Nothing better than a good ol "wild or stocked?".

[krayfish2]

There's been a couple of threads on brown trout and how the larger / transient fish move from watershed to watershed. I know it's been discussed on here that brookies also move about in the systems using some larger waters to feed in the winter.

I bring you a brook trout, Gorloch the Destroyer. Came from a large flowing body of water that has many class A trout streams flowing into it. This came from an area you might think of as bass or catfish water. Am I looking at some kind of unicorn or just a pretty holdover that just got lost?

 

[mgmunson]

I'm an eternal optimist who is also rooting for the brook trout, so I'm going to call it wild on that basis. I'm curious to hear the experts chime in

 

[wildtrout2]

This should be interesting, but I'm thinking it's a holdover based on it's size. Nice looking though.

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Dorsal looks a little thick on leading edge. Although it's not flared open all the way. Looks great awesome fish but I'm leaning holdover..... I get a few every season on my marginal trout water that also has class a flowing into the main stem but never this big. So I think it's a holdover.... But what a catch I'd take that all day 👍

 

[Swattie87]

Good call on blurring the background. Don’t want the locale being sleuthed. (But please post the coordinates in the “Best Stream No One Knows About” thread. This is a safe place for us to share these kind of things.)

As for the fish, the dorsal was the only thing that I really question also. Tail is a little tattered but that can happen on wild fish. If there are wild Brookies in those class A tribs, I’d be fine calling it wild.

Edit: Unless the injury just behind the gill plate was from where the derby prize tag was ripped off it. This is a krayfish thread, so had to mention that as a possibility.

 

[hooker-of-men]

I would have to vote: yes, that is a fish I would like to catch.

 

[poopdeck]

I need more meaningless information to make a more accurate meaningless determination of unicorn or holdover. Is the prize bigger if it’s wild? Was it caught on power bait and 40lb test or a size 36 midge and 8X tippet? Was it ever observed chasing cigarette butts? Did you low crawl the last 100 meters to the waters edge or just kind of plod your way there? Were any redds destroyed in the capture of this fish? And finally, was your hat promoting an Orvis Helios 4 or an Ugly Stik? I’m going with why does it matter, who cares, nice fish, be happy.

 

[Mike]

Dorsal fin = former stockie if I ran into this fish during a fish population survey

 

[dudemanspecial]

I don't know but I will say if this was the norm from PA wild brookies that would be awesome.

 

[krayfish2]

There are numerous class a brook trout streams that flow into this larger body of water. Many of them are high quality and have been mentioned on here by swattie and others.

I believe the injury on the fish is a heron pet mark. The dorsal fin looked relaxed that's why I didn't know which way to go on this one because the rest of the fish looks pretty damn good

 

[Swattie87]

There are numerous class a brook trout streams that flow into this larger body of water. Many of them are high quality and have been mentioned on here by swattie and others.

I believe the injury on the fish is a heron pet mark. The dorsal fin looked relaxed that's why I didn't know which way to go on this one because the rest of the fish looks pretty damn good

So, are you a Gemmie guy now? Trading in that drift boat for a 5’6 -2wt and a box full of cherry red Wulffs and Humpy’s?

 

[krayfish2]

I don't know but I will say if this was the norm from PA wild brookies that would be awesome.

I would love Pennsylvania to have opportunities to fish for brook trout this size on a regular basis what do you guys see as the factors limiting those opportunities. Try to answer without blaming it on brown trout 😂

 

[krayfish2]

So, are you a Gemmie guy now?

No. I have more respect for myself than that and I'm not all that handy at casting a size 16 EHC 🤣

 

[Swattie87]

No. I have more respect for myself than that and I'm not all that handy at casting a size 16 EHC 🤣

You may want to try a -4wt for those little EHC’s.

 

[Shawn Joseph]

There's been a couple of threads on brown trout and how the larger / transient fish move from watershed to watershed. I know it's been discussed on here that brookies also move about in the systems using some larger waters to feed in the winter.

I bring you a brook trout, Gorloch the Destroyer. Came from a large flowing body of water that has many class A trout streams flowing into it. This came from an area you might think of as bass or catfish water. Am I looking at some kind of unicorn or just a pretty holdover that just got lost?

I would ask The President of The Gemmies… oh wait, I don’t think he is with us any longer…

 

[hooker-of-men]

what do you guys see as the factors limiting those opportunities.

Every aspect of the past few centuries of humanity's existence?

 

[JimKennedy]

It’s an awesome fish, regardless, and the accompanying story is interesting.

 

[5footfenwick]

I would ask The President of The Gemmies… oh wait, I don’t think he is with us any longer…

December 2023 was a rough month for the pa fly fish forum members. Fishstix banned on December 4th and SilverFox quit later that same day. Silent Ocelot hung in there until the 13th but sadly he also succumbed to the silence. RIP guys….. we miss you. A little.

Oh I almost forgot. I’m kinda leaning towards stocked. That pec fin doesn’t look pointy enough at the tip.

 

[krayfish2]

You may want to try a -4wt for those little EHC’s.

But then I would have to buy a six white line so that I can punch it under the overhanging mountain laurel I don't even have any tiny meat heads for a dry dropper rig. Not to mention, my fly box is completely void of Royal wulffs and pine needle flies

 

[Swattie87]

But then I would have to buy a six white line so that I can punch it under the overhanging mountain laurel I don't even have any tiny meat heads for a dry dropper rig. Not to mention, my fly box is completely void of Royal wulffs and pine needle flies

pcray will probably recommend a 7 weight line, but otherwise, yeah.