Just driving around in southern York co and seeing all these yahoos throwing corn and bread at all these stocked fish makes me sick. Theses idiots just killing all these fish that could make for a great population of trout in these nice little streams near where I live. It's tears me apart to know that all these fish stocked holdovers and natives are going to be disturbed by people that have no idea what a majestic creature trout are. POWERBAIT and CORN!!!! Are you seriously going to use that to catch trout, it's just crazy to me. And to top it off I garentee 95% of the people out there in the next few weeks don't have any idea what a hatch is. Just letting it out after stopping by an old fishing hole seeing all these nice fish swimming around knowing all of them will be on a stringer tomorrow then probably just get put in a freezer bag and left in the bottom of the freezer like the trout from previous years and never eaten anyways!!!!

That's why they put them in there...Keeps em off the wild streams...

dryfly, the best thing you could do for yourself is drive up north, park and take a walk with or without the rod along some brookie stream.............like tom said, that's why they are there in the first place..........Keith

Here's a little tid bit that might help you out, I was fishing at a stocked pond today and nobody was catching no fish.. i watched every body through power bait,corn and every thing else, with no luck....Then I observed one young kid getting a few hits on top of the water, courisity got the best of me and I had to ask what are you using... He showed it to me and said I don't know what it is called,but it is working....I looked at it and it was a March Brown fly.. I thought that was pretty cool

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Wrong. They put those fish in wild streams too. They put palominos in Penns creek, of all places.

I used to feel the same way, but over the years, I guess I've mellowed -- except about having stocked trout in Class A and high Class B waters. That just should not be.
But, elsewhere, I think it's just about the only day some people get outside, esp with their kid(s), and I think their getting out together is a good thing. In appropriate waters where stocked trout are actually needed to provide the recreation, I think the first day for dads, moms, sons, and daughters getting out together is a good thing, esp if the day is a nice one.

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It might have been a long time ago, but things have changed.
Now the dads toss trash in the water and the kids do the same.
Many times I've heard: "My kid never caught a trout before, so move and let us in"
Corn and Powerbait is correct! But most use a treble hook with thick line and a big sinker! LOL And then they clean the fish and toss the head and guts in the creek...... and look so proud that they caught a stockie with power bait covering a treble hook?
It makes me sick also...... so I stopped going out on opening day.
The idiots only go out the first morning...... they don't seem to come back! thank God!

I like the way you think, dry... How dare they not enjoy the sport the same way you do.
Let's not waste our time teaching... Let just ban all ignorant fisherman so the are only a handful left.

Sure, there are some real winners that pop out on opening day, but for the most part, I see a lot of people (sometimes, too many) just trying to enjoy themselves on the stream. Also see a lot of dads with sons (and increasingly, daughters) out having a good time. Last I looked, they mostly all paid for fishing licenses (well, the adults did).

I never really understood the mentality of there being only one right way to do something. Sure, we all know the downsides to stocked fish in a wild stream, and using bait to catch fish, etc., but if you care about fishing, and everything that goes along with it (access, stream conditions, stream repair, cold water conservation, etc), the best thing in the world is for a large population to also care about fishing - even if it is only on stocked trout in the early season. Take too much of an elitist attitude to the point where the masses don't care about fishing, and see what we are left with. Just ask the upland bird hunters in PA...

Like the others have said, its a good time to get out and stretch your legs and find less populated pieces of water for a little while. Its a win - win for everyone.

I used to go, every year. Now I dont. I believe your post to be extreme to one side and believe it may change one day.
This day is the reason many future, conservation minded flyfishermen are born.
I just toss this day out. This one day.

Dry, after reading this I kinda got a little upset. I think in my honest opinion, that today is a day that I actually get upset that I can not go...I dont have a normal job like many people, I work nights, weekends and holidays, if today was the only day that I could get out and fish with the kids...I would, not because its opening day, but because this one day could change the kids mind about a fishing =, or mybe they will see me fly fishing and wanna try, the trout are plenty right now with all the stocking. Let me ask you this....when you started fishing, where you born with a fly rod in hand and grew up on pristine waters where nobody fished and the trout were as long as your leg? Or did you start like most of us, on crowded over fished waters with a baitcaster and corn? Yeah there are some real winners out there, I see it hunting too, but thats not why I am out there. I enjoy fishing and just being by the stream. Relax and let the yahoos enjoy this day. And laugh your ass off at them when they fall in the stream (or take bets to see which one will go first!!!!) Every one has the right to fish and hunt.

Dry,

How did you first start fishing? Were you a fly fisher from the start?

We all, for the most part, learn and evolve from our starting points.

When you really look at it, the number of people who cause the problems are a small percentage of the total. It is just our human tendency to notice either those things that irritate us or those that are the most attention getting.

If we don't set better examples and educate, we are no better than that small minority that annoys us all so much.

I always have to work opening day but sometimes after work I'll go out. It isn't that big a deal because I fish year round anyway. But there are some old favorite spots on the stocked stream I look forward to fishing again in spring.

Yes I run into some jerks but for the most part people are just enjoying the outdoors and our natural resources.

It's a good thing.

If a father wants to take his son out that's just great that's how I started but it also wasn't elbows to assholes. Most people out there don't have any respect for the waters or other fisherman around them. A few say go to a little quiet wild stream, well that's what I use to do get away from the crowds but it seems more and more people are doing the same. It may seem one sided but over the years the little private lands I got to fish have trash everywhere from others not showing the same respect that I grew up with. Just a day to stretch the legs I guess and murky up the creeks for a day or two

I used to go to the most popular holes on the first day and try and catch more fish than the powerbait slingers with the hopes that me catching more and releasing them all would peak some interest in fly fishing. I think the next step, if they choose to take it, is to learn about trout and the stream. This ultimately leads to better fishermen.