I'm almost afraid to post this 🤣

[Wild_Trouter]

Let the stocked or wild debate begin 🙈. I caught the brookie in the pic, in a blueline trib of a trib that is Class A. There were lots of wild brookies in all year classes (I took pics and included one for comparison) and a few wild browns at the mouth of these two streams. The Class A is connected to a much larger body of unstocked water. That's all I'm saying other than this was on public land. Please don't shoot me because I caught him on an egg pattern. I tried streamers and had him come out from under the root ball to check them out. I put the egg pictured and watched him literally vacuum it off the bottom. I took several second video of fish in net. I did not measure but I am quite certain it was at least 18" and was thick/muscular. .

 

[troutbert]

The first one looks stocked.

The second one looks wild.

Simple.

Next!

 

[Swattie87]

Obvious stocker.

 

[rrt]

Wouldn't it be nice if the 18" fish was a native? At any rate, that is some brook trout!

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Obvious stocker.

It was a good looking stocker. Very clean looking fish and was a surprise. My guess is someone put him in there. I know of several streams up here where people covertly stock w/o permission. I never fished this place before so can't speak to that in this case.