Someone should tell the fish.........

[englishprof]

I've been reading the off and on debate about fishing for stocked fish versus streambred/native/wild trout. Interesting for sure. I(and probaly most of us) don't have the time to drive a few hours to walk through the forest to find a 3' wide run to try to catch a
5" brook trout which fights about as well (maybe) as a bluegill, fallfish or minnow. Of course, they are pretty. Hope to do it someday for the helluva it.

While I've caught wild trout in PA, New York, Maine, in the West, Ireland, Canada and salmon in New Brunswick and Ireland, I have to spend most of my time close to home. As we know, that means stocked fish.

Anyway, yesterday, Saturday the 4th of July, I fished the West Branch of the Brandywine downstream from Northbrook in the area where the so-called club has stocked the creek for a few years. The State doesn't. I've posted here before about the fish there.

So, I'm drifting a black wooly bugger (with weight) in a slow deep pool. Slow retrieve, a stop, I set the hook and knew I had a decent fish. It heads downstream, turns back up and jumps at least 2' vertically right in front of me. Shook in the air like a tarpon. It was more than decent. Heads right towards me. I strip to keep tension when it decides to rum away again. Downstream then turns up again. This time it's one of those horizontal, parallel to the surface jumps. Beautiful!!!!!

After about 5 minutes, I bring the 24" rainbow (God forbid) to the net, except that I don't have a net. Well he's by my left leg, I get my trusty new needle nose pliers, grab the bugger and let him go.

I'm sure that there are "wild" fish which will put on a show like this.

So, here's my suggestion. Before stocked fish are released into the wild, they should be required to participate in a seminar where they are taught not to act this way.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Having fished as you said,all over, how did that fish compare to those you caught elsewhere?I'd bet it was a holdover.Maybe you caught a trout with good Salmo genes.A 24" bow is nothing to sneeze at no matter where you caught it.

 

[mrchunk]

U r not alone in your feelings englishprof. I caught 3 20+ inch trout in the East Branch last year. All 3 put up similar fights and acrobatic displays. I didn't mind one bit that they were raised in a pen

 

[englishprof]

Fish definitely hold over in this creek. We caught many in the fall last year. But, who knows? My biggest trout was a Letort brown caught on a hares ear nymph in April about 30 years ago. I never saw it until it surfaced to be released. It was pushing 30" at least. Not as exciting as this (God forbid) rainbow. My point is, while we all know these fish are stocked, the fish don't!!!!!

 

[jayL]

I also have had enjoyable experiences with stocked fish, but outlier experiences don't tell the whole story. As ridiculous as it seems to some, many of us find fishing for wild trout to be more rewarding.

Personally, I try to mix it up with a few stocked fish here and there.

 

[dryflyguy]

The older I get, the less fond I am of hiking into rough terrain, and fishing thru an obstacle course to catch 5" fish.
I pretty much only do it now when the larger streams are blown out.
Even though it's full of stocked fish, I still really enjoy fishing the yough river. I have some favorite spots there where I routinely catch trout in the 15 - 16 inch range on dry flies.
They usually put up a nice fight, also
And it's only an hour drive from home

 

[JackM]

Hi, I'm Jack M. and I fish for stockies too.

 

[pcray1231]

Nothin wrong with enjoying stocked fish. I do it quite often, probably as much as I fish for wild trout. They are fun.

If given a choice, I'll pick wild trout, but stocked fish often require less time and effort, neither of which do any of us have an endless supply of.

If you want to fish brookies sometime, take a drive up this way and I'll take ya out.

 

[pete41]

I have been sitting here grinning at the great debate-
couldn't agree more that it is much to do about very little-IMHOAS

 

[littlejuniata]

If the PAFBC continues with their adding color to the trout, half the guys couldn't ell the differnece unless there was fin damage, I love all trout the stockies didn't pick thier parents

 

[pete41]

but they were egged on.

 

[Padraic]

Englishprof,

I never had anything against stockies, really. My excitement about wild fish stems from the place itself. When I catch a wild fish, I am excited to be in a place where the soil, forest and water still have what it takes to support life on it's own.

There are some great streams that support holdovers, but not wild fish. I'm thinking of AMD streams, or streams with silt problems that smother the eggs of trout, but not the adults. They can provide good fishing with stocking. I like fishing there as well. However, fishing a stream and catching a wild fish gives a thrill that goes beyond the size of the fish or it's fight.

BTW: I loved your description of the fish and the fight. I hope you have many more stories like that one to post before the end of the season.

 

[afishinado]

“…My excitement about wild fish stems from the place itself. When I catch a wild fish, I am excited to be in a place where the soil, forest and water still have what it takes to support life on it's own…”


Pad said it very well. For these reasons, wild trout are special.

But looking at it from a pure fishing/fish standpoint, if given a choice, here’s what I enjoy fishing for and catching and why (ranked from least to most):

Freshly stocked trout – pale colored, fin-challenged, huddle together in a pool they were stocked in, fight like a wet gym sock, and prefer to suck in a glo bug or weenie in the middle of a heavy Hendrickson hatch.

Hold-over or stocked trout that have been in the stream for a while – decent color, and decent fins, are spread out throughout the stream, fight fairly well, and know enough to feed on the naturals in the stream.

Small wild fish – beautiful color, feed on the naturals, spread out and occupy the best lies in the stream, and fight tenaciously to the end every time. Note: I add a few points for native brook trout.

Large wild fish - – beautiful color, feed on the naturals, are usually very wary and secretive in their feeding and location, and fight tenaciously to the end every time (x 3). This is what I travel many miles for, spend many dollars, and dream many dreams about…

 

[PaulG]

Englishprof

I have fish for stocked fish all my life and enjoyed ever minute of it, my biggest fish caught so far has been a 25" stocked rainbow( God Forbid). I have never big on catching small wild trout either but I can see why some people do, beautiful fish, mountian settings, it's just not for me. I guess thats why we have both.

I just enjoy trout fishing, would rather have big fish on the end of my line then those little guys!

PaulG

 

[Chaz]

I don't think the 'argument has ever been about the fight, though it could be. I'm sure it was a great experience.

 

[dasofas]

I was very fortunate one time to fish one of the controversied private clubs in PA and landed a 31" (God Forbid) rainbow on a bugger. The fish was a lot of fun to land, and made for some great stories, but I would trade it in a minute for a brook like Sal has on his post script. Just something about the fact that someone fed it pellets until it was artificially overgrown, placed it in a hole, and was plucked back out. What made it a little more of a drag was the fact that this club can not support the fish they stock due to thermal constraints. Don't get me wrong, if given the opportunity again I would jump on it, but there is something to be said when you fish a water that can support wild fish. Maybe it is the anticipation that builds after you catch a handful of 5" fish, and then you set the hook on that surprise 12"er.

 

[Mike]

Afish wrote: Hold-over or stocked trout that have been in the stream for a while – decent color, and decent fins, are spread out throughout the stream, fight fairly well, and know enough to feed on the naturals in the stream.

Afish, I don't know whether or not you recently fished the Tully section that was stocked with RT "fingerlings" last fall. If so, would you characterize this year's fingerling origin fish similarly?

 

[pcray1231]

Afish, I don't know whether or not you recently fished the Tully section that was stocked with RT "fingerlings" last fall. If so, would you characterize this year's fingerling origin fish similarly?

Yeah, I would. They spread out better than the stockies did, and were enjoyable to me at times this year. I'm not sure there's enough of them to make everyone happy, whether thats from survival/residency, or not stocking enough I don't know. They certainly spread out, like the entire stream from dam to mouth (and probably into the Schuylkill).

 

[fishpaint]

Sometimes you want easy fish. I love the quiet of wilderness streams, but when you can't get there I'll take stocked fish. We had a recent trip to Tobyhanna Creek, where they rise to caddisflies when nothing else is coming off, easy fish. Its a change from getting skunked on harder streams.
Check out my blog http://patspaintings.blogspot.com/. I just finished a painting of Tobyhanna Cr.

 

[Fredrick]

My signature says it all for me . I only fish for stockies when Its convienent for me due to time restraints . But I love fishing the Tully now since they started stocking the fingerlings again THXS MIKE :-D