Native brookie movement within larger waterways

[fayettenamese]

I have spent a couple decades fishing the Clarion River and the Yough river. Both rivers have many native brookie streams that feed them. I have never caught a native brookie in either river but have caught thousands in their feeder streams.

My questions are... do these brookie populations interact by using the river to connect to other feeder streams? Do they use the rivers more in the winter when they are cooler? I have done as much research as I could and did find that historical brookie populations did use the larger rivers and their deep waters as winter refuge but this was before human disturbance and before larger trout were stocked in the rivers.

The only proof that I have of natives using larger rivers to travel is one small, formerly polluted tributary. A decade ago, there was no aquatic life there,and now, brookies inhabit the stream up to an impassible waterfall. No fish were stocked there.

Any information or experience that anyone has would be appreciated.

 

[3wt7X]

I've never fished up that high, but I was under the impression that the upper end of the Clarion contained good native brook trout fishing in the none tail water side, I believe the East Branch. I think water quality and temperature play a role below the paper mill, but during a float earlier this year my friend caught a native a few miles below the mill near a feeder.

When it comes to natives in bigger rivers, I've caught them in the North Branch, Gun Powder Fallls and Penns. I'm not sure how often natives use the bigger water to disperse around to smaller tribs. I do believe that if the water quality is good enough, and the native make its way out to the bigger water, then it will stay and eat, until something eats it. Just my observation, and I'm interested to see what others say.

 

[724flyfishing]

I've caught them way down stream from what you would consider good wild trout water in late fall and winter. Never before November or after February. It's only happened a handful of times and on a couple creeks so it could just be coincidence or could mean they only travel during those times of the year. Maybe those small feeder streams become really barren of insect life in the dead of winter and its food/survival driven?

 

[Chaz]

Yes to all your questions. I've caught wild brookies in bigger waters. There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to the historic record. I know Pine Creek held brookies most of the year, before the whole watershed was wrecked by logging. Ditto for Kettle Creek. There are others, like the Schuylkill River, many tributaries hold good brookie populations and so does the river especially the headwater sections. Just about anywhere above Blue Mountain.

 

[rfbernhard]

I fished the east branch of the clarion on Saturday, and caught a little native brookie. I'm usually good for one when ever I fish the delayed area just below the dam. Never anything over 6 inches but still nice to see em.

 

[greenghost]

I have caught natives in Laurel Hill creek in the spring as recently as a couple years ago. This year during the paflyfish jam I caught a 5" native in Penns Creek. I can say with 100% certainty that brookies do migrate to and from larger waters. I assume the initiating factors would be food and temperature. My guess is that they move to bigger flows during optimal temps for better food source. Then back to smaller tribs when temps start to rise. I have not seen any studies to back that up. Just speculation and an educated guess.