Wild Bow?

Yes.

Now the stream? Or at least watershed?

Pretty.
 
I caught one that looked very similar while taking a fly fishing class with TCO on Spring Creek, just north of Bellfonte. It was only 5-6" so I think that it was a wild trout.
 
Canoetripper wrote:
I caught one that looked very similar while taking a fly fishing class with TCO on Spring Creek, just north of Bellfonte. It was only 5-6" so I think that it was a wild trout.
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No way of ever telling around this area. They stock a ton of them in Bald Eagle Creek plus the hatcheries always have them escape.

In all honesty I don't think you can really tell a wild rainbow in PA. There are too many places that get fingerlings stocked and those fingerlings travel MILES!
 
bigjohn58 wrote:
Canoetripper wrote:
I caught one that looked very similar while taking a fly fishing class with TCO on Spring Creek, just north of Bellfonte. It was only 5-6" so I think that it was a wild trout.
Click to expand...

No way of ever telling around this area. They stock a ton of them in Bald Eagle Creek plus the hatcheries always have them escape.

In all honesty I don't think you can really tell a wild rainbow in PA. There are too many places that get fingerlings stocked and those fingerlings travel MILES!
Click to expand...

In my opinion, there are wild rainbows in the Spring Creek watershed. Also, I think they are more widespread in PA than most believe.
 
Pic 2 appears to show adipose intact.

Based on that and parr marks, it looks wild.

It would be interesting to know the watershed the fish was caught in. Naming a watershed isn't spot burning.
 
The pectoral fin looks kind of stunted, possibly from "raceway rash" and stockers DO have parr marks. Typically though, they have faded considerably by the time they are stocked...

So, I say...not sure... ;-)

FWIW - Natural reproduction of Rainbow trout isn't as uncommon as folks think. I've caught what appeared to be wild rainbows in at least 7 different streams in PA.

However, all but one of those streams are Class A sections with a stocked section somewhere along their length or a previously stocked Class A or Class A section that hasn't been stocked in 20 years or more.
 
Without knowing the watershed, it's impossible to be 100% on that fish. I'm not sure what 7 streams Bamboozle caught wild bows in, but I also come up with 9 streams (some may very well be the same) within an hour radius of State College. I will say that Bald Eagle, Fishing Creek and Penns are not on my list as they do receive annual RT fingerlings. I know Kish receives them too, but I can't rule out some limited natural reproduction there as I have caught several bows in the 3-4" range unless the PFBC is stocking them that small.
 
Wild_Trouter wrote:
Without knowing the watershed, it's impossible to be 100% on that fish. I'm not sure what 7 streams Bamboozle caught wild bows in, but I also come up with 9 streams (some may very well be the same) within an hour radius of State College. I will say that Bald Eagle, Fishing Creek and Penns are not on my list as they do receive annual RT fingerlings. I know Kish receives them too, but I can't rule out some limited natural reproduction there as I have caught several bows in the 3-4" range unless the PFBC is stocking them that small.
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3-4" range is the normal fingerling size they stock. Usually more like 4 inches but they all seem to be 3-5 inches when stocked.
 
Susquehanna River North Branch watershed. This is from a stocked stream that formerly held native brookies, stocked with brown trout and rainbows. I've caught many more wild browns there lately and always hold over rainbows. This would be the 1st wild bow for me from any stream.
 
Yeah par marks indicates age, generally, not whether a fish is wild or stocked.
 
Wild_Trouter wrote:
Without knowing the watershed, it's impossible to be 100% on that fish. I'm not sure what 7 streams Bamboozle caught wild bows in, but I also come up with 9 streams (some may very well be the same) within an hour radius of State College. I will say that Bald Eagle, Fishing Creek and Penns are not on my list as they do receive annual RT fingerlings. I know Kish receives them too, but I can't rule out some limited natural reproduction there as I have caught several bows in the 3-4" range unless the PFBC is stocking them that small.
Click to expand...

I'm certain that Kish and other streams here in Mifflin County have wild rainbows. I'm positive.
 
Trout fishing this year has really sucked for me. I think they are practicing social distancing and wearing masks.
 
I find that the best way to determine if a rainbow trout is wild or not is to eat it, but it does look wild.
 
I know Kish receives them too, but I can't rule out some limited natural reproduction there as I have caught several bows in the 3-4" range unless the PFBC is stocking them that small.
Click to expand...


Kish does not receive a fingerling stocking unless it does from a private club that Im not aware of.
 
Wild rainbows pop up quickly and vanish just as fast all over the state.
It is a phenomenon that has to do more with environmental factors in PA more than anything.
When you find them. Enjoy them.

I do take note to them popping up more in limestoners though out the state than freestoners.
 
HopBack wrote:
I know Kish receives them too, but I can't rule out some limited natural reproduction there as I have caught several bows in the 3-4" range unless the PFBC is stocking them that small.
Click to expand...


Kish does not receive a fingerling stocking unless it does from a private club that Im not aware of.
Click to expand...

It did, at one point. I picked up a few strays in Honey already and there's been discussion of them making it into Tea as well.

Aside from the known surveyed streams, I can think of three streams where I've picked up wild or fingerling rainbows - Honey, a small trib to Kinzua Creek in ANF, and a freestoner in Central PA. And that freestoner had a trib with a survey class at one point that would have put it in Class A for rainbows (not that the threshold is all that high). And then they were gone. I agree that in most places, wild rainbows are definitely a transient population.
 
Given rainbow’s sensitivity to acidity, it’s not too surprising to see more of them pop up in limestones over freestoners
 
I caught a few around this size in Spring a few yrs back. I always assumed they were wild but who knows. this one has perfect translucent pink fins, parr maks and everything you would expect on a wild trout. It looks wild. It looks just like the small wild rainbows I catch in Delaware.
I will say that Rainbows that have been stocked take on all those traits in a short time. i catch ones stocked in April in June that look beautiful.
 
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