Lots of early season action on the Brandywine

[Striperbobby]

I fished a non stocked section of the Brandywine in downingtown on Monday 3/4 from around 4 to 5:30pm. Caught 4 rainbow and one brook trout, 15 fallfish and one smallmouth bass. Fish were active but you could see them in the water and no hatches were happening. Went to dust off the cob webs and maybe catch a few fallfish and was totally surprised by how many fish I caught in the first week of March.

 

[Mike]

Now you’ve answered my previous question and at the same time quelled my surprise regarding your catches in the “Brandywine.” Those catches of the stocked ST and RT fit much better with your location in the East Branch of Brandywine Ck, particularly since it is stocked by the PFBC and a Cooperative Nursery down to Downingtown. Likewise, Beaver Ck is stocked by the PFBC and joins the E Branch in Downingtown, so if you were just below these stocked trout sections catching stocked trout that have moved a bit since stocking would not be surprising. Nevertheless, taking advantage of the reg implemented in 2023 is a good move and is apparently producing some good returns for you.

 

[Striperbobby]

Now you’ve answered my previous question and at the same time quelled my surprise regarding your catches in the “Brandywine.” Those catches of the stocked ST and RT fit much better with your location in the East Branch of Brandywine Ck, particularly since it is stocked by the PFBC and a Cooperative Nursery down to Downingtown. Likewise, Beaver Ck is stocked by the PFBC and joins the E Branch in Downingtown, so if you were just below these stocked trout sections catching stocked trout that have moved a bit since stocking would not be surprising. Nevertheless, taking advantage of the reg implemented in 2023 is a good move and is apparently producing some good returns for you.

Almost 100% sure they washed downstream from beaver creek. I never fish stocked water or target trout intentionally. I don’t enjoy crowds and do really well in many locations on both east and west branch. I caught this guy or gal in July last year

 

[Mike]

Don’t need to know where you were when you caught that large RT, but it could have been a PFBC fish or one from the private stocking of big RT, if it still occurs, that used to be done by a landowner much farther downstream. I don’t recall if that was in the E or W Branch.