Wild Trout in PA

[afishinado]

This interesting article written by "Mike" popped up on FB about wild trout, both brook and brown, and their response to stocking and fishing regulations in PA. Note that the article was published in 2003 in PA Angler & Boater Magazine >

https://www.fishandboat.com/Transact/AnglerBoater/AnglerBoater2003/JanuaryFebruary/Documents/wildtrout.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2R1TzcOVQSm0XTXHytV8-QuLXOSYN-Y1JOjAlKM1PFJMIB9dKCifBfg6E

 

[KenU]

I read with interest Mike’s 2003 article. I have been keeping data on unstocked freestone streams since 1996 and can pretty much verify the PFBC findings. My conclusions are somewhat different, however. Indeed, brook trout over 9”are rare. So what does the 7’ minimum size limit accomplish? Don’t we want them to get any bigger? When something is rare, it seems to me it should be protected. I frequently catch 8-inch and larger brookies and the occasional 10-incher. I have never caught a freestone brookie much over 11 inches, but have seen photos of 12-inchers that others have caught. So they can get to respectable size. The biggest factor I see in growing respectable-size brookies is to quit stocking over them. Other management issues pale in comparison.