Lehigh Watershed Stocking

[FisherOfMen]

I know a board member that is absolutely aghast and embarrassed at what has unfolded. He has not been at the last few meetings due to life getting in the way. He had no knowledge of what they were about to do. I consider him a friend and trust him. He says there is a group text between all the board and they are reeling after the "poo hit the fan". He actually believes they might have some legal issues about to happen due to the fallout. Not sure the club received permission from the state to stock in Class A waterways...

58 PA. Code 71a.5- Anyone stocking fish in Pennsylvania waters must submit a Notice of Stocking (NOS) before releasing fish.

I had a feeling that is exactly what happened. There are some guys in that thread that would notify the state, and i wouldn't be surprised if they did.

 

[SBecker]

How can one *eat* the Lehigh, sir. Or for that matter breath it? Drink and drown, perhaps. Or.. I guess drink and just..drink more? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

glub glub

 

[ianpcook]

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[The Rodfather]

Well, I didnt have this on my bingo card. Pretty wild that they deleted the post. That is never a good look.

 

[LehighRegular]

Playing devils advocate here. From PFBC data, survivability of stocked trout is <5%. Also if these fish are inferior how do they out compete natives/wild?

I can see how the increase in fish numbers in a system would adversely affect forage and holding areas but i am also told that stockies eventually starve to death because of how inefficient they are. I agree that there are differences in the species in regard to aggressivess and preferred habitat needs. Both would affect survival.

I dont want to re start the stocked vs wild argument here. Financially it makes all the sense in the world to stop stocking on a state basis. However private money is different.

The more i read conflicting arguments, the more i question myself. Id rather be correct than win the arguement.

I agree with Tiger on the fact that these brookies have a very low probability of survival. That said, it was still dumb to do and I hope the LRSA reconsiders this effort going forward. And, it is a violation under the PFBC. The Lehigh itself is not capable of sustaining a significant population of brook trout. Fix the FEW reservoir to release coldwater all summer long, then there maybe some potential. Until then, any brookie stocking effort and success is not likely to be successful. Are some brookies there, yes. Most of the time you catch brookies in the Lehigh they are usually around the trib mouths or spring seeps.

 

[Mike]

I inquired and found that the PFBC Fisheries Mgmt Division was already aware of this occurrence, which was good enough for me.

 

[SBecker]

I inquired and found that the PFBC Fisheries Mgmt Division was already aware of this occurrence, which was good enough for me.

My understanding is that there is a meeting this week about the situation. Hopefully they are held accountable.

 

[SBecker]

I agree with Tiger on the fact that these brookies have a very low probability of survival. That said, it was still dumb to do and I hope the LRSA reconsiders this effort going forward. And, it is a violation under the PFBC. The Lehigh itself is not capable of sustaining a significant population of brook trout. Fix the FEW reservoir to release coldwater all summer long, then there maybe some potential. Until then, any brookie stocking effort and success is not likely to be successful. Are some brookies there, yes. Most of the time you catch brookies in the Lehigh they are usually around the trib mouths or spring seeps.

Literally what I have said to anyone that has reached out to me about what happened. If they want to dump a bunch of stockers into the Lehigh, and waste the money doing so, so be it. To be naive enough to think it is ok to put breeders into the tribs that have a sustainable population of native brookies already, was a dumbass idea.