I’m back. Well never really left. Just following the advice of my mentor and former Director Ralph Abele who told us at his retirement dinner that he was going to “hover above the clouds and swoop down as necessary”. If you listen to this story I expect to see a lightning bolt soon.
Here are the facts:
“Section 03 extends 4.50 miles from Bark Shanty Hollow to West Branch Freeman Run, and Section 04 extends 2.90 miles from West Branch Freeman Run to the mouth. Prior to 2021, Sections 03 and 04 were included in the Commission's Stocked Trout Water (STW) program. Trout stocking was discontinued in 2021 following designation as Class A wild trout stream sections after wild brown trout biomass was estimated to be 56 kg/ha and 67 kg/ha, respectively, during 2018 surveys.
To qualify for Class A wild trout stream designation based on wild brown trout, biomass must begreater than or equal to 40 kg/ha. Subsequent surveys conducted in 2022, 2 years following stocking cessation, estimated the wild brown trout biomass to be 94 kg/ha in Section 03 and 103 kg/ha in Section 04.”
This is an excerpt from the Commission’s 27 October 2025 meeting:
“The impacts of stocking on wild trout populations are well documented in the literature and through Commission surveys of wild trout streams in this Commonwealth. Commission monitoring and evaluation of wild trout populations in this Commonwealth demonstrate that stocking depresses wild trout populations for a variety of reasons, including competition for habitat and food, interference competition, increased harvest, increased hooking and handling, among other factors.”
If you care about doing something to protect wild trout from the harm of stocking hatchery trout rather than just talking about it, sign up here— PAWTC.org.
Tight lines,
><(John{(°>
Do Your Duty and Fear No One..... R. W. Abele
