The Legend of the World Record Brook Trout

[jifigz]

Yo, Jmac. Where did you get that picture? It isn't found in a Google image or Bing image search. It is, however, identical in every way to this picture posted over a year ago in this thread by a previous member. Ain't that odd?

Post in thread 'FOX 43 News: PFBC stocking invasive trout story(link to video of story aired on evening news). PFBC declines to be interviewed' https://www.paflyfish.com/threads/f...-declines-to-be-interviewed.82310/post-933040

 

[jeffroey]

Another interesting article about the Nipigon.

Nipigon River

www.brooktroutheaven.com

Curious if anyone has any first hand exp fishing it. Even with all of the daming, it reads like Ontario is working to preserve the Brook Trout Fishery on the Nipigon.

In my (feeble) attempt to get this thread back on track, new question:

What's your non-PA Brook Trout bucket list destination and should be Nipigon be considered?

 

[Jmac]

Fish Sticks strikes again

 

[nd1001]

Another interesting article about the Nipigon.

Nipigon River

www.brooktroutheaven.com

Curious if anyone has any first hand exp fishing it. Even with all of the daming, it reads like Ontario is working to preserve the Brook Trout Fishery on the Nipigon.

In my (feeble) attempt to get this thread back on track, new question:

What's your non-PA Brook Trout bucket list destination and should be Nipigon be considered?

I think the Nipigon is still up there. It offers a nice middle ground of providing a decent chance at a big brook trout while still being relatively easily accessible. Plus, the historic aspect of the fishery is cool.

A true bucket list trip for me would probably be to visit a lodge on one of the great remote Canadian brook trout rivers (Minipi, Eagle, God’s, etc.), but the cost is prohibitive.

Another option is a canoe trip down the Sutton river but that’s still pricey and I’m not too fond of polar bears.

 

[wildtrout2]

The mouth of Slate and Cedar run is in pine creek. Slate and Cedar make good summer time habitat for those stocked fish. They run up in them once it gets hot and need to get out of Pine Creek. The German Browns and Kamloops Rainbows also go in those streams for spawning habitat.

IMO Slate Run needs stocked trout competing with wild populations, like an active AA member needs a drink. Put those stockers in streams that have NO wild/native reproducing populations.

 

[wildtrout2]

I think the Nipigon is still up there. It offers a nice middle ground of providing a decent chance at a big brook trout while still being relatively easily accessible. Plus, the historic aspect of the fishery is cool.

A true bucket list trip for me would probably be to visit a lodge on one of the great remote Canadian brook trout rivers (Minipi, Eagle, God’s, etc.), but the cost is prohibitive.

Another option is a canoe trip down the Sutton river but that’s still pricey and I’m not too fond of polar bears.

Gods Lake/Gods River, in Northern Manitoba, is another awesome BIG brook trout destination.
And, it's strictly catch and release.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

I still think the classic story of Daniel Webster catching the giant brook trout in, of all places, Long Island is perhaps America's greatest fish story (and likely one with a grain of truth).

"Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable!" Webster, 1830

Daniel Webster’s Big Trout – Brookhaven & South Haven Hamlets

There was a carved fish on that Church when I lived on LI back from 59 to 65. I caught some sea run trout ,brookies and browns in some of the creeks. The Oakdale Sportsman's club had it's own hatchery and stocked the club waters with Brook Trout some of which were sizable ,20 inches or so. There was always some sneaking onto the club and bring out a big fish. It's now Connetquot River State Park.

Connetquot River State Park Preserve

The preserve maintains 3,473 acres of land & water for the protection & propagation of game birds, fish and animals, & 50 miles of trail through park.

parks.ny.gov

GG

 

[5footfenwick]

Another interesting article about the Nipigon.

Nipigon River

www.brooktroutheaven.com

Curious if anyone has any first hand exp fishing it. Even with all of the daming, it reads like Ontario is working to preserve the Brook Trout Fishery on the Nipigon.

In my (feeble) attempt to get this thread back on track, new question:

What's your non-PA Brook Trout bucket list destination and should be Nipigon be considered?

Have you looked at Fortress lake in Canada? They seem to be quite large there.

 

[OSlumpBuster18]

At 42:57 Joe puts to bed the speculation of whether his record brown trout was a stocker or wild fish.

I'd take those "stories" with a grain of ax grinding salt...

For the record and documented in his book, "Trout Tactics" and elsewhere, the 34" brown trout was caught in August of 1977, after Agnes but hardly right after Agnes which was June of 1972.

If someone can positively document that brood fish were washed out of a hatchery in 1972 and more than 5 years later one of those fish grabbed Joe's fly on that August evening, I might be a little disappointed and inclined to scream "stocked" every time I see a photo of that fish.

Until such time I'll just chalk it up to the disdain some folks have for Joe Humphreys because he fished club waters...

 

[rrt]

Interesting that this topic came up today. I spoke with a man just today who told me it was impossible for JH to have caught/raised the trout in his basement due to road construction that changed the stream flow near JH's house. He supported the story that JH caught the big trout below the BFC hatchery.

I guess, So what if the JH fish was a stocker? I imagine the biggest trout many of us catch/have caught have been "man made" trout, as an old friend once called stockers. This would include the Erie steelheads. I am sure that the biggest trout I have caught and released were stockers (28" is my best), though I have caught several browns in the mid 20's that I think were wild trout -- at least I hope so.

Anyhow, interesting to me that this topic came up today.

 

[OSlumpBuster18]

I was listening to the podcast and remembered this thread. I honestly never put much thought into Joe's record trout until this thread came up.

 

[riverwhy]

Great interview! Probably the easiest interview the host ever had. Joe sure has vivid memories of those key moments in his fishing life. Master storyteller! Made me think back to many of my own. I was fortunate to have had his class at
Penn State in 1986. I think I forgive him for joining a private fishing club.

 

[rrt]

JH's memory is good for being 96. In the video, he says he was at BEA HS when he caught the trout. However, he was no longer at Bald Eagle Area HS in 1977 when he caught the big trout. He had moved on before that, prior to 1971 at least, when a man I know began teaching there. I believe JH was at PSU by then and had probably taken over GH's fly-fishing classes, though of that I am not sure (of the date when JH took over).

This slight inconsistency takes nothing away from his catching the big trout. His telling of the landing of the big trout in the video is nearly the same as how he related the story in the updated version of his fishing book.