Trout stamp

[dudemanspecial]

Dude.....you gotta drop the cable. If you can get fast internet (I have Xfinity) that streams faster than a corvette. My monthly TV bills are about $150 including the internet access. Also have Netflix, Apple, Prime, YOUTUBETV.

My xfinity internet is 121 per month. Obviously somehow yours is substantially cheaper to have that plus all of those subscriptions.

 

[tomgamber]

Im not sure why that matters. Because stocked brown trout a century ago made them?
I figured those fish were paid for then, certainly by now I would hope

Do you pay for roads you don't drive on?

 

[wildtrout2]

My xfinity internet is 121 per month. Obviously somehow yours is substantially cheaper to have that plus all of those subscriptions.

I'm thinking your location has a lot to do with Comcast/Xfinity rates. I'm going to look into getting a cheaper plan. I have things like the Outdoor and Sportsman Channels, among others that account for the higher rates.

 

[dudemanspecial]

I'm thinking your location has a lot to do with Comcast/Xfinity rates. I'm going to look into getting a cheaper plan. I have things like the Outdoor and Sportsman Channels, among others that account for the higher rates.

Just to be clear, I only have internet, no TV or phone.

 

[wildtrout2]

Just to be clear, I only have internet, no TV or phone.

Gotcha. Mine does include TV and internet, but it's still too expensive.

 

[PSUhorty]

(Not certain of the point being made with this comment...)

The intent is actually pretty clear.

 

[JimKennedy]

fishing license and stamps pay a lot of the freight on fisheries management and enforcement. I read regularly about how enforcement of fly only and other special regulations areas is not strong enough (and I'm inclined to agree).

And we don’t have enough habitat restoration (also agree)

And every time someone raises the subject of fishing licenses (and stamps), there’s outrage that they are too expensive.

And before someone says, “just do away with regulations and management and everything will be great,” let me point out that open water trout streams are already fished out by mid May. Ponds where you can keep bass have no bass worth catching in them.

Managing a fishery is expensive. And managing a public fishery requires public money.

Instead of saying a fishing license and trout stamp are too expensive, ask what it costs to manage a wild trout program (protect it from poaching and ensure pollution and other environmental hazards are prevented).

Fisheries biologists are the people on the front lines of preventing development practices that cause creeks to fill with silt, and similar practices that, left unchecked, destroy wild trout habitat.

If you fish for wild trout, you are the beneficiary of an evolving management program that saw the flaws of stocking swarms of trout in the old trophy ffo spots and transitioned to protecting wild fish with fro artificial only, no kill and limited stocking. I’m old enough to remember when falling springs and big spring were like fishing in a hatchery, and that was a mess (in my opinion).

Overall we have got better wild trout fishing now than at any time in my 61 years, and generally good management is the reason. And that’s not free. (And when I say good, I don’t mean perfect.)

Don’t be the guy who demands excellence and then refuses to pay for it.

 

[wildtrout2]

fishing license and stamps pay a lot of the freight on fisheries management and enforcement. I read regularly about how enforcement of fly only and other special regulations areas is not strong enough (and I'm inclined to agree).

And we don’t have enough habitat restoration (also agree)

And every time someone raises the subject of fishing licenses (and stamps), there’s outrage that they are too expensive.

And before someone says, “just do away with regulations and management and everything will be great,” let me point out that open water trout streams are already fished out by mid May. Ponds where you can keep bass have no bass worth catching in them.

Managing a fishery is expensive. And managing a public fishery requires public money.

Instead of saying a fishing license and trout stamp are too expensive, ask what it costs to manage a wild trout program (protect it from poaching and ensure pollution and other environmental hazards are prevented).

Fisheries biologists are the people on the front lines of preventing development practices that cause creeks to fill with silt, and similar practices that, left unchecked, destroy wild trout habitat.

If you fish for wild trout, you are the beneficiary of an evolving management program that saw the flaws of stocking swarms of trout in the old trophy ffo spots and transitioned to protecting wild fish with fro artificial only, no kill and limited stocking. I’m old enough to remember when falling springs and big spring were like fishing in a hatchery, and that was a mess (in my opinion).

Overall we have got better wild trout fishing now than at any time in my 61 years, and generally good management is the reason. And that’s not free. (And when I say good, I don’t mean perfect.)

