Lackawanna 12/28/2019

marcq

marcq

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Apr 21, 2009
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This is the second time I fished the Lackawanna. First time I managed four small browns nothing bigger then 12 inches. I saw two large fish that on That trip. I had to came back. I’m trying to check a 24 in wild Pa brown off my bucket list.

Today I fished more streamers. Used a double rig with a mini complex twist bugger and a baby brown trout pattern in the back. I fished behind the shop just down stream with no luck. Decided to move down stream near Scranton. Caught one fish just under 20 inches. I’ll be up to do some more exploring up there soon.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/94nTnQmS1SFTmRmA8
 
Pretty sure it was wild. Had all fins a little dull in color but I think that’s cause time of year. Don’t think that section of the Lackawanna is stocked.
 
I’m no expert on Wild vs Stocked but a lot of the more experienced guys in that area seem to put a lot of stock in the bluish dot on the gill plate at eye level as a key indicator of wild. You can see it on the fish in Nymph-Wristed’s avatar.
 
Nice one still. Look at the fins and coloration. Also they put stocked fish in there for derby and way up top and they get down there. Just my take.
 
Pic is a little washed out but based on the opacity of the fins I would say stocked. I would expect a fish of that size to have translucent fins and sharper corners on the caudal. The opaque fins is an indicator of a fish meal fed trout. While these will clear up on the edges getting sharper it’s unusual for the fins to go completely clear like a fish whose diet came solely from the stream.

Conversely older, larger wild trout tend to lose their fin clarity when they get to that size range but I would expect the caudal to be pointy on the top and bottom.

It is also absent the eyespot(but photo is washed out there)

So based solely on the fins. You should see the net through them and the opposite pelvic fin.

Just my take.

Nice fish though Marc. I lost a dandy fish in the Lack that haunts me to this day.
 
Maurice, I would expect a fish of that size to have more opaque fins but it seems your saying the opposite. I can see the net through the fins.

Very tough for me to judge on this one because the spot where I would look for a blue or black mark there is a reflection but there is a black mark further back on the gil plate which is a good sign. I would lean towards the wild side.
 
I'm torn on this wild vs stocked debate but it is certainly a healthy looking specimen.

To the OP, I'm sure you know this, but just because that section isn't stocked means nothing. I, and many here, have caught stockies very far from the closest stocked section. I know of streams that are not stocked that are connected to stocked water and I've taken stocked fish 15 miles or so from the stocked point.
 
ryansheehan wrote:
Maurice, I would expect a fish of that size to have more opaque fins but it seems your saying the opposite. I can see the net through the fins.

Very tough for me to judge on this one because the spot where I would look for a blue or black mark there is a reflection but there is a black mark further back on the gil plate which is a good sign. I would lean towards the wild side.
Click to expand...

No, see my second paragraph...you can see the net only barely. And the pelvis’s and anal are very Leathery. It’s a toughie but I stand by my comment. Can’t seem to get to the photo now. LOL so we will never know.
 
I think that the wild browns do a pretty serious number on the stockies in that particular stream such that, by this time of year, most of the stockies are either in a frying pan or the digestive tract of a gator brown. I have caught surprisingly pale, large fish there this time of year and would swear they were wild. This one looks as wild as any to me, and if it had any semblance of an obvious blue dot on its cheek, nothing else about it would make us doubt it. So I'm going to say it's wild. Or at the very least, wild-ish. I'm glad to hear it was caught on a streamer. That happens a lot less often that you'd think it would on that river, oddly enough.
 
only other picture I got of it.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xPrFNpdyMjjJy3336
 
Very funny Lackawanna video here. Recent video as well.

This guy doesn't like 30" trout poop. Lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlqtrQB5U68

4:15 ---> 4:38 (funniest section)
 
Wild - leading edge of dorsal fin is razor straight and clear. Dead giveaway. Pec fin looks fine to me in the second pic. Any fin wear on bottom fins probably due to spawning.
 
Millsertime wrote:
Very funny Lackawanna video here. Recent video as well.

This guy doesn't like 30" trout poop. Lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlqtrQB5U68

4:15 ---> 4:38 (funniest section)
Click to expand...

That was funny...wet hand haters. How about the hang em by the trebles.LOL
 
Maurice wrote:
Millsertime wrote:
Very funny Lackawanna video here. Recent video as well.

This guy doesn't like 30" trout poop. Lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlqtrQB5U68

4:15 ---> 4:38 (funniest section)
Click to expand...

That was funny...wet hand haters. How about the hang em by the trebles.LOL
Click to expand...

30-40 inches!!!!!lol
 
I think the guy in the video mostly fly fishes but since the conditions were a little off he was using s spinning rod to find out where the fish were holding.

If I saw that kid fishing and he did the same exact thing without a go pro on I'd be happy for him because its obvious he knows very little and is still learning. The minute I see him with a go pro he turns into a dbag imo. More of the story if you're going to shoot film then upload to youtube you should know what you're doing.
 
moon1284 wrote:
I think the guy in the video mostly fly fishes but since the conditions were a little off he was using s spinning rod to find out where the fish were holding.

If I saw that kid fishing and he did the same exact thing without a go pro on I'd be happy for him because its obvious he knows very little and is still learning. The minute I see him with a go pro he turns into a dbag imo. More of the story if you're going to shoot film then upload to youtube you should know what you're doing.
Click to expand...

I watched some of his other videos and didn't see any with a fly rod. Your last sentence is spot on.
 
Wild.

Keep going i lost one of the biggest browns of my life there and that is saying something.

There is a serve drop off in 10-12" fish in the lack.
Tons smaller and bigger.
Main reason: eaten by the bigger fish
 
I may be contradicting myself because I fish gear while targeting other species like striped bass, largemouth and carp. I attempted to fly fish for them but not always successful.
Trout were made from fly fishing and fly fishing is the perfect way to fish for trout. I hold back rude comments on YouTube on guys targeting trout with spinning gear but in reality I think it’s stupid. Bait fishing for the show a lack of knowledge of the species. I’ve seen guys on the Tully throwing worms and I catch 3 if not 4 to every one of their fish. Even in my quarry which I recently discovered how to fly fish I’m out catching them. Some guys have even switched to using flies as teasers above a jig with a gulp minnow. I’m not saying I’m the best fly fisherman but I know that I’m more effective at catching trout with a fly then a worm or jig.
Only other thing about YouTube’s that bothers me is guys who act like gods. I saw a guy say he needed a 10 wt rod to reel in a 25 inch bull trout. Like come on
 
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