Stocked Wild Or Somewhere in Between?

[williamhj]

Originally Posted by Rip Tide

In the brook across the street from my house
100% natives
A few miles down the road in the main river
100% stocked

Sounds like you moved to the right house

[Diver Dan]

100% wild here. There is absolutely no stocking here. First of all, you have a river that is half US and half Canada. A million acre lake that is owned by the US (33%), Ontario (About 65%) and Manitoba (about 5%). Other than the 33% US I am rough guessing. You could never get all three to agree on anything, and even if you did, how much would you need to stock in a fisherie the size of this to even slightly be noticed? What potential hazards could come from stocking if you did do it? Introduced disease, damage to the gene pool... You would never be able to stock a place like this.

[plecain]

In NH, I can determine whether I catch wild or stocked fish by where I choose to go.

So far, in winter fishing, it's been all wild. Stocking hasn't started for the year and the places I've gone don't get stocked anyway.

For the full year, I'd say I catch about 70% stocked and 30% wild.

[theboz]

Hard to narrow it down by percentages because of so many varied waters.Many of the small local streams are 100% native Brookies.Two that I fish regularly are natives and wild Browns.And then one stream is probably 50% stocked Brookies and 50% natives just look for clipped fins if your not sure.The bigger rivers seem to be 99% stocked Rainbows,Browns,Brooks and Goldens with 1% chance of a native or wild Brown.

[stenacron]

I've learned not to over-think it as the years go by. Perhaps as you get older you're just happy to get out fishing when you can that the "wild vs stocked" argument becomes as important as the Animal House vs Caddyshack argument.

Back in PA where most of the native brook trout have been replaced by wild (albeit - introduced) brown trout, and then those populations are being stocked over due to public demand for easy limits... it's enough to fry your brain. I was probably 50/50 most of the time leaning towards 75/25 as the season went on and the stockees thinned out.

It's a real mixed bag here in Utah. Lots of wild brown trout to go around, but my favorite fish to catch are the spring rainbows which were stocked in reservoirs (at some point) and make false spawning runs up the rivers. Not sure how to classify them.

A little side trivia here for those that own Caucci/Nastasi's book Hatches II... many of the pictures showing those dark forested, beautiful mountain streams that look like they're miles back in the Catskills? They're actually from the same, super popular trout fishery (close to urban sprawl) on Boyscout property in the Pocono's that is nearly 100% reliant on freshly stocked trout each spring (due to thermal pollution over the summer months). Great place to fly fish... but all stocked.

[theboz]

Originally Posted by stenacron

I've learned not to over-think it as the years go by. Perhaps as you get older you're just happy to get out fishing when you can that the "wild vs stocked" argument becomes as important as the Animal House vs Caddyshack argument.

Back in PA where most of the native brook trout have been replaced by wild (albeit - introduced) brown trout, and then those populations are being stocked over due to public demand for easy limits... it's enough to fry your brain. I was probably 50/50 most of the time leaning towards 75/25 as the season went on and the stockees thinned out.

It's a real mixed bag here in Utah. Lots of wild brown trout to go around, but my favorite fish to