Where to start for bigger wild Browns/Brooks?

[wildtrout2]

Since we are asking questions. I’m curious if B.S. brookies are’t a different strain than most of our small freestone brookies? Is it possible these are descendants of stocked brookie strain fish? They are reproducing now and considered wild fish. But not true Native brookies? Would that explain why they look stocked?
Sorry if this is a stupid question, Wildtrout2 and you got me thinking. I don’t know much about big spring.
~5footfenwick

I think that's a legit question. I don't know much about BS either, that's why I asked if brookies were originally the only trout in the stream?

 

[sixfootfenwick]

Well yes, if you go back far enough, brook trout were the only trout in BS.

I highly doubt there are any browns left, 10 years ago or so, there were some (a few, not many), very large browns in the fly area left over from the hatchery days. Those fish were nearing the end of their life cycle then. All this above Newville of course.

I doubt the brook trout in BS are heritage strain. I'm sure hatchery genes got in the mix.
However they are unique and easily picked out of a line up.

 

[JeffP]

Well yes, if you go back far enough, brook trout were the only trout in BS.

I highly doubt there are any browns left, 10 years ago or so, there were some (a few, not many), very large browns in the fly area left over from the hatchery days. Those fish were nearing the end of their life cycle then. All this above Newville of course.

I doubt the brook trout in BS are heritage strain. I'm sure hatchery genes got in the mix.
However they are unique and easily picked out of a line up.

Why wouldn't browns reproduce here?

 

[sixfootfenwick]

Why wouldn't browns reproduce here?

Don't know but in the fly area they never took hold in any numbers and produced any consistent year class.

I don't even think they show up at all on recent surveys.

 

[sixfootfenwick]

Which btw, an annoyance of mine and also for the sake of accuracy, they really should update the class A list to be correct.

Yes it's a wild brown trout fishery below Newville.
Above it is a mixed of wild rainbow/brook trout, could they some day, with all the updates, correct that error?

 

[Bamboozle]

Many years ago, Charlie Fox told me about some wooden weirs or something that were placed in the stream in the vicinity of the parking area downstream of the Ditch. We used to refer to them as the "fish blockers."

I don't remember if he told me who put them there, but the intention was to try to maintain & isolate the brook trout above that location and into the Ditch as the only species.

He also let me know the fishing immediately below was pretty good... 😉

 

[thejoshmorgan]

The Lititz run just north of Lancaster has some very nice fish in it. Most are not wild but many are stream grown. Donagel TU chapter looks after it.

Mark C

Lititz run has deteriorated ever since ever since the starting selling Millport pins like hotcakes and guiding the meadow. If you can get permission on private upstream and even on a few of the feeders though you can find some huge wild ones in skinny water if you're timing is good.

 

[thejoshmorgan]

There are some big fish in small streams not far from Lancaster (not mentioned here) that come from bigger bodies of water at certain times of the year. Like these, for example:

View attachment 1641240530
View attachment 1641240531

From time to time one of those big fish are caught in a big body of water near Lancaster by a fisherman who is targeting another fish species.

View attachment 1641240532

With a little thought I’m sure you can find those streams, and put some time into tracking them down and you’ll have as good a shot at catching one as the next guy.

This is the key!

 

[bringthepain]

Bigger water

 

[afishinado]

However far "back-in-the-day" goes, per afish's post.

“The story of Big Spring Creek is one of legend. In the 1920’s through (the) 50’s the stream was so famous that the English sporting media regularly sent reporters over to do stories on this American spring creek, which was comparable to the best English Chalkstreams. Its native strain of brook trout were like no other that anyone could find.” As written by Jim Chestney in an article entitled The Saga of Big Spring Creek, some of the earliest conservation measures that were adopted in the United States in fact may have originated on this stream back in 1850 when a creel limit was established of 50 trout per day with the river enjoying a glorious background in the annals of American trout fshing. Dr. John Black, in a column written in the forum section for Fly Fisherman magazine, mentions such angling legends as Charlie Foxa nd Ernest Schwiebert fishing at Big Spring. Dr. Black describes that for a stretch of Big Springs before 1955 – regardless of day or season of the year --hundreds of rising trout could be seen. You get the drift: this was one fabulous trout fishing river. And then come the hatcheries."

https://forloveofwater.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/ACaseStudy-BigSpringCreek-PA-copy.pdf

 

[Bamboozle]

Some other info:

 

[wbranch]

Id like to start this Theard off by saying I don't mean to spot burn and I don't want anyone to give out their secret honey hole. I also know that there probably threads already on here that cover this topic I just haven't found yet (I found Greenlanders thread from 2011). With that being said I've fishes the Yellow breaches creek in SC Pa for basically all my life and spent a good amount of time in Mountain Creek in Mount Holy. I've caught many small wilds out of Mountain and really want to chase after some bigger wild fish. I spend most my time In SC pa and SE/Eastern Pa, I go home to the beaches ( Im currently in college in Lancaster and my best friend goes to school in Exton). Are there creeks and rivers in these areas that would be a good starting spot for us, again I don't want to burn any spots just looking to be pointed in the right direction. Thanks in advance for any insight.

Fish the tailwaters for big trout