Ten years earlier in 1983, was an especially informative year for me...
I have a 1" thick coil bound book produced by the State of NJ Dept of Environmental Protection & Fish Game from 1983 when NJ was considering stocking pacific salmon in the Delaware. It lists all the NJ trout streams AND the wild trout streams.
When I lived in the Poconos, I used this guide to explore wild trout streams on the "Joisey" side of the Delaware...
1983 was also when "Operation Future" was talked about in every issue of the PA Angler Magazine. In the April 1983 issue, they published a guide called "Trout Fishing in Pennsylvania" (attached below) with lists of stocked streams but more importantly, a color coded map that showed some of the Class A streams surveyed up to that point.
That "guide" was also available as a separate brochure. A crumpled copy of that brochure was in my vest for a LONG time to help me find Class A streams.
Finally, around the same time, I contacted Delano Graff, Director of Fisheries for the PFBC to get a Class A list. I can't remember if it was a phone call or written correspondence, however it WASN'T an email.
🙂
He mailed the type written two page list that only included the stream name, county and the length of the section.
Here's that list:
View attachment 1641251991
Wusses today need apps, maps, GPS coordinates and Internet spot burners to scout streams. Way back when we used paper maps, horses, divining rods & instinct...
AND in the off season we walked three miles to school UPHILL in the snow!!
😉
The old guide is attached as a PDF: