afishinado
Moderator
Staff member
The hook is in the vise, and judging from the materials on the tying desk, a real junk fly is about to be tied by the PFBC and newly elected President of the Commissioners Squires:
Commissioner Glade Squires, of Chester County, asked why the commission was not exploring the idea of expanding the cooperative nursery program. It calls for the commission to provide sportsmen's clubs with fingerling trout, which they raise at their own expense and stock into waters open to public fishing.
That accounts for more than one million adult trout each year, he said.
Wisner said the commission would be open to enrolling more clubs if they come forward. Squires, though, said the commission should be proactive.
"I think it should be encouraged from our end out, rather than waiting for them to come to us," Squires said.
Link to source: http://www.outdoornews.com/2011/10/13/pa-commissioners-hate-smaller-trout-advice/
What's wrong with the above statement / idea by newly elected President Glade Squires to expand the co-op stocking program? Well nothing, if it were properly supervised and controlled, but I don't see that happening, even a little bit.
Up until recent years a year ago, the PFBC controlled nearly all stocking of streams in PA. As funds got tighter and tighter, the PFBC provided more private clubs with fingerling trout and some assistance, and much of the stocking (>1 million fish) was shifted to these private clubs / co-op hatcheries.
Another development; up until recently, Class A's were off the list for stocking, but that policy was put aside and now all trout streams in PA are open for stocking with approval from the Director. That precedent added major slack in the line and caused a real downstream bow, pulling the flies out of their drift. It's time to (a)mend the line and get back into a good drift...at the very least in Class A's.
There are responsible clubs out there right now that do things the right way, but I have also witnessed wild trout waters turned into trout club rodeos. While the intention is to stock for all anglers (since they paid for the fish with their own license dollars) the reality is often the angling public is not privy to exactly when and where these stockings occur.
Squires often talks of sunshine laws and "transparency", at the last meeting he questioned how and why these wild trout surveys of streams are being done, as if there is some nefarious motive for seeking out wild trout streams. Wow! Talk about transparent motives!
Here's some sunshine: if stocking is to be done by private concerns funded with public license dollars, than the stocking dates, times and locations should be publicly accessed on the PFBC site.
Sharing stocked honey holes is the least of my worries, but making it public knowledge would at least give us a heads up as to what's happening on/in our streams.
Most concerning to me is the loss of control as to which streams are stocked. As the trend moves away from FBC stocking to private club stocking and this trend is accelerated by the PFBC budget crisis, as well as the election of Mr. Squires, I fear the result will be more unfettered stocking of wild trout water.
The FBC does not stock the vast majority of wild trout streams right now. And many of the stocked wild trout streams are stocked infrequently and with a limited number of fish. Notice Squires said “..stock into waters open to public fishing.” Instead of holding the PFBC and the fisheries biologists (the guys that know something about wild trout) responsible as to where, when and how streams are stocked, the entire process is fast becoming totally decentralized. When, where and how and most important WHICH streams are stocked will be decided at local fisherman's club meetings by guys called “Big Jake” and “Stash” rather than the people in the know, or people that even care about our wild trout streams.
Further, I really don't see a great difference if Donny Beaver stocked a wild trout stream for his members to fish, or if Big Jake did the same thing for his club. Yes, Big Jake stocked public waters, but the wild trout in there don't know the difference (and most non-club members have no clue about the stocking either).
I have nothing against stocking, but I do have a major problem with stocking over a vibrant population of wild trout. We are blessed to have so many wild trout streams in Pennsylvania. Why can't we just count our blessings and appreciate and care for what we have, or even, at the very least, just leave them alone?
All the above IMO only.
Commissioner Glade Squires, of Chester County, asked why the commission was not exploring the idea of expanding the cooperative nursery program. It calls for the commission to provide sportsmen's clubs with fingerling trout, which they raise at their own expense and stock into waters open to public fishing.
That accounts for more than one million adult trout each year, he said.
Wisner said the commission would be open to enrolling more clubs if they come forward. Squires, though, said the commission should be proactive.
"I think it should be encouraged from our end out, rather than waiting for them to come to us," Squires said.
Link to source: http://www.outdoornews.com/2011/10/13/pa-commissioners-hate-smaller-trout-advice/
What's wrong with the above statement / idea by newly elected President Glade Squires to expand the co-op stocking program? Well nothing, if it were properly supervised and controlled, but I don't see that happening, even a little bit.
Up until recent years a year ago, the PFBC controlled nearly all stocking of streams in PA. As funds got tighter and tighter, the PFBC provided more private clubs with fingerling trout and some assistance, and much of the stocking (>1 million fish) was shifted to these private clubs / co-op hatcheries.
Another development; up until recently, Class A's were off the list for stocking, but that policy was put aside and now all trout streams in PA are open for stocking with approval from the Director. That precedent added major slack in the line and caused a real downstream bow, pulling the flies out of their drift. It's time to (a)mend the line and get back into a good drift...at the very least in Class A's.
There are responsible clubs out there right now that do things the right way, but I have also witnessed wild trout waters turned into trout club rodeos. While the intention is to stock for all anglers (since they paid for the fish with their own license dollars) the reality is often the angling public is not privy to exactly when and where these stockings occur.
Squires often talks of sunshine laws and "transparency", at the last meeting he questioned how and why these wild trout surveys of streams are being done, as if there is some nefarious motive for seeking out wild trout streams. Wow! Talk about transparent motives!
Here's some sunshine: if stocking is to be done by private concerns funded with public license dollars, than the stocking dates, times and locations should be publicly accessed on the PFBC site.
Sharing stocked honey holes is the least of my worries, but making it public knowledge would at least give us a heads up as to what's happening on/in our streams.
Most concerning to me is the loss of control as to which streams are stocked. As the trend moves away from FBC stocking to private club stocking and this trend is accelerated by the PFBC budget crisis, as well as the election of Mr. Squires, I fear the result will be more unfettered stocking of wild trout water.
The FBC does not stock the vast majority of wild trout streams right now. And many of the stocked wild trout streams are stocked infrequently and with a limited number of fish. Notice Squires said “..stock into waters open to public fishing.” Instead of holding the PFBC and the fisheries biologists (the guys that know something about wild trout) responsible as to where, when and how streams are stocked, the entire process is fast becoming totally decentralized. When, where and how and most important WHICH streams are stocked will be decided at local fisherman's club meetings by guys called “Big Jake” and “Stash” rather than the people in the know, or people that even care about our wild trout streams.
Further, I really don't see a great difference if Donny Beaver stocked a wild trout stream for his members to fish, or if Big Jake did the same thing for his club. Yes, Big Jake stocked public waters, but the wild trout in there don't know the difference (and most non-club members have no clue about the stocking either).
I have nothing against stocking, but I do have a major problem with stocking over a vibrant population of wild trout. We are blessed to have so many wild trout streams in Pennsylvania. Why can't we just count our blessings and appreciate and care for what we have, or even, at the very least, just leave them alone?
All the above IMO only.
