Pigeon creek southeast PA

[ChescoBrookie]

I grew up fishing on Pigeon Creek 15-20 years ago. There has always been a population of wild brown trout there for as long as I can remember, and we frequently caught wild trout growing up. I always wondered why it wasn't on PAFBC's wild trout list. My parents still live close to the stream, and while I haven't fished there in a while, just walking the stream it appears that wild browns are more abundant than in the past. I believe that wild brown you caught last fall, Peyton, has been in that same location for several years. One of my family members caught him a few years ago when he was 17". We caught a few brookies growing up, but I believe these were stocked. About 12 years ago I had a friend tell me that they they caught wild brookies in the stretch just up stream from Route 100. There is a trout club that has a hatchery in the headwaters, so it is possible that a few fingerlings escape each year.

 

[Peyton]

I grew up fishing on Pigeon Creek 15-20 years ago. There has always been a population of wild brown trout there for as long as I can remember, and we frequently caught wild trout growing up. I always wondered why it wasn't on PAFBC's wild trout list. My parents still live close to the stream, and while I haven't fished there in a while, just walking the stream it appears that wild browns are more abundant than in the past. I believe that wild brown you caught last fall, Peyton, has been in that same location for several years. One of my family members caught him a few years ago when he was 17". We caught a few brookies growing up, but I believe these were stocked. About 12 years ago I had a friend tell me that they they caught wild brookies in the stretch just up stream from Route 100. There is a trout club that has a hatchery in the headwaters, so it is possible that a few fingerlings escape each year.

brookies that are wild wouldn't be a far stretch. I've seen fish that looked like 3-4" brookies and heard other people saying the same. That 17" could've been the other one, there were two large trout. As always in te spring the smaller ones are gone, and the bigger ones will probably do the same soon.

 

[Chaz]

Does TIC still do brook trout? I love that it teaches the kids about our state fish I just hate the release part/ingraining of stocking behavior at that early age.

Back to original topic, I would really be interested to know where those fish are comming from. I think the TIC program has a coordinator with as master list at state level but could be mistaken, could check and see if nearby schools on it.

Mike or Peyton are there any near by streams they could have wandered over from I am not familiar with the area. I remember Peyton saying something about a neighbor stocking so coukd check with them as well. Also don’t know where electroshocking was done compared to capture of that fish.

I believe that the TIC program stopped raising and stocking brook trout because of the issue of gill lice in some hatcheries.