Fly Fisherman Magazine Article— Freeman Run

FishTales1 said:
www.flyfisherman.com

Catering to Catch & Kill Lobbyists - Fly Fisherman

Freeman Run—one of Pennsylvania's class A wild trout streams—could be stocked with hatchery trout despite protests from TU and other wild-trout advocates.
www.flyfisherman.com www.flyfisherman.com
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Here’s the Outdoor News commentary I re-published on LinkedIn.

www.linkedin.com

Stocking hatchery trout over wild trout is always a bad idea

Commentary By John Arway Published in Pennsylvania Outdoor News-- 18 August 2025 Stocking hatchery trout over wild trout is always a bad idea By John Arway Former Executive Director, Pa. Fish & Boat Commission I recently testified at the Fish & Boat Commission’s quarterly meeting.
www.linkedin.com www.linkedin.com
 
wildtrout2 said:
The PAFB survey showed the biomass of wild trout increased by 40% after stocking was discontinued. What more do they need to know??? If that's not evidence of what stocking does to a wild trout population, I don't know what is.
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Just a tiny bit of playing devil's advocate... Citing a 40% increase from 2018 to 2022 doesn't necessarily get at the cause of the increase. 2018 could have been a few years after a drought, where few YOY survived. Or any other number of variables that could affect biomass in a given year. 2022 could have been a banner year, for fish surviving from a few years prior. Or a year when a lot of wild fish moved out of First Fork because it got too warm. Were each of the surveys the same time of year? Surveys are a snapshot in time; they don't tell the whole picture.

You need longitudinal survey data to support the overall claim that cessation of stocking led to the big increase. What did the trend look like from 2015 - 2025?
 
I agree with Salmonoid that the 40% rise in wild trout does not automatically point to a cessation of stocking as the primary cause, but I also think that the PFBC should stop stocking everything with a decent wild trout population. Where the threshold of "decent" begins and ends is something that I haven't given much thought to.

PFBC - Save some money, stock less fish, help wild trout.
 
salmonoid said:
Just a tiny bit of playing devil's advocate... Citing a 40% increase from 2018 to 2022 doesn't necessarily get at the cause of the increase. 2018 could have been a few years after a drought, where few YOY survived. Or any other number of variables that could affect biomass in a given year. 2022 could have been a banner year, for fish surviving from a few years prior. Or a year when a lot of wild fish moved out of First Fork because it got too warm. Were each of the surveys the same time of year? Surveys are a snapshot in time; they don't tell the whole picture.

You need longitudinal survey data to support the overall claim that cessation of stocking led to the big increase. What did the trend look like from 2015 - 2025?
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Makes perfect sense. Although, I do believe that the cessation of stocking played an important role in that 40% increase.
 
This reminds me of the time many years ago when a Clinton Co, sportsmen's club advocated for the stocking of lovely Young Woman's Creek, which had consistently been a high Class B or a Class A wild trout fishery. The PFBC agreed to stock rainbows over a nice mixed population of wild brook and wild brown trout. For me, it had provided a chance to fish for wild trout in what I still think was the loveliest trout stream I knew of. It certainly did not need the 'bows, and I ended my 100-mile trips to fish there. I can fish for stocked trout much closer to home.

I have never fished Freeman's Run, but it appears that a similar situation exists there. I think it will be a sad day if the PFBC actually does stock it.
 
wildtrout2 said:
The PAFB survey showed the biomass of wild trout increased by 40% after stocking was discontinued. What more do they need to know??? If that's not evidence of what stocking does to a wild trout population, I don't know what is.
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Anyone have a link to the survey?
Arway is quoted as saying "A" study.
I hope it's not just one study.
If it is it should have been expansive.
 
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@FishTales1 and @Mike What are the best ways for anglers to provide constructive feedback to the PFBC on this topic?

TU Posted this:
You can also provide written comments by sending an email to Patty Heinbaugh at pheinbaugh@pa.gov. In the subject line, please specify “Freeman Run-Send to all commissioners.”
 
rrt said:
This reminds me of the time many years ago when a Clinton Co, sportsmen's club advocated for the stocking of lovely Young Woman's Creek, which had consistently been a high Class B or a Class A wild trout fishery. The PFBC agreed to stock rainbows over a nice mixed population of wild brook and wild brown trout. For me, it had provided a chance to fish for wild trout in what I still think was the loveliest trout stream I knew of. It certainly did not need the 'bows, and I ended my 100-mile trips to fish there. I can fish for stocked trout much closer to home.

I have never fished Freeman's Run, but it appears that a similar situation exists there. I think it will be a sad day if the PFBC actually does stock it.
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in addition to the rainbows, I've caught plenty of stocked browns. Not sure who stocks them.
 
I hope these last two posts are not correct. I hope the emails we sent are at least registered as being opposed to the stocking. I'd hate to think the PFBC totally ignores the letters, emails, etc. it receives.

I have long respected the PFBC, though I lost nearly all my respect for the pgc over the past 25 years.

Losing Arway was indeed a giant step in the wrong direction.
 
rrt said:
I hope these last two posts are not correct. I hope the emails we sent are at least registered as being opposed to the stocking. I'd hate to think the PFBC totally ignores the letters, emails, etc. it receives.

I have long respected the PFBC, though I lost nearly all my respect for the pgc over the past 25 years.

Losing Arway was indeed a giant step in the wrong direction.
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I did not support or agree with anything in post #15. I suggest you read my post in #13 to understand what I trying to do.
 
Dave -- I re-read #13. Sorry.

I do think that Freeman Run is "going to get it" with rainbows. We were spoiled years ago with Abele and more recently with Arway -- and with guys like Lichvar on the board.

That's no excuse not to try. I hope they at least recognized my email, if they did not actually read it.

rrt
 
I’ve always thought that the Commissioners receive copies of all comments. Someone must have told me that at one time early in my career. I assume it’s still true today, but have not asked anyone to verify my thought.

Someone also tallies the comments….how many received, # for, # against. I think the tallies are announced at the Commission meetings. At one time these summaries as they pertained to trout fisheries management issues, such as reg change proposals, were prepared for administrators by Coldwater Unit within the Fisheries Management Division. I don’t know how their handled now.

While I rarely send comments, when I do I use the comment page link provided on the PFBC web site as the Commission meeting date approaches. I haven’t followed the timing very closely, however, and have missed some opportunities in the past. The email address provided in an earlier comment above also seems like a possible good one to use.
 
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DaveKile said:
@FishTales1 and @Mike What are the best ways for anglers to provide constructive feedback to the PFBC on this topic?

TU Posted this:
You can also provide written comments by sending an email to Patty Heinbaugh at pheinbaugh@pa.gov. In the subject line, please specify “Freeman Run-Send to all commissioners.”
Click to expand...
I recommend commenting directly to the agency contact and those comments should be provided to the Commissioners by staff.

More importantly I recommend cc’ing your comments to the Governor, the Governor’s Sportsmen’s advisor (Derek Eberley), your local state senator and house member and the Chairs of both the House and Senate Game and Fisheries Committee. All can be done by email so it won’t even cost a stamp!

Remember wild trout don’t vote but you do and the politicos will pay attention to your comments if there are enough of them. That’s really where the pressure has to come from since the sportsman’s voice has been silenced.
 
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