VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY NEEDED FOR 27NOV BROOK TROUT PROGRAM

[lestrout]

On very short notice, the VFTU Brook Trout Program has been approved to move forward, and eggs will become available this coming weekend.
We are looking for 5 or 6 additional volunteers to help stock the selected West Valley Creek tributaries in the Exton area on the morning of Sunday, 11/27.
We will begin at 10:00 am and hope to be done by 12:00 noon. This is an outdoor, in-stream, rain or shine event.

 

[DaveKile]

Les,
Who should they contact about attending?

 

[Fish Sticks]

On very short notice, the VFTU Brook Trout Program has been approved to move forward, and eggs will become available this coming weekend.
We are looking for 5 or 6 additional volunteers to help stock the selected West Valley Creek tributaries in the Exton area on the morning of Sunday, 11/27.
We will begin at 10:00 am and hope to be done by 12:00 noon. This is an outdoor, in-stream, rain or shine event.

Is this the wild native brook trout reintroduction project listed on the website

 

[lestrout]

Les,
Who should they contact about attending?

Yo Dave - Steve Grim is organizing this. The work will be near Exton. Interested folks can contact me here and I will connect them.

 

[Fish Sticks]

Yo Dave - Steve Grim is organizing this. The work will be near Exton. Interested folks can contact me here and I will connect them.

I am interested can you PM me a contact for Steve Grim. Wanted to see if this was virbert egg boxes and what source stock was.

 

[Dave_W]

Fascinating - good luck with this project Les. VFTU is an excellent organization.

Many of us would be interested in hearing about the results over the next few months or years. Since the mention of specific streams in that part of the state is a sensitive issue, perhaps some meta-data about the stocking process (Vibert boxes?), follow-on population surveys/data etc. that refers to watersheds. . . would be interesting.

If I lived closer, I'd love to help out with this.

 

[silverfox]

I'm intrigued and slightly concerned at the same time. I'd love to know more about this.

 

[sgrim]

All,
At this point I think we're ok with volunteers.
I want to thank those of you who have already contacted me.
If you have additional questions, you can PM me here and let me know.
This is a continuation of the ongoing efforts to promote brook trout in waters where they once resided. We do work closely with our WCO and they are informed of our program.
We'll try to do some followup communications via the VFTU website.

 

[pcray1231]

Reading between the lines at the intrigue and slight concern. Copy and pasted from the VFTU website:

"With an updated data set, we hope to have the opportunity to work with the PA Fish and Boat Commission when appropriate brook trout habitat is identified and to obtain their assistance in transferring brook trout from existing local brook trout streams to those that can support brook trout, but where none have been identified."

It certainly will be interesting to see how well it works. Sorry, I can't make it, have a family health emergency, and if that abates, I'm going to camp for deer season.

 

[lestrout]

VFTU went through the transfer process a few years ago, when we stabilized Crabby Creek, a good sized tributary to Valley Creek. This involved shocking out some (wild) browns, at least one of which was well in the teens. A team pulled a few dozen brookies out of Six Penny, and they were put into Crabby. However, we never did see any of the brookies again.

This last several years, we retreated to the Vibert Box approach on several headwaters that tested auspiciously. We did find some hatched successfully and TimH caught a beautiful example this spring in West Valley.

 

[salmo]

VFTU went through the transfer process a few years ago, when we stabilized Crabby Creek, a good sized tributary to Valley Creek. This involved shocking out some (wild) browns, at least one of which was well in the teens. A team pulled a few dozen brookies out of Six Penny, and they were put into Crabby. However, we never did see any of the brookies again.

This last several years, we retreated to the Vibert Box approach on several headwaters that tested auspiciously. We did find some hatched successfully and TimH caught a beautiful example this spring in West Valley.

Are you saying there are some brookies on West Valley?

 

[sarce]

Les, best wishes for long term success! Looks like quite an interesting spring you are working with. Would have helped but all my PA visits are taken up by wedding planning and other family stuff.

 

[Fish Sticks]

VFTU went through the transfer process a few years ago, when we stabilized Crabby Creek, a good sized tributary to Valley Creek. This involved shocking out some (wild) browns, at least one of which was well in the teens. A team pulled a few dozen brookies out of Six Penny, and they were put into Crabby. However, we never did see any of the brookies again.

This last several years, we retreated to the Vibert Box approach on several headwaters that tested auspiciously. We did find some hatched successfully and TimH caught a beautiful example this spring in West Valley.

Commend you all on attempting a removal and reintroduction on Crabby. What would be nice is if PA fish and boat could put in some effort like you guys are. They could get a dedicated conservation hatchery like West Virginia does. With such a hatchery source populations could be selected based on genetic testing with good chance to take, spawned in said conservation hatchery, and then after an F1 generation with a large number of individuals is produced they could be immediately used for reintroduction.