Don’t be the guy who demands excellence and then refuses to pay for it.

Good post.

Am I the only wild trout snob who never fishes for stocked trout, that has NO PROBLEM paying for the Trout Stamp?

 

[Cznymph]

fishing license and stamps pay a lot of the freight on fisheries management and enforcement. I read regularly about how enforcement of fly only and other special regulations areas is not strong enough (and I'm inclined to agree).

And we don’t have enough habitat restoration (also agree)

And every time someone raises the subject of fishing licenses (and stamps), there’s outrage that they are too expensive.

And before someone says, “just do away with regulations and management and everything will be great,” let me point out that open water trout streams are already fished out by mid May. Ponds where you can keep bass have no bass worth catching in them.

Managing a fishery is expensive. And managing a public fishery requires public money.

Instead of saying a fishing license and trout stamp are too expensive, ask what it costs to manage a wild trout program (protect it from poaching and ensure pollution and other environmental hazards are prevented).

Fisheries biologists are the people on the front lines of preventing development practices that cause creeks to fill with silt, and similar practices that, left unchecked, destroy wild trout habitat.

If you fish for wild trout, you are the beneficiary of an evolving management program that saw the flaws of stocking swarms of trout in the old trophy ffo spots and transitioned to protecting wild fish with fro artificial only, no kill and limited stocking. I’m old enough to remember when falling springs and big spring were like fishing in a hatchery, and that was a mess (in my opinion).

Overall we have got better wild trout fishing now than at any time in my 61 years, and generally good management is the reason. And that’s not free. (And when I say good, I don’t mean perfect.)

Don’t be the guy who demands excellence and then refuses to pay for it.

If the PFBC can prove to me that my license dollars are being used wisely, I’d gladly pay double each year for a license.

Instead I see WCOs playing crossing guard for trout stockings all spring and not out enforcing laws, boat ramps and access areas in various states of disrepair, and lakes drained and sitting idle for ten years without any progress started on their repair.

 

[Cznymph]

Do you pay for roads you don't drive on?

I’m not prohibited from using any public roadway that my fuel taxes and registrations fund.

 

[5footfenwick]

Good post.

Am I the only wild trout snob who never fishes for stocked trout, that has NO PROBLEM paying for the Trout Stamp?

No definitely not.

I’m a wild trout snob. In April and May I’m just bad at it lol.
I never fish for stocked trout, not once in 25 years……… Stocked streams sure! 😉 I’m fishing for holdovers and that rare wild trout I tell myself. Sometimes if you fish enough creeks and sections that actually does happen. Usually I just have fun and catch some stockies.

I love the trout stamp. I have no problem paying for it. Zero……. I feel like that money goes directly to native brook trout and wild brown trout protection. By going to stocking, it keeps 90% of the fishermen away from the better or smaller unstocked brookie and brownie streams. The trout stamp is a real wild trout lifesaver. It was so cool when it was an actual stamp. I like the Metal button pin on license they came back with. Wish they made it a higher quality and in better colors though.

~5footfenwick

 

[ChuckofWagon]

Xfinity is Comcast Cable.

Yes. Xfinity is the "home" services piece of the Parent company Comcast.

I get my internet from Xfinity for $55 per month. For that, (and I don't get the fastest speed they offer) my download speeds are 530 MPBS. That's more than enough to provide laptop access and run 4-5 TV's streaming different programs.

Now, add to the $55, the YoutubeTV at $88\mo, Apple TV, $11, Netflix $19....That totals $173 per month. Much less than cable. Plus I don't get the "we can't show you this channel right now because we are fee fighting with CBS\ABC...etc.

 

[ChuckofWagon]

My xfinity internet is 121 per month. Obviously somehow yours is substantially cheaper to have that plus all of those subscriptions.

I don't know what to tell you. Unless your buying their uber fast internet and don't need that kind of speed.

 

[sixfootfenwick]

Do you pay for roads you don't drive on?

Sure, but I thought we were talking about an optional recreational activity rather than a necessary and critical infrastructure to the life and health of our society.

These aren't even coherently in the same realm 😂

 

[wildtrout2]

It was so cool when it was an actual stamp. I like the Metal button pin on license they came back with. Wish they made it a higher quality and in better colors though.

