Regulations Question

This part in the regs...

Extended Season (Class A wild trout stream sections)
Jan. 1 through Feb. 28 and Sept. 8 through Dec. 31

I believe that was added because apparently many people thought it was OK to harvest from those sections during the extended season. it is specific to extended season.

One cannot harvest any trout from March 1 to opening day anywhere, cept for steelhead of course. But one can fish in waters not in the ATW list.

This might be a new addition though. Therefore, if you want to be absolutely safe, don't fish the Class As either. There are lots of trout streams out there that are not ATWs and not Class A that have lots of trout.
 
JackM wrote:
The provision excluding harvest in the Extended Season was added to the regs effective this calendar year. Class As were formerly (or always?) open to C & R and also Extended Season harvest fishing, but now harvest is prohibited during the extended season.
Click to expand...

Jack you are correct cept for one detail,

Class A were never open to harvest in the extended season EXCEPT where they are downstream of an ATW. It was specifically for those 29 stream sections only.

But they could have worded it much more better.

Apparently one can still harvest from a Class B during extended season if it is below an ATW. They should have clarified it for all waters that are not ATW.
 
FarmerDave wrote:
JackM wrote:
The provision excluding harvest in the Extended Season was added to the regs effective this calendar year. Class As were formerly (or always?) open to C & R and also Extended Season harvest fishing, but now harvest is prohibited during the extended season.
Click to expand...

Jack you are correct cept for one detail,

Class A were never open to harvest in the extended season and I didn't see anything in your most that states the were.As we all know by now, the regs were confusing and a lot of people thought extended season harvest applied to all waters that might contain trout. That is why they spelled it out, which of course created different confusion. Would have been way better had they spelled it out for ALL all that are not ATW unless otherwise stated, but as you know, many people are obsessed with Class A and think they are the only streams with trout outside ot ATWs.
Click to expand...

If you read the regulation and the explanation of the reg in the PFBC site, all wild trout streams (non ATW's) are closed, not just Class A's and it is not illegal to fish, but not legal to fish either:

the current regulations also do not specifically permit catch-and-release of wild trout during the time when they are out of season. This means that anglers who fish for trout in anything other than approved trout waters or some specially regulated waters during the extended season could find themselves in violation of the law.(by theoretically targeting fish in their closed season and/or inadvertently, or on purpose I guess, harming the fish in any way
 
pcray1231 wrote:
For class A's, there's a simple wording solution.

Extended Season (Class A wild trout stream sections)
Jan. 1 through [color=FF0000][d]Feb. 28[/d][/color] [color=00FF00]opening day[/color] and Sept. 8 through Dec. 31 NO HARVEST - catch and immediate release only (no tournaments permitted)
Class A stream listing: fishandboat.com/classa.pdf
Click to expand...

The fact that Feb. 28 is even listed there is what gives me pause. If something ends on Feb. 28, what exactly ends?
Click to expand...

Ask yourself why they would single out only Class A in that. I believe that is the key. It was because of the 29 class A stream sections below ATWs.

Removing the exception of special regulation...

1. Regular trout season creel limits apply everywhere whether ATW or not.

2. Extended harvest season applies to ATWs and downstream areas that are not Class A. It does not apply to other non ATW waters.

3. Only ATWs are close to all fishing from March 1 to opening day.
 
If you read the regulation and the explanation of the reg in the PFBC site, all wild trout streams (non ATW's) are closed, not just Class A's and it is not illegal to fish, but not legal to fish either:
Click to expand...

Oh yea? show me where it says they are all closed.

The Allegheny river has trout in it. Try to convince me that it is closed to fishing. How about Clarion River in Cook Forest. Ive caught a lot of trout there over the years. Or Tionesta Creek below the ATW boundary?

The only place where it says closed to fishing is specific to ATWs ONLY.

link

If I got cited for fishing in a wild stream between March 1 and opening day, even I could beat that one in court as long as I was respectful to the WCO and the judge. They kind of frown on disrespect.
 
Right Dave, Class As downstream of ATWs were probably open to limited harvest before January 1, 2015 because of the language before. Class As above ATWs or just all Class A would not have been included in the Extended Season.
 
another input. in the WBTEP study, w/ 3/4 authors pfbc biologists, they compare streams w/ WBTE regs to some similar control streams under statewide regs. the quote below is their description of WBTE & statewide regs (p. 50)

http://www.cfr.msstate.edu/students/Wfpages/wfd/wf8273/2014/detar%20et%20al%202014%20brook%20trt%20CR.pdf

"Under the experimental CR regulations, angling was permitted on a year-round basis, no Brook Trout could be harvested at any
time, and there were no tackle restrictions. Statewide regulations
(178-mm minimum length limit and five trout/d creel limit
from the opening day of trout season [first Saturday after April
11] through Labor Day, with no harvest for the remainder of the
year) applied to Brown Trout."

doesn't this say that statewide trout regs are "no harvest" (and not for example "no angling") outside the traditional trout season? I have checked the paper and the quote above is its only description of statewide pa trout regs.

because they compare WBTE, which clearly calls for year-round angling, to statewide regs, I think they would have mentioned a closed season to angling in statewide regs if they believed there was one...
 
I know this is old, but remembered the discussion and wasn't sure if this was posted. I just noticed it today. At the bottom on the summary of harvest guidlines it says Note: Class A fishing is legal year round. I think that about settles it 100% and want it to be clear for anyone who stumbles on this thread searching the forum.

http://fishandboat.com/fishpub/summary/inland.html
 
Hmph. Believe that was added more recently! Perhaps in response to this thread?

Thanks for the update.
 
The additional wording was added because of the approval of the 10 Class A Streams added that were going to continue being stocked and because there are a bunch of streams found to be Class A below ATW boundaries. But the language they used made it muddier than a run-off stream.
 
Pat,

Told-ya-so! :lol:
 
Only that one small part. But all things considered, you were wrong and I was right.

You cannot take that away from me. :p :lol: :lol: :lol:

Finally they spelled it out.

More or less.
 
No, well, now we're back to where it was LAST year. Class A's are now clear but un-listeds still are not!

:)
 
I was going to say that, but it is really quite clear.

:lol:

Unlisted are only open when I fish them.
 
You guys crack me up. I agree the old wording was really confusing, I'm glad they cleared it up. I wish they spelled out about the unlisted, but as I'm seeing it, if they don't regulate it or manage it, they probably don't care if we fish it or not. I'm gona fish them as I see it as ATWs are the only thing that goes out.
 
It would be nice if the PFBC would add an interactive map on their website that shows what streams are open at any given time. Plug in a date and the streams color code based on whether they are open or closed, harvest or no harvest. Much clearer than trying to wade through all this conflicting regulation text.
 
In all seriousness, it is fairly simple for the unlisted streams.

They are open to fishing all year round. Regular regulations and rules apply. Extended trout season creel limits do not. That only applies to approved trout waters.

Only approved trout waters are closed at any time during the year.

... unless otherwise specified.

Of course if you injure a fish in the process of catching and releasing a fish, and that fish was not in season, or you have already creel-ed your limit, you may have broken the law and should stop fishing immediately and turn yourself in.;-)
 
studiomule wrote:
It would be nice if the PFBC would add an interactive map on their website that shows what streams are open at any given time. Plug in a date and the streams color code based on whether they are open or closed, harvest or no harvest. Much clearer than trying to wade through all this conflicting regulation text.
Click to expand...

Makes sense. But to do that they would have to figure out and agree among themselves, within the agency, what the rules actually are.

IMHO, that has not been done yet. And I'm not being sarcastic.

 
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