Tale of a big trout caught in the LeTort

[Dave_W]

JimKennedy wrote:
DaveW, the guys telling the tale insisted it was mid to early August. I definitely have my doubts.

Okay - interesting.
I had not heard this rumor, but at any given time there are rumors circulating around the Cumberland Valley of big BTs being seen or caught. It's part of the culture (as you know).

There are some folks who target big fish at certain spots and these fish sometimes show up on social media, bait shop brag boards, or in newspaper fish contests etc.

Of course, sometimes they "grow" a bit with time....

 

[Dave_W]

jifigz wrote:
I've never have even laid eyes on the Letort, but a 15 lb brown from any stream in PA (other than lake run browns from the Great Lakes) is highly unlikely. I'm not saying it's impossible because Brown Trout can grow to be very, very heavy. But still 15 lb'ers are a rarity in any stream in any place in the state. Not saying it isn't possible but it also isn't all that likely.

Agree. It is possible but highly unlikely.

There have been a handful of BTs north of 30 " caught in the Cumberland Valley over the years (including in the last decade) and the fatter ones are heavy. Don Martin's fish was in this category and weighted in the mid-teens (from Big Spring, not Letort).

By comparison the famous upper 20 something inch fish caught by Koch, Shenk, etc weighted around 8-9lbs.

 

[Night_Stalker]

"Susquehanna Run" fish are bigger than Letort fish. They are much heavier.

The Letort has a large population of fish over 20". Even after the "kill".

Get out and explore the entire river system. Monsters are out there...

 

[SteveG]

Night_Stalker is correct. I know some guys who target river trout, and have seen the pics. They put many Western "trophy fish" to shame.

 

[Brown71]

People grossly underestimate the size of fish that can be around when smaller water flow into larger waters.

Im not suer there is 15 pounders in there, as I don't spend a lot of time there, but there sure as he** is 10 pounders.

That being said, the fish from those type of waters are typically thinner as they get that large. But, not always.

Ive been a big trout chaser/targeter for most of my adult life. I spend 4-6 days a week in the fall/winter at this obsession. I have caught 4 trout over 30" locally, and several 27"-29", none were close to 15 lbs.

11.5 the biggest.

But I wouldn't doubt for a minute someone comes up with one sometime.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Lol Brian and Steve. They sure are a lot bigger but people here would rather discuss line cleaning or myths.

 

[MKern]

I have mentioned it on here a very long time ago, but when I was working at Wegmans, in Williamsport, I would have to go in very early in the morning.
It was Easter morning and as I got off the Maynard St. exit there were about a dozen huge browns feeding right along the bank in the Susquehanna. I pulled over for a minute and all of them were consistently rising.

I also had a coworker see a fair number of large browns near Montgomery, in the river. He was fishing for smallies during a white fly hatch. Huge browns raising everywhere.