Found this video today. Thoughts? I'm giving it a bit before adding my 2¢

[krayfish2]

 

[govtmule]

so apparently they found some small "wild trout" (22:00 min mark)....So lets just throw some 20" plus browns, rainbows, brookies and tigers in!!! I like the intent but seems to me you're just continuing a put and take fishery...which is fine

 

[albatross]

Bunch of guys passionate about fly fishing and want a place to do it near where they live. May end up with a manufactured fishery they have to maintain, but that's OK.

 

[hemlock]

A promo video for a stocking club complete with a trout routes plug.

 

[ryansheehan]

Anyone who fishes the weenie is good in my book.

 

[wildtrout2]

Some things never change.

 

[Bamboozle]

I don't live in Delaware, I never fished it or any of its branches anywhere and I have no idea whether any part of it could support a sustainable wild trout population in 2024 or beyond so I suspect the little wild fish that will get all of the attention came from a tributary.

FWIW - None of it appears on PA Natural Reproduction List...

That being said, IMHO it's nice to see that somebody cares enough to do the grunt work so it can be a place to catch trout and have a good time close to where they live.

3-2-1 BOOM!!

 

[tjsingle]

I didn't think any part of White Clay had natural reproduction, always thought it was a put and take. Although I've been told about several spring seeps fish will hang out in the warmer months.

 

[coyoterahn]

I think these guys are passionate about what they’re doing. Obvious they put a lot of effort into this and have an end goal with trying to restore this creek.I do wonder, if there are only very few wild fish, what is the cause for that and will stocking these mature fish make a difference.
If I understand correctly, the fish were provided in part by the state on public water. With that being said and some won’t like this , I don’t agree with public areas posted as ”Fly Fishing Only.” I can’t remember the last time I saw a section of stream posted as “Spin Fishing Only”. What makes fly fishing so special?
BTW, I haven’t “spin fished” for trout in probably 20+ years. 🤷‍♂️ But I keep thinking I need to give it a go! Maybe I’ll give Dusty Rhoads a call! 😳

 

[PennKev]

Meh.

Nothing to see here. No different than many PA TU chapters. Talk about wild fisheries, realize their local stream sucks, end up as a stocking club.

 

[Cznymph]

I think these guys are passionate about what they’re doing. Obvious they put a lot of effort into this and have an end goal with trying to restore this creek.I do wonder, if there are only very few wild fish, what is the cause for that and will stocking these mature fish make a difference.
If I understand correctly, the fish were provided in part by the state on public water. With that being said and some won’t like this , I don’t agree with public areas posted as ”Fly Fishing Only.” I can’t remember the last time I saw a section of stream posted as “Spin Fishing Only”. What makes fly fishing so special?
BTW, I haven’t “spin fished” for trout in probably 20+ years. 🤷‍♂️ But I keep thinking I need to give it a go! Maybe I’ll give Dusty Rhoads a call! 😳

I’ve always thought that myself. Why is it in a FFO section that a nymph under a red and white bobber is bad, but a nymph under a green and orange indicator is good?

 

[krayfish2]

Ok, my take is there's a group of old guys with disposable income that love to fish. I think they enjoy each other's company as much as they enjoy fishing. Guessing they would be just as happy playing cards or chess with each other.

They see the opportunity to have their own fish nirvana by ponying up money and stocking fish. I'm guessing many of us would toss cash out to have your own stream section for a few months.

Can neither confirm or deny that that stream ever supported a worthwhile wild population. Highly doubt that dumping in 20-in pellet heads will ever reestablish a wild population. Pure speculation but I think that they realize it won't re-establish wild and use that as a cover for their stocking. Seems more admirable I suppose. If they really wanted to reestablish wild fish, wouldn't they monitor water quality, ensure that spawning habitat remains intact and want to minimize stocking?

I'm not saying that they had ulterior motives but I highly doubt that they truly believe they're doing something righteous. I felt like I was watching a PFBC propaganda reel and was waiting for the tagline "Delivering another truckload of family fishing fun" to appear on screen.

Probably not hurting much by dumping fish into a marginal stream, I'll never go there and it just seemed hokey to me.

Tight lines,
K

 

[PennKev]

Ok, my take is there's a group of old guys with disposable income that love to fish. I think they enjoy each other's company as much as they enjoy fishing. Guessing they would be just as happy playing cards or chess with each other.

They see the opportunity to have their own fish nirvana by ponying up money and stocking fish. I'm guessing many of us would toss cash out to have your own stream section for a few months.

Can neither confirm or deny that that stream ever supported a worthwhile wild population. Highly doubt that dumping in 20-in pellet heads will ever reestablish a wild population. Pure speculation but I think that they realize it won't re-establish wild and use that as a cover for their stocking. Seems more admirable I suppose. If they really wanted to reestablish wild fish, wouldn't they monitor water quality, ensure that spawning habitat remains intact and want to minimize stocking?

I'm not saying that they had ulterior motives but I highly doubt that they truly believe they're doing something righteous. I felt like I was watching a PFBC propaganda reel and was waiting for the tagline "Delivering another truckload of family fishing fun" to appear on screen.

Probably not hurting much by dumping fish into a marginal stream, I'll never go there and it just seemed hokey to me.

Tight lines,
K

That's pretty accurate.

I think that many clubs and TU's would love to be able to restore a trout stream to be a vibrant wild trout fishery but reality hits pretty hard. Money, man power, motivation, and time are just in too short of supply to truly fix most streams.

 

[ryansheehan]

I'm not saying that they had ulterior motives but I highly doubt that they truly believe they're doing something righteous. I felt like I was watching a PFBC propaganda reel and was waiting for the tagline "Delivering another truckload of family fishing fun" to appear on screen.

The front of the stocking truck said "catch and eat a trout today"

 

[wildtrout2]

Bunch of guys passionate about fly fishing and want a place to do it near where they live. May end up with a manufactured fishery they have to maintain, but that's OK.

Exactly. If they're putting in the effort and paying for the stocking of a creek that doesn't have a naturally reproducing population of trout, why wouldn't it be okay? I think people these days worry too much about what the other guy is doing. I couldn't care less what these retired guys are doing with their time and money. If it's legal, have at it.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

I agree with the "why not" sentiment. The only exception would be if some other fish species of value are harmed by stocking.

 

[stephenb]

I think these guys are passionate about what they’re doing. Obvious they put a lot of effort into this and have an end goal with trying to restore this creek.I do wonder, if there are only very few wild fish, what is the cause for that and will stocking these mature fish make a difference.
If I understand correctly, the fish were provided in part by the state on public water. With that being said and some won’t like this , I don’t agree with public areas posted as ”Fly Fishing Only.” I can’t remember the last time I saw a section of stream posted as “Spin Fishing Only”. What makes fly fishing so special?
BTW, I haven’t “spin fished” for trout in probably 20+ years. 🤷‍♂️ But I keep thinking I need to give it a go! Maybe I’ll give Dusty Rhoads a call! 😳

I love the fly fishing only sections because they are like a magnet to fly fishermen, I prefer the less crowded fishing sections with no special regulations for fly fishing. When I fish fly's on the White Clay I can fly fish from Newark all the way upstream on public land to where the fly only section starts and a week after opening day it's rare to see anyone fishing until the FFO section. And the best part,I can get an out of state license and trout stamp for Delaware, cheaper than my PA license and stamp

 

[Bamboozle]

OT, but I fly fish and I don't...

When I didn't, I wasn't particularly perturbed by FFO sections I couldn't fish but I know that isn't a universally shared sentiment when I see the signage ripped off trees in FFO or other Special Regulation Sections.

With that in mind, maybe practitioners of the "gentle art" of fly fishing (like the guys in the video & the rest of us) should occasionally offer beginning fly fishing clinics for those that don't on those sections to enlighten the unwashed masses, possibly create a few converts and lessen the animosity...

...on both sides.

 

[flyfishdelawhere]

I welcome all feedback! This is a work in progress. We have been observing this creeks restoration for the last 5 years. This isn’t the first spawning stock we have done and it won’t be the last. There are wild trout way up stream in PA, so it has potential lower downstream in Delaware. Maybe this is a complete waste too, but we will have a blast trying. It gives us hope. The same reason we all flyfish, with the hope of catching a fish. This gives another layer of hope. We got the regulations changed, which is a step in the right direction. The flyfishing only section provides less pressure. Plus, it provides a different sense of respect to the trout. Throwing a treble lure and ripping it out of the trout’s mouth compared to a barbless hook, or worst case a small single barbed hook, is much different.
I’m not saying that this will be a wild stream in 5 years. But it could be a wild stream in 10. And if not, then I stocked a stream near my house that Im able to flyfish with multiple layers of hope. While many other fly fishers were able to enjoy as well.
One thing to keep in mind is access. Not all of us have the time or access to go fish a wild stream, if we could, don’t you think we would? The hand your dealt can win a game, if played right! I welcome you all to come down to Delaware and enjoy this creek, so you can tell your grandkids you fished it prior to when it was a class A stream 😉…

 

[poopdeck]

Nice! my feedback is to not pay any mind to the haters. With trout come the hierarchy’s some like to create to elevate their own self worth. keep doing what your doing, it’s not hurting anything and it might just work.