PA vs WV Brown Trout Populations

[td566]

That area makes one thankful for what we have. But those folks are strong, for many the only life they have ever known. For generations. Still, many are proud of “their trout” down there too. It really is a unique fishery down there in “Mack-Dowell County”. Just not for me. I much prefer the beautiful streams in the Mon National Forest.

 

[wildtrout2]

That area makes one thankful for what we have. But those folks are strong, for many the only life they have ever known. For generations. Still, many are proud of “their trout” down there too. It really is a unique fishery down there in “Mack-Dowell County”. Just not for me. I much prefer the beautiful streams in the Mon National Forest.

The story of the broken down hatchery truck, which led to that stream being what it is today, is an interesting read.

 

[cfarr]

That area makes one thankful for what we have. But those folks are strong, for many the only life they have ever known. For generations. Still, many are proud of “their trout” down there too. It really is a unique fishery down there in “Mack-Dowell County”. Just not for me. I much prefer the beautiful streams in the Mon National Forest.

The Mon Forest is where I do probably 75% of my fishing. It’s hard to not find a beautiful creek out there. If you know of any small creeks with brown trout populations I wouldn’t be opposed to hearing about them 😉

 

[rustbeltwilds]

For sure, but if I wanted to pound some bows, there’s a couple other spots way closer I could hit. I still want to try to get permission to get a Laurel Highlands bow in the net though

Cmon

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Cmon

Here ya go in the net cfarr save ya a trip

 

[cfarr]

Here ya go in the net cfarr save ya a trip

Purdy bows

 

[Broodstock]

A certain youtube personality who lives in WV and fishes a lot in WV catches lots of what appear to be wild and some holdover browns, and some of them are pretty big. I know he also goes to fish in western MD and other places, but he has a lot of videos that seem pretty WV like to me.

 

[Swattie87]

A certain youtube personality who lives in WV and fishes a lot in WV catches lots of what appear to be wild and some holdover browns, and some of them are pretty big. I know he also goes to fish in western MD and other places, but he has a lot of videos that seem pretty WV like to me.

Agree. He definitely fishes other states, but I think “most” of his content is WV. I don’t know for sure, but from video context clues, I suspect he is catching those Browns in a specific area of the state that is removed from the more mountainous eastern portion of the state, where Brook Trout tend to be the most prevalent Trout species. (There’s some wild Bows mixed in in both areas.)

Been enjoying his recent “backpacking” series.

 

[wildtrout2]

A certain youtube personality who lives in WV and fishes a lot in WV catches lots of what appear to be wild and some holdover browns, and some of them are pretty big. I know he also goes to fish in western MD and other places, but he has a lot of videos that seem pretty WV like to me.

I watch more of his videos than any other YouTube personality. He catches BIG WV natives like it's nobody's business. I believe the majority of his videos are brookie fishing. His most recent video was of him camping under a rock formation along a rain swollen brookie stream.

 

[cfarr]

A certain youtube personality who lives in WV and fishes a lot in WV catches lots of what appear to be wild and some holdover browns, and some of them are pretty big. I know he also goes to fish in western MD and other places, but he has a lot of videos that seem pretty WV like to me.

He’s the only fishing youtuber I really get into at all. But I believe most of his vides are filmed in WV, but as others have said I also don’t believe most of his brown trout fishing is done in the eastern section of the state. He’s got a pretty nasty streamer game on those muddy creeks for brown trout

 

[cfarr]

I watch more of his videos than any other YouTube personality. He catches BIG WV natives like it's nobody's business. I believe the majority of his videos are brookie fishing. His most recent video was of him camping under a rock formation along a rain swollen brookie stream.

Yeah I’m jealous my biggest is only 10” lol. I need to learn to find these creeks like he does.

 

[Swattie87]

Part of it is Brookies grow marginally larger in Appalachian WV than in PA. Not sure if this is latitude/growing season, genetics, or otherwise related, but the Brookie fishing I’ve done in WV supports this. Good streams have lots of 8-9” fish, and 10-12”’s are still pretty common. Feel like for PA back 2”s or so off all those numbers.

The really big fish are proportionately slightly bigger too, but the situations where you find them are more your marginal situations with a lower population density. Similar to PA.

 

[jifigz]

I don't really watch any YouTube fishing channels. Who is it you're talking about,? And if he/she can't be named here, you know, it's the equivalent of spot-burning by sharing your favorite YTers name, I guess I can kind of sort of get it.... Actually, no. I don't get it. The only one that pops in my mind is Hardman. I've seen him do WV vids and backpacking vids.

 

[Broodstock]

I don't really watch any YouTube fishing channels. Who is it you're talking about,? And if he/she can't be named here, you know, it's the equivalent of spot-burning by sharing your favorite YTers name, I guess I can kind of sort of get it.... Actually, no. I don't get it. The only one that pops in my mind is Hardman. I've seen him do WV vids and backpacking vids.

Yeah Jon Hardman is who I was referring to originally. He’s one of the few good ones.

 

[jifigz]

Yeah Jon Hardman is who I was referring to originally. He’s one of the few good ones.

Yeah, I've seen some of his videos that I've liked. By and large, however, I don't enjoy watching most "content-creator" flyfishermen. To each their own, and I know I'm on the curmudgeon-y side.

 

[falcon]

I dont watch many videos. In fact very few. I have no idea who many of the popular people making them are. Most of them video "watch me catch fish". At least try to make it interesting beyond catching such as geography, aquatic info, appropriate equipment, fly tying etc.

 

[wildtrout2]

Jon's videos are fun to watch, because he tells you what fly he's fishing and why he's fishing it. He gives a good background of the streams he fishes, but he NEVER mentions stream names. He's nobody's fool. 😉