Beautiful little fish!
Native brookie is on the top of my list during my trip in May! Hopefully i can find the right streams
Opening Day 2026 - Who Else Out with Fly Rod?
- Thread starter Letort
- Start date
Native brookie is on the top of my list during my trip in May! Hopefully i can find the right streams
I didn't mean that the number of trout raised and stocked should be reduced. I just meant that if they stocked less trout in streams with native brookie and wild brown populations, they would have more trout to stock in streams with no wild trout.
That would help with the problem the previous poster described, which was streams without wild trout where the numbers stocked have been reduced over the years. Which is because the PFBC now raises less trout than they did in the peak years of production, because of the shutting of the Big Spring hatchery, and because of reductions at some other hatcheries to meet water quality standards.
Copper_John
New member
I fished McMichaels creek for the first time on Friday and then again on Opening Day in the Keystone Select area. Both days there were a lot of caddis on the water but I didn’t witness any rises - the water is probably still too cold. Ended up catching two rainbows and one brown trout on nymphs.
There were only a couple other cars there on opening day, I’m assuming most people in the area went to the Brodhead.
There were only a couple other cars there on opening day, I’m assuming most people in the area went to the Brodhead.
PennKev
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2006
- Messages
- 3,776
A decrease in the number of streams is seen as a decrease in stocking by many.
However, I still personally think the last in-season stockings are a waste for most locations with the exception of DHALO areas that get hit hard. Either stock these fish earlier, reallocate to other streams, or cut them entirely.
Bamboozle
Well-known member
I'm pushing for passage of a law stating that any cans of beer left sitting on the bank or in the water MUST be full and unopened.
It would address the littering problem two ways...
First, most folks bringing beer would be less likely to leave a full can and most folks discovering a unopened can of beer would be less reluctant to leave it behind... 😉
What rod are you using with that Medalist?
dc410
Well-known member
I honestly wasn’t even prepared to fish opening day. I just did it because I had the time. I found an Altoids tin with some flies in it in my glovebox. I paired my old Shakespeare 2 piece 7 1/2’ rod with an old Medalist reel that I found in the toolbox of my truck. I had to stop at the local hardware store to buy a pack of bb size split shot and a small spool of Trilene 4 lb. test for some tippet material. I did have my carp pack in the toolbox so I fortunately had a copy of my license with me. Totally impromptu outing for sure! 😉
DomR
Well-known member
I had a few hours yesterday morning so the dreaded front plater made a run out to Stroudsburg. Fished a few hours, saw some caddis coming off, no rises. Saw few fish caught though the Bushkill was 50 degrees. It was marginally crowded but I could find long stretches to fish buggers and a pats rubber legs. no fish were harmed by me and the PFBC is $75 richer as well 🤣
Show a finished picture. Stocked trout usually taste so.....bad. And yes, I know my way around a kitchen quite well, so don't automatically point to a lack of culinary skill. They just suck compared to crappie, perch, bass, etc.....or........even compared to wild trout.
- Joined
- May 3, 2011
- Messages
- 7,470
Thought of that after they were consumed. Their skeletons are (were?) on the woodpile out back for the first taker.
Agree though. You get them later in the season (after Memorial Day-ish) they’re better, and closer to wild fish. But not the same still. These had been there about a month, assuming they were stocked on the listed stocking date. They were meh, had better, had worse, as far as stockies go. The little one (eaten by my wife) was a little firmer fleshed and brighter white, and was a little better.
Been probably 5 or 6 years since I’ve killed a wild one, and even back then it was like 2 a year on backpacking trips. Would try to keep ones that were hooked weird, rogue Browns in Brookie streams, etc. I’m kinda good with just the late season stockies now. Just kept these because this is a silly stream to stock and I wanted to yank a few of these out of what is probably the best set up hole on the stretch of stream that’s good to fish. I’m sure you know it. I’ll send ya a PM.
Oh, I hear you. I really don't harvest trout. I have, and I have eaten wild ones, but it's not my thing really. I have started to harvest lots of panfish each year, and they're just freaking great eating.
I appreciate you guys harvesting the stockies in creeks where they shouldn't be stocked. I usually still just set em free and wish em all the best.
- Joined
- May 3, 2011
- Messages
- 7,470
Something I thought of today…assuming a general regs stream, during the regular season, I think it’s only legal to carry 4 harvested fish and keep fishing right? At the 5th, you’re done fishing for the day. Meaning I don’t think you can keep on C&Ring with 5 fish in the bag. For anyone looking to do this sort of thing. Adjust for late season and/or special regs as appropriate.
I bonk them immediately and stuff them in a gallon Ziploc (the good ones) in my pack. It’s funny, because I’ll let anything much over a foot go, because it won’t fit in the Ziploc. Kinda silly. But I’m covering water. If I catch one quick within site of the truck I’ll double back as I usually have a small cooler with me, but often not, I’ll just keep fishing. I just keep a freezer pack in my pack (backpack style) and lay it on top of the Ziploc at the very bottom.
Love to see this.
I keep an ice pack in my creel, which is lined with a grocery bag.
wildtrout2
Well-known member
That's accurate.
I hit Kettle Creek for the opener this year. Fished the upper stocked section and down below the reg water. I've never fished this stream on the opener so have no frame of reference for crowding, but I though there was plenty of space to spread out and fish. I wouldn't call it crowded. Water was was high and pushing so wading was difficult. I managed a beautiful brown about sixteen inches that looked wild to me - bright red on the upper and lower edges of the tail. That fish pulled line off my reel. But that was all I could catch in the morning at the upper end despite a couple hours of hard fishing. Drove further downstream and hit another section. I got a bunch there dredging the bottom with stonefly nymphs and SJWs. Whacked a couple stockie rainbows for dinner.
Had lunch in Cross Fork and spent some time watching the kids in the kids section. Chatted up several anglers and just spent time watching. Beautiful day and I was in short sleeves by afternoon. I enjoy the ambience of opening day and seeing everyone enjoying the fishing.
I did note, and was surprised to see, that the majority of anglers I saw fishing were fly fishers, even though I was in the "open" water.
Had lunch in Cross Fork and spent some time watching the kids in the kids section. Chatted up several anglers and just spent time watching. Beautiful day and I was in short sleeves by afternoon. I enjoy the ambience of opening day and seeing everyone enjoying the fishing.
I did note, and was surprised to see, that the majority of anglers I saw fishing were fly fishers, even though I was in the "open" water.
wildtrout2
Well-known member
One day, a long time ago on Stony, I caught an obviously stocked (by the resident up near the headwaters) 17" rainbow. That trout gave up an amazing fight on my little 5'6" UL Fenwick spinning rod.
I caught it early that morning, so I took a cord stringer I kept for this type of situation and put it through the jaw of this fatty, and tied it to a streamside root system to keep it alive while I fished the rest of the day.
When I returned much later in the day, that trout was as vigorous as when I first hooked it. I gave it a good whack on the head, gutted it, and brought it home.
Me and my Pop ate it that evening for dinner, and it was honestly one of the best tasting trout we had ever eaten. I'm thinking it must have been in the creek for a good while to taste as good as it did.
I caught it early that morning, so I took a cord stringer I kept for this type of situation and put it through the jaw of this fatty, and tied it to a streamside root system to keep it alive while I fished the rest of the day.
When I returned much later in the day, that trout was as vigorous as when I first hooked it. I gave it a good whack on the head, gutted it, and brought it home.
Me and my Pop ate it that evening for dinner, and it was honestly one of the best tasting trout we had ever eaten. I'm thinking it must have been in the creek for a good while to taste as good as it did.
DO_inthewoods
Member
Went out on the Friday before opener. Even though I basically live on the Tully I rarely fish it, just the opposite kind of water that I enjoy. But decided to give it a college try and caught a good size stocked rainbow! Fun to have a fish on at least.
Andrwhite610
Well-known member
Same situation here I was out Friday on Tully and got humbled. I caught nothing in 4 hours while people all around me caught. I shared the stretch with over a dozen anglers while I was there. I fished various Nymphing techniques and no success. I also skunked there last Sunday. Got me wondering if I should even go chase wild fish this week or if I have to settle my demons on the Tully. 🙄
tomgamber
Well-known member
We typically fish upstream of Leidy Bridge area of Kettle if we go for opening day. Its usually fairly crowded. But there is a ton of access and plenty of water to fish. they dump a ton of stockies in there. Many years there are a ton of caddis.
GANGGREEN
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 26, 2016
- Messages
- 505
Agreed. My father dearly loved fresh trout and when I was a kid, I'd keep them for him, but even then I was lukewarm at best about them. When I was on my own, I tried to eat them every couple of years because of the memory of how my dad savored them (he passed away when I was fairly young), but just couldn't enjoy them. After I was married and had kids, I'd harvest them once in a while because my wife and kids both ate fish, but none of us really liked them well. After that, I'd stop taking them, but once every 10 years or so I'd keep one that didn't look too good or that ended up with a hook in its gullet or something. I always thought that perhaps my tastes had changed and that I'd like them now. Nope, no such luck.
Like you, if I keep fish, it will be Walleye or Yellow perch typically and once in a while Crappie or even Bluegill. I know that everyone has a different palate, but personally, trout are so far down the list of edible/choice fish species that I don't know why anyone ever bothers.
Interestingly, my grandparents lived on the Raystown Branch when we were all kids and as such, we fished there a lot. My father also dearly loved Rock bass and would frequently keep a few (I'd keep them for him after he got ill in his 50s and didn't get out much anymore). That's another species that you don't often hear about someone keeping for the table, but they actually are quite good.
