Lancaster County Brook Trout
- Thread starter JeffP
- Start date
The regs require a trout stamp if you are fishing any water containing salmonids. I can't fish a Class A water and tell the WCO I'm fishing for chubs. It's a trout stream. A trout stamp is required.
If trout have ever been documented in a stream, I believe a trout stamp is required.
Lol, I didn't imply anything. I was quite clear both times.
Some years, I don't fish much for trout in PA. Knowing that the revenue from my trout stamp purchase goes towards funding a stocking program that hurts wild and native fish, I struggle with whether to buy it. In years when I do buy it, the deciding factor is knowing I'll put it to good use through selective harvest to help vulnerable populations.
In answer to your question about fishing in brown-trout dominated water. No thanks, it's too crowded, and not my type of fishing. I prefer to cover a lot of water and don't enjoy nymphing. It cracks me up when the brown trout-worshipping crowd doesn't understand that. They immediately jump to the conclusion that I'm on some "crusade". If so, it's a crusade to do the type of fishing I enjoy. Which usually means I'm chasing smallies or brookies, often out of state, where the brookie fishing is significantly better.
I catch a lot of wild browns as by-catch. Some while smallie fishing, and some while exploring small streams in search of brookies. If there's no evidence of brookies, I release the browns.
nd1001
Well-known member
I believe the language listing where a trout stamp is required also includes “and their tributaries.” That makes it more restrictive.
Trout have been documented in the Susky. Lol
tjsingle
Well-known member
$10 or whatever it is for a stamp is worth not arguing with a WCO over what is included in a trout permit or not.
Fair enough. We all know you don't need a trout stamp to fish in the Juniata, Susquehanna, etc. I'm going to look up the exact way they have the reg stated.
Well, I guess technically you can fish in the majority natural reproduction streams without a trout permit.
For me, it's not about the money; it's the principle. I don't want to support an outdated stocking culture that continues to harm our state fish. The flip side is that buying the stamp allows me to legally harvest invasive trout. Some years, one side of that argument wins, sometimes it's the other.
I fish legally and harvest legally. I never said otherwise.
Yeesh, this group will go in the weeds on just about any topic. How about bringing it back to brookies in Lanco or the threats facing them throughout PA?
I fish legally and harvest legally. I never said otherwise.
Yeesh, this group will go in the weeds on just about any topic. How about bringing it back to brookies in Lanco or the threats facing them throughout PA?
wildtrout2
Well-known member
Explain your thinking to a WCO. 😉The omission of Natural Repo streams in that summery probably won't pass the smell test. IMO
I'll never have to because I always buy the stamp. I do enough PA trout fishing in a variety of scenarios and streams that it is just easier for me to buy it and move on, even though I rarely fish for stockies.
Yo, @TimB , I meant no offense, man. I didn't use the word crusade with intended negative connotations. I love fishing for brookies, but I love fishing for any wild trout. I have zero problems with you employing selective harvest to help our native fish, and I think that is what the PFBC should implement in certain scenarios. Instead, the PFBC seems more inclined to protect brown trout and implement catch & release regs for them, so I understand your hesitancy to support the agency.
Exactly... unless I want to harvest. Then it meets the definition of trout fishing because of possession. Then I would need the stamp to remain legal. Thus my point about a hundred posts back, Lol!
wildtrout2
Well-known member
Are you saying you don't need a trout stamp if you're fishing a Class A Wild Trout Stream with no intention of keeping trout?
Somebody already posted the rules, but here they are again.
You clearly do need a trout stamp if you're fishing a Class A. That's explicitly stated in that screenshot I posted above. Harvest or not, you need the stamp/permit for Class A and their tribs.
wildtrout2
Well-known member
Right, but with a Natural Repo trout stream, which isn't mentioned, you'd still need a trout stamp, no?
Not according to the way the regs read, which I can't believe they left that huge hole in the terminology and specifications used.
Wait, WT2. In the book, it says "takes" a trout while fishing. Hmmm. What does that mean? They might clarify somewhere in the book.
wildtrout2
Well-known member
I think it's quite vague the way that's written, not mentioning Natural Repo streams. It seems to me, if you're fishing any trout stream, regardless of harvest or not, you need the trout stamp.
FisherOfMen
Member
Then logic would flow, as Tim said, you would need a trout stamp to fish the Susquehanna River as trout are documented to use it and in it. But that is false, you dont need the stamp there.
The law is ambiguous for a reason. Not all natural reproduction streams are class A, not all of them flow into class A and have very small populations of trout and higher populations of other species. Just because a class D population was recorded 50 years ago, doesn't mean you need a trout stamp to fish it. It to me is pretty obvious, if you are in an obvious trout stream, you need the stamp. If you are targeting trout, you need the stamp.
I haven't had much time for fishing in my life for quite a few years now. I haven't bought a trout stamp in PA in a number of years. The few family vacations we have taken have given me sometime to fish and the type of fishing I prefer, brook trout, is vastly superior in the other states I've visited.
The way the commission seems to be going, which is so obviously corrupt, my conscience outweighs my desire to fish close to home. I'm fine with it.
The law is ambiguous for a reason. Not all natural reproduction streams are class A, not all of them flow into class A and have very small populations of trout and higher populations of other species. Just because a class D population was recorded 50 years ago, doesn't mean you need a trout stamp to fish it. It to me is pretty obvious, if you are in an obvious trout stream, you need the stamp. If you are targeting trout, you need the stamp.
I haven't had much time for fishing in my life for quite a few years now. I haven't bought a trout stamp in PA in a number of years. The few family vacations we have taken have given me sometime to fish and the type of fishing I prefer, brook trout, is vastly superior in the other states I've visited.
The way the commission seems to be going, which is so obviously corrupt, my conscience outweighs my desire to fish close to home. I'm fine with it.
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brookiefan
Member
If you look at the first regulation in the trout permit (#77) above , you'll see any Pa or boundary waters. So unless you fall under one of the exemptions, you'll need a trout stamp to fish any water in Pa
