Native or holdover?

[rrt]

Both are lovely fish. Does it really matter if they're wild or not? Again, they are really beautiful trout.

 

[Dave_W]

I'd say 95% confidence the ST is wild.

70% confidence the BT is wild.

I'm of the opinion that PA streams simply have far more wild STs this time of year than holdover stocked brookies and this affects the odds (at least in my mind).

Bigger browns are always tougher. I think this one is wild but if you have seen the big stocked fish the club puts in Pine Creek, they look very much like this and I've seen red on their adipose. Some of the club fish in Yellow Breeches and other privately stocked waters look pretty good too.

Stocked or wild? Always a fun cabin fever topic.

 

[larkmark]

I enjoy this topic too. I have always been of the opinion that many of the bigger fish that people call wild are holdovers because they do adapt and their fins grow back and they become colorful after only a few months. The Brown I posted was from a stream that has no stocking and also has no wild fish. Also no stocked tributaries. I couldn't really make a call for sure on it.

 

[HopBack]

I enjoy this topic too. I have always been of the opinion that many of the bigger fish that people call wild are holdovers because they do adapt and their fins grow back and they become colorful after only a few months. The Brown I posted was from a stream that has no stocking and also has no wild fish. Also no stocked tributaries. I couldn't really make a call for sure on it.

The OP's fish is definately native based on the size and condition of the fish. Your fish is wild.... blow up the picture there is a prominent eye spot on the brown. Also, fins do not grow back, or are at least not perfect in a matter of months. It takes a year or more for this to happen. Also, big hatchery trout will ofter have that deflated look once they have been in the stream for a while. Big wild trout always look proportional.

 

[drakeking412]

wild and wild