Brown Trout in Previously all Brookie Water

[salmo]

Two weeks ago I got some time off and headed up to Central Pa. Water was low everywhere. I fished Spring Creek without success. I also hit Bald Eagle Creek very near where Spring dumps into it. I did much better. I picked up 3-4 stocker bows in dry dropper rigs and a small wild brown. The water was certainly deeper and sufficiently cool. On Saturday in snuck into the Black Moshannon Forrest to fish a stream where I had always been successful exclusively on brook trout. Of course the water was low. In the past in had only seen one brown trout in this water. My first catch after several misses was a 6-7 inch brown. I caught 3 other small fry type fish which I could not identify, but believe them to be a mix of brookies and browns. I'm concerned about the future of this beautiful brookie water. I will probably go back when the water levels improve.

 

[Swattie87]

I’ve caught Browns in every Black Mo trib (and Black Mo itself) I’ve fished. Can’t say I’ve fished the whole watershed, but I’ve fished most of it. They’re there and have been for a long time. Nothing new, FWIW. In a couple of them, I regularly catch more Browns than Brookies.

The little ones easily could have been Brookies. So one Brown, no big deal. Like you said, fish it again in better conditions and see what you turn up.

 

[Cznymph]

That watershed is also host to Salmincola Edwardsii compliments of the three points sportsman co—op. I have seen a drastic change in the population of brook trout on a friends property that they have also detected the parasite. I would wager that the presence of gill lice in that watershed isn’t doing the brook trout any favors.