream.

As far as age goes, I'm thinking even giving this trout a 2" per year growth rate (which I think is generous for a native), it's got to be 8 years old? I can't imagine a native growing 3" per year in a freestone. Does anybody have any accurate info on Pa native growth rates?

 

[Dcap240]

I read an article a while back about a pfbc electro study in NEPA class A wild trout streams and they claimed a stream in carbon county held a 19 1/2in. native brookie! There were also a few in the 15-16 in range as well. It was a Lehigh tributary that held the big one. I guess it's possible with the right conditions. The right food source and or they become meat eaters and start eating other minnows it could and does happen. I'm gunna try to find the article if I do I will post it.

 

[PatrickC]

Dcap240 wrote:
The right food source and or they become meat eaters and start eating other minnows...

Char in general are aggressive carnivores, and brook trout are no exception. The mainstay of their diet is other fish. They certainly do eat aquatic insects, but they don't have those giant mouths to slurp nymphs and mayflies. I've seen PA brookies attack frogs as they jumped into the stream While I like catching brookies on dry flies, for the most part, I catch them on streamers. I've caught Arctic Char in AK swinging huge streamers and on deer hair mice. Labrador brookies are routinely caught on mouse patterns. And remember, esp in PA freestone streams, native brookies are pure opportunists. They can't rely on hatches because the streams are too small to sustain large enough hatches to support the brookie population. Brookies will attack anything that comes by or hits the water. They are meat eaters by nature.

 

[sipe]

I have a wildlife and fisheries degree and spent a deal of time electro fishing on small WV brookie streams. We caught a 7" trout that had a 3 inch shrew in his mouth.

 

[PatrickC]

I've been itching for a week to share this story. This is a good place. My buddy and I were fishing a brown trout stream last week that has reports of 29 & 30" browns every year. We were standing across from a large wood pile. A sparrow landed on an upper branch and worked it's way down to a branch that was 1/2 submerged in the water. The sparrow dips down to drink and BOOM...a big brown exploded on the thing. It must have seen him coming because the sparrow escaped, but it was pretty awesome to see. Now you know why Pat Cohen spins up those awesome deer hair sparrows.

I know, not a brook trout...but brookies are just as voracious.

 

[tulenkot]

I've caught a brookie on a large foam and marabou mouse pattern while trying to turn up a large night time brown. Proof:

 

[PatrickC]

That would have made my night right there!