Help stock if you can

[afishinado]

From the PFBC site for Southern Chester County (and ditto for any stocked streams in your area)

For residents in Southern Chester County, on the south side of 322, consider coming out this year and helping to stock the Stocked Trout Waters.

The Stocked Trout Waters in Southern Chester County include Beaver Creek, Buck Run, Brandywine West Branch, Pocopson Creek, Elk & Big Elk Creeks, Octoraro Creek East Branch (in-season only), and four sections of the White Clay Creek (including one Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only Section).

We had very little help last year on some of the stockings which made it difficult to distribute the fish as evenly as we would have liked to. We often get anglers who call to complain that their favorite hole was not stocked well enough, or for reasons of bad weather and proximity to the road and or, for lack of help, it may have been passed by.

The first thing we ask is if they came along to help stock and the usual answer is no. Stocking is fun and gives you a chance to give something back to the resource. It is also a great way to spend a day with a kid and to get them off the web and video games for a while.

The Trout Stocking list has been updated and will give you all the dates, times and meeting locations for any county in Pennsylvania. Thanks in advance for your help.

Link to source: http://www.fish.state.pa.us/splsero.htm

 

[Mike]

Ditto for the Wissahickon in Philly's Fairmount Park. Help badly needed, as the stream requires two truck loads at the same time and there is very little help from anglers. Probably the worst that I have seen on preseason stockings except for bad weather days.

 

[Swattie87]

Does showing up at the stocking but just riding along in your Mini Cooper behind the stocking truck count? I like to do that so I know where the honey holes for the upcoming season will be. As far as getting out of the car to actually help stock...na, not for me. I pay for that service to be done for me through my license fees.

 

[BrookieChaser]

Just open the hatcheries to fishing. Save fuel money and man hours and you achieve the same manufactured fishing.

 

[afishinado]

Does showing up at the stocking but just riding along in your Mini Cooper behind the stocking truck count? I like to do that so I know where the honey holes for the upcoming season will be. As far as getting out of the car to actually help stock...na, not for me. I pay for that service to be done for me through my license fees.

Just open the hatcheries to fishing. Save fuel money and man hours and you achieve the same manufactured fishing.

:roll: Yeah, I would like to see more resources devoted to cold water streams and wild trout, but I'm smart enough as well as fair enough to realize that anglers license dollars pay for, and many/most trout anglers fish for stocked fish.

For you guys ^, instead of helping to stock, spend your time volunteering for a TU project to benefit a cold water stream.

 

[BrookTroutLover]

Noon on a Monday is hard for us working stiffs and our kids who are in school. If it were a Satuday, no problem.

 

[Swattie87]

I was kidding (mostly)...no sense in fighting stocking. It's here to stay.

It's the tradition of the camp my Dad is a member of to open up camp for the season and perform any Spring time maintenance the week of the stocking of Kettle and Little Kettle. I tagged along last year, and I'm heading up to help install a new shower and pitch some buckets of stockies this year too.

The other couple times per year I'm up there I usually walk down to Kettle after dinner and fish the evening rise, so it's probably right of me to help stock it. It's a good excuse for a first trip of the year to the NC mountains too.

 

[troutbert]

Helping stock in streams that are not on the wild trout reproduction list seems fine. For example Wissahickon Creek.

I wouldn't help stock a wild trout stream though. Like Little Kettle Creek for example.

Stocking a stream like that suppresses the wild trout population.

Helping to stock wild trout streams supports and condones the practice.

 

[MKern]

I agree with some some that mentioned that the stocking times aren't most people helping, especially kids.

 

[Swattie87]

troutbert wrote:
Helping stock in streams that are not on the wild trout reproduction list seems fine. For example Wissahickon Creek.

I wouldn't help stock a wild trout stream though. Like Little Kettle Creek for example.

Stocking a stream like that suppresses the wild trout population.

Helping to stock wild trout streams supports and condones the practice.

I agree with the above tb. I'm afforded free lodging at the camp when I'm there with my Dad, and it's a bit of a tradition of their's to help with the stocking. As a thank you for the free lodging, I like to be there as "younger-ish" body to help with the maintenance and projects. Stocking just happens to be part of that Spring clean up week for them.

I'd rather have Little Kettle not stocked too. FWIW, I've only ever caught one stockie in Little Kettle, despite the hundreds that get tossed in. Though I'm usually not back up to fish until late May or June and I suspect many have already been "bonked."

 

[Reeder]

I always try to take the kids to help stock if it isn't during work or school hours, but it often is. Lack of help up this way never seems to be a problem. Actually, there is usually a crowd full of guys who race the kids to the truck and try to get them all dumped in as quick as possible.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

My son is a senior in high school and has been in touch with our local WCO to help stock. He is available weekdays after noon. He would like to float stock some sections of streams but we do not have a float stocking box. We would like to borrow one if possible . If anyone knows of someone who would be willing to loan a float stocking box in the York, Lancaster areas please let me know. Son has a pickup to transport it.

 

[STONEMAN]

I float stock the Breeches with the YBAC. Great fun. Noisily walking down a stretch of the creek gives you a different perspective of its features and structure. Try it.

 

[AFISHN]

I've helped stocking several streams in SE PA for a long time.

Last year while spending 2 Saturdays(LRSA) to help stock the LR,I was appalled to see me(at 74) and several other oldsters schlepping and struggling up and down banks to the stream with buckets, while many, much younger and apparently able bodied males, just looking on.
I don't get it....just saying...and venting a little,I guess

 

[lestrout]

I've helped the clubs and state stocks a few times over the years, but last year I kicked it up a notch, getting out about 10 times - those months that was more times than when I actually went ffishing. During the school Easter break, I brought a grandson along. He loved it and wants a repeat this year.

I ranged over several counties, and ask the WCOs which venues needed the most help so I could prioritize my contributions. As someone mentioned, you end up learning new streams and spots. I really ought to go back to ffish those spots, but somehow the trouts I stock feel like pets afterwards, so I hate to go molest them. lol

Mike - I will definitely go help with the Wiss this year, based on your input. Any other suggestions from you?

 

[afishinado]

AFISHN wrote:
I've helped stocking several streams in SE PA for a long time.

Last year while spending 2 Saturdays(LRSA) to help stock the LR,I was appalled to see me(at 74) and several other oldsters schlepping and struggling up and down banks to the stream with buckets, while many, much younger and apparently able bodied males, just looking on.
I don't get it....just saying...and venting a little,I guess

Lestrout wrote:
I've helped the clubs and state stocks a few times over the years, but last year I kicked it up a notch, getting out about 10 times - those months that was more times than when I actually went ffishing. During the school Easter break, I brought a grandson along. He loved it and wants a repeat this year.

I ranged over several counties, and ask the WCOs which venues needed the most help so I could prioritize my contributions. As someone mentioned, you end up learning new streams and spots. I really ought to go back to ffish those spots, but somehow the trouts I stock feel like pets afterwards, so I hate to go molest them. lol

Mike - I will definitely go help with the Wiss this year, based on your input. Any

Nice!...Les and Tom (>140 years of experience between them...maybe some younger guys could help, too)

Reminder that the Chester County DH streams > EB Brandywine, Pickering, French and West Valley Creeks will be stocked tomorrow:

2/23/16 > Ridge Fire Co. RT23-(2 Mi. East of RT100) > 12:00 PM

 

[mikesl]

I intend to take the afternoon off to help with pickering/french etc. tomorrow, and later on for wissahickon as well.

Last year's pickering outing was quite eventful... what with the snowstorm and the stocking truck sliding off the road.

 

[raftman]

I would love to help if there were any days in my area on the weekend.