Tulpehocken Creek, Berks County 12/22/16

[Nymph-wristed]

I fished the Tully from about 10:30 to 2:30 today and managed at least 5, mostly bows, on a white bugger. Clear to partly sunny, a bit breezy. Dead drift on the marabou with a few gentle snaps here and there. Water was in the low 40's and was stained, but visibility was a couple feet. One brown was a pretty one and even took a half-hearted leap. I saw at least 3 other guys playing hooky too. Not a bad day for December 22nd.

 

[Swattie87]

Nice fish. That Brown would make for a heck of a wild/stocked debate.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Swattie87 wrote:
Nice fish. That Brown would make for a heck of a wild/stocked debate.

Thanks, Swattie! Agreed. It was below the mouth of one of the tribs that holds wild browns, so it is possible. I thought the pectorals looked a little off, so it may have been a fingerling stock?

 

[Swattie87]

Yeah…I’d say wild with about 65/35 certainty.

A couple of years ago I would have been much higher in favor of wild, almost nearly certain, based on the red in the adipose and the eyespot. But the last couple of years I’ve seen some much nicer stocked Browns, both club and PFBC. I’ve personally chucked buckets into Kettle Creek with stocked Browns that had red in the adipose and eyespots at the time of stocking. Seeing that has blurred some of the traditional indicators on Brown Trout in my mind a little.

In the end, the main thing that has me uncertain on this guy though is the irregular shape to some of the spots, which is a trait more common in stockies, but can be seen in wild fish too.

As you alluded to, the fish was either in limestone water or in a big tailwater for most of its life. Browns in those environments are harder to ID than small freestone wild Browns IMO too.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Thought the same thing, Swattie. Didn't want to ask "where" he got it, but if it was below a trib, I'd be fairly confident it's wild!

 

[Mike]

The Rainbow looks to be a fish that was stocked as an adult this past fall. The Brown could be either, but the fin wear suggests stockie, although spawning could have taken its toll. Spot color and frequency is about half way between stocked and wild. I can't call it with great confidence from my computer screen, but I am somewhat leaning toward stocked. Colorful fish, regardless.

 

[RCFetter]

Nice report Nymph. The pics are great.

 

[Mike]

The fall-stocked adult RT in Section 07, Rebers Bridge to the Covered Bridge, that survive to the spring will be colored up like wild fish by sometime in the spring. I have seen them in mid-June and they are fat and beautiful ("football trout"). They also average 13-14 inches by then, with some reaching 15 inches.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

If it survives the winter/ spring it will move into the cool feeders flows in summer just to be ripped out by a guy with 8x and a trico.
So fish on!

Beautiful trout stocked or wild.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Thanks, guys! I have hooked a few of those freight train rainbows that hold over. Fun stuff.

 

[pcray1231]

Congrats, that Brown is interesting. Bout half my markers pointing each way. I've caught wild browns in the Tully below known trib, so it's possible. Heck, that exact pool, haha (block wall in background).

Just to show my work... Black spot pattern, fins, and distended anus say stocked. Red adipose, red spots, and eye spot say wild. So I'm 50/50. Size and location lean ever so slightly toward stocked but do not exclude wild. A true tweener.

 

[SteveG]

That is a tough brown to crack. I usually look to fin translucency and size and spotting on tail if the adipose color and eye spot are present. Most of the wild browns I catch have little tail potting. But I also catch some wild fish that are loaded with tail spots. This fish group has entirely too many different genetics haha

 

[nomad_archer]

Hi guys. Fished the Tully on friday 12/23 from 1-3 and ended up with 30 fingerlings and 2 carp on nymphs and and soft hackle wets. Water was 39* and crystal clear. Best fishing day for me for the year. It was my first time fishing the Tully but it wont be my last. There is so much great looking water to explore.

 

[Chaz]

Nice fish, both stocked, brown has noticeable fin wear and no dark lines on any fins. Rainbow looks like the visible pectoral fin is short. Good color and decent condition though for a poor rainfall year.

 

[acesedgley]

nymph wristed...please check your PM.

 

[ryansheehan]

Chaz wrote:
Nice fish, both stocked, brown has noticeable fin wear and no dark lines on any fins. Rainbow looks like the visible pectoral fin is short. Good color and decent condition though for a poor rainfall year.

That fish looks like it spawned recently, the fin condition could definitely be related to that.