Donegal Creek, 10-19-14, Lancaster county
- Thread starter caveman
- Start date
Sal,
I was not privy to the stream selection process, but the Commissioners wanted the experiment done and those involved put their best foot forward. All I know is that the streams chosen were the ones that the committee thought were the best candidates among the C&R streams. I had no role in picking Donegal. That there was some reproduction occurring already was a consideration I was told, but not the sole factor. Additionally, there was probably a reluctance to choose more than one stream from a given AFM region since it would put an extra work load on the regional AFM.
It was fortuitous that Donegal was selected, however, in that had it not been selected we probably would not have known for years that it now had an equivalent biomass to the Class A criterion.
I was not privy to the stream selection process, but the Commissioners wanted the experiment done and those involved put their best foot forward. All I know is that the streams chosen were the ones that the committee thought were the best candidates among the C&R streams. I had no role in picking Donegal. That there was some reproduction occurring already was a consideration I was told, but not the sole factor. Additionally, there was probably a reluctance to choose more than one stream from a given AFM region since it would put an extra work load on the regional AFM.
It was fortuitous that Donegal was selected, however, in that had it not been selected we probably would not have known for years that it now had an equivalent biomass to the Class A criterion.
salvelinusfontinalis
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Fair enough Mike. I appreciate the response.
Iam glad the class a population has been discovered and that this experiment brought it about, I just question the actual methods and intentions of this experiment.
Iam glad the class a population has been discovered and that this experiment brought it about, I just question the actual methods and intentions of this experiment.
albud1962
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The fingerlings in the little j were not a success. A fin clip survey showed a very limited number survived. Stocking of fingerlings was ceased. What was a success was turning the waterway into a catch and release fishery.
Habitat improvements and better management of our cold water fisheries are paths to wild trout. The fish commission is about to increase the cost of a trout stamp. I would urge members of the board to contact their fish commissioner and indicate that any increase of the trout stamp should include increased funding of habitat improvements for wild trout. The trout heroin is about to run out and we need to go into rehab.
Habitat improvements and better management of our cold water fisheries are paths to wild trout. The fish commission is about to increase the cost of a trout stamp. I would urge members of the board to contact their fish commissioner and indicate that any increase of the trout stamp should include increased funding of habitat improvements for wild trout. The trout heroin is about to run out and we need to go into rehab.
Maurice
Well-known member
I believe that DF&CA had been introducing fry to the stream for years as fertilized eggs through an incubator system. I am not sure if this is still the case or if those "wild trout" captured are a direct result of the planted eggs or offspring from the planted fry.
About 12 years ago I fished the lower end near the mouth and caught half a dozen fingerling browns, I assumed were from the incubators.
If any planted stock have a potential to create a wild trout fishery or appearance of a wild trout characteristics its the planting of fertilized eggs and allowing the fry through fingerling stage to grow up in the stream on forage from the stream.
The Vibert Egg Boxes were only used for a very short time in the late 1990's. We found wild browns prior to that (1996). At the same time as egg boxes were being used wild fingerling trout were being found near Rt 23 during an electrofishing survey (1998). It was unclear what the source of the wild trout fingerlings was at that time because the stream was capable of supporting reproduction and the boxes were being used as well, although far removed from the electrofishing site by perhaps 3-3.5 miles. It was unlikely that the fingerlings found were from the boxes given the length of stream involved, but one could not be 100% certain.
The turnaround in wild trout biomass/abundance followed that survey when I asked the club to cut its stocking rate in the fly area substantially, since the lack of forage fish in the fly stretch in comparison to the bait stretch plus the poor condition of some of the trout in the fly stretch was indicative of overstocking. I explained that the high density of stocked trout remaining in the fly stretch was likely impacting the abundance of BT fingerlings .....a forage fish as well. The club responded favorably by reducing their stocking rate and together we worked out a stocking plan. No fingerlings were found in the fly stretch in 1998, but yearlings and older wild browns were present. When the stocking rate became more controlled, with the PFBC only stocking preseason and the club only stocking inseason, the forage base and the wild trout population both flourished. Fingerling density had increased by 1991 and yearlings were present as well, all based on a quick electrofishing check-up.
The lack of forage seen in the fly stretch in 1998 was not a problem in the bait stretch upstream since the high density of stocked trout was not maintained by any special regs. Overstocking combined with C&R in the fly stretch had been the apparent cause.
The turnaround in wild trout biomass/abundance followed that survey when I asked the club to cut its stocking rate in the fly area substantially, since the lack of forage fish in the fly stretch in comparison to the bait stretch plus the poor condition of some of the trout in the fly stretch was indicative of overstocking. I explained that the high density of stocked trout remaining in the fly stretch was likely impacting the abundance of BT fingerlings .....a forage fish as well. The club responded favorably by reducing their stocking rate and together we worked out a stocking plan. No fingerlings were found in the fly stretch in 1998, but yearlings and older wild browns were present. When the stocking rate became more controlled, with the PFBC only stocking preseason and the club only stocking inseason, the forage base and the wild trout population both flourished. Fingerling density had increased by 1991 and yearlings were present as well, all based on a quick electrofishing check-up.
The lack of forage seen in the fly stretch in 1998 was not a problem in the bait stretch upstream since the high density of stocked trout was not maintained by any special regs. Overstocking combined with C&R in the fly stretch had been the apparent cause.