~5footfenwick

I agree with stocking keeping some trout fishermen from fishing wild streams, but IMO many of them wouldn't trout fish at all if it weren't for stocking.

I also miss the actual "stamp", but some of the buttons were very cool too. My favorite is the brookie button, which is the only one I've kept. It's my favorite.

 

[sixfootfenwick]

fishing license and stamps pay a lot of the freight on fisheries management and enforcement. I read regularly about how enforcement of fly only and other special regulations areas is not strong enough (and I'm inclined to agree).

And we don’t have enough habitat restoration (also agree)

And every time someone raises the subject of fishing licenses (and stamps), there’s outrage that they are too expensive.

And before someone says, “just do away with regulations and management and everything will be great,” let me point out that open water trout streams are already fished out by mid May. Ponds where you can keep bass have no bass worth catching in them.

Managing a fishery is expensive. And managing a public fishery requires public money.

Instead of saying a fishing license and trout stamp are too expensive, ask what it costs to manage a wild trout program (protect it from poaching and ensure pollution and other environmental hazards are prevented).

Fisheries biologists are the people on the front lines of preventing development practices that cause creeks to fill with silt, and similar practices that, left unchecked, destroy wild trout habitat.

If you fish for wild trout, you are the beneficiary of an evolving management program that saw the flaws of stocking swarms of trout in the old trophy ffo spots and transitioned to protecting wild fish with fro artificial only, no kill and limited stocking. I’m old enough to remember when falling springs and big spring were like fishing in a hatchery, and that was a mess (in my opinion).

Overall we have got better wild trout fishing now than at any time in my 61 years, and generally good management is the reason. And that’s not free. (And when I say good, I don’t mean perfect.)

Don’t be the guy who demands excellence and then refuses to pay for it.

I don't think that is what is being discussed here.

The trout stamp only funds stocked trout. It doesn't even cover that, so it funds nothing else.

I have no problem paying for either the stamp or the license, it keeps me in "free" fertilizer , but I can understand the point of those that do not wish to fund trout stocking nor use that resource.

I just wish they would allocate those fish to appropriate waters instead of expanding the use of waters they have no business being in.

 

[5footfenwick]

I agree with stocking keeping some trout fishermen from fishing wild streams, but IMO many of them wouldn't trout fish at all if it weren't for stocking.

I also miss the actual "stamp", but some of the buttons were very cool too. My favorite is the brookie button, which is the only one I've kept. It's my favorite.

Definitely agree 👍 brookie button rocks, I was just trying to list a positive about the stamp and its use. A glass half-full approach I guess. No doubt less people would trout fish if they didn’t stock. But certainly more people would fish unstocked streams. In fact they all would.

~5footfenwick

 

[Mikey2006]

Definitely agree 👍 brookie button rocks, I was just trying to list a positive about the stamp and its use. A glass half-full approach I guess. No doubt less people would trout fish if they didn’t stock. But certainly more people would fish unstocked streams. In fact they all would.

~5footfenwick

I guess the silver lining of stocking is that it opens up stream sections to fishing that would otherwise be private. There’s a section of my local stream that harbors a small, overlooked population of wild browns. The number of them is small enough that most people who target the stockers aren't even aware they exist. But some grow quite large.

Its all private property, and if the stocking ended then the landowner would probably no longer allow fishing. So I guess I don't mind funding the stocking program because without it I would lose access to my “secret” wild trout fishery. I just wish they didn't stock streams that don't need to be stocked

 

[Bamboozle]

Yes, that's what Comcast Cable charges me each month.

I/we "cut" the cable and bought a Kenner "Give-A-Show" projector on eBay.

The wife & I enjoy watching slide shows in lieu of TV and recently gave up our cell phones and bought a large quantity of paper cups & string and set up communications between us and all of our friends so we could also drop phone service.

With all the money we expect to save, we reached out to a financial planner to set up an investment fund to use our savings to pay for PA Trout Stamps so we don't have to lose sleep over the $14.97 investment going forward...

 

[PennKev]

Its all private property, and if the stocking ended then the landowner would probably no longer allow fishing. So I guess I don't mind funding the stocking program because without it I would lose access to my “secret” wild trout fishery. I just wish they didn't stock streams that don't need to be stocked

Jus think about all the money spent on stocking fish over the years and how it could have been used to obtain easements or otherwise facilitate access.