Brook Trout in WB Delaware

[moon1284]

I've caught two wild brook trout in the west branch this year. One by deposit and one by shehawken. One was about 8 inches the other 11 or 12. Both were about 3/4 mile to a mile away from any tribs. I've caught brook trout in the upper east branch right outside of tribs before but never in the west branch.

Anyone else catch any st in the west branch?

 

[Dave_W]

moon1284 wrote:
Anyone else catch any st in the west branch?

I've certainly never seen one... but accounts of wild ST showing up in the West Branch are out there and you hear about them from time to time; never numbers, but a fish here and there.

I vaguelly recall a photo on this site of a wild ST in the WB or main stem (discounting the many pics of big Delaware tigers) but am not sure. Perhaps our WB regulars will chime in with pics or memories. It's an interesting topic.

 

[Canoetripper]

That is great news. Congratulations!

 

[kobalt335]

I caught one on the wb a couple years ago that was about 12. If i remember right, it wasn't too far from a trib..

 

[moon1284]

I've also caught quite a few stocked browns (around 10) throughout the west branch this year (most far from tribs) as well. Prior to this I've only caught them where oquaga creek dumps in downstream of the treatment plant.

 

[krayfish2]

I'd say you stand a small chance from either dam all the way to Narrowsburg if the conditions are right. Lots of the feeders hold wild ST populations.

 

[moon1284]

I guess it is pretty uncommon then. For what its worth I got a brown, a few rainbows and a brook trout last sunday on the wb. All were pitiful sizewise though.

I'm not much of an st guy, but I spent most of last summer fishing the wb penobscot in maine (well I was working in bangor but probably fished there 20 days) and that was a landlocked salmon and brook trout river that usually ran 2500cfs. Much less technical than the system but not necessarily an easy river to fish. I'd strongly recommend it to any of the st guys here. The fish in this river get big (both st and lls).

It's a nice alternative to going out west - I'd rather catch a LLS than a cut any day of the week. Ive been out west a few times, and honestly if I was going to get on a plane to fish I'd head northeast to maine or the Canadian maritimes. Lls are like upper delaware rainbows but they jump higher and get bigger, Atlantic Salmon are to steelhead what Lls are to rainbows.

 

[DavidFin]

A friend of mine caught a brookie in the WB this year, I forget where. I got a tiger on the Main Stem and a Brookie on the lower Beaverkill once.

Funny, I was out on the West this past Sunday and had an unbelievable day numbers wise, but were all dinks for the most part, too.

The only stocked browns that I've seen for sure in the system were in the Beaverkill (of course) and the East Branch.

 

[TJones]

Got a nice brookie about 14” by stilesville last year... that the only one I’ve caught in the WB.