Modern fisheries management

[TimB]

Was researching some (new to me) waters before an upcoming out-of-state trip and came across this quote about one of them from the state biologist in a survey report:

“… has been stocked regularly with hatchery trout: a procedure considered unnecessary and undesirable. Wild trout have many desirable qualities that hatchery trout lack. The practice of mixing hatchery trout with a perfectly good wild population is poor fishery management. The stocking of hatchery trout should be discontinued.”

Apparently, stocking was discontinued based of these recommendation, and the wild population is flourishing with general harvest regulations. Just got back from fishing there and our crew caught several wild trout between 10” and 17”.

If only PA adopted modern practices like this instead of jamming hatchery trout into places where they aren’t needed. Instead we’re pretending to “study” Freeman Run while other states refer to stocking over wild trout as “poor fishery management.”

The survey and quote were from 1961…

 

[cfarr]

What state was that from? Couldn’t possibly be WV because god knows the stocking over wild populations is even worse than PA’s. My only guess is either NY or MD.

 

[CinnamonJoe]

1961 was a long time ago, too.

(Pre-dates me by 12 years!)

My guess? Maine

Joe

 

[5footfenwick]

Sounds like a fun trip. Thanks for sharing. Looks like a beautiful brookie.

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Pfbc is still decades behind...there a big business like any other... so theres always gonna be some seedy dealings with things..seen it first hand....thats all im sayin im sure im a jimmy hoffa to them lol

 

[troutbert]

What state was that from? Couldn’t possibly be WV because god knows the stocking over wild populations is even worse than PA’s. My only guess is either NY or MD.

Yes, what state? My guess is Michigan.

 

[troutbert]

The survey and quote were from 1961…

A Park Service biologist was talking and writing about ending stocking over wild and native trout in the 1940s, leading to the dismantling of the hatchery system in Yellowstone Park.

These ideas go back many years.

 

[TimB]

What state was that from? Couldn’t possibly be WV because god knows the stocking over wild populations is even worse than PA’s. My only guess is either NY or MD.

My experience in WV is limited, but I found them more progressive than PA with regulations to protect some populations of wild native brook trout. I’ve mostly fished wild trout streams there. PA only has regs that protect browns, but nothing to protect native brookies, which is yet another example of poor management. Seems we are stuck in pre 1960s mode.

 

[tjsingle]

Sounds like a Maine IFW Lake survey map to me. I bet that was a fun trip.

 

[rustbeltwilds]

If any of you want to read a good book about things such as stocking over wild fish. Read a entirely synthetic fish excellent read a little long winded at times but lots of goos info and history i think it was andres halverson...i bet mike read it lol

 

[cfarr]

My experience in WV is limited, but I found them more progressive than PA with regulations to protect some populations of wild native brook trout. I’ve mostly fished wild trout streams there. PA only has regs that protect browns, but nothing to protect native brookies, which is yet another example of poor management. Seems we are stuck in pre 1960s mode.

In some ways they do better, but some ways are worse. There are quite a few popular native streams that get heavy stocking. That’s just the native population, not even counting our wild bows or browns. A wild rainbow stream with a very good population from what I’ve heard has been getting stocked for a few years now just because Jim Justice wanted them to. There was heavy backlash and yet they still stock it. I hope WV starts doing better in the future with our other wild trout populations, but who knows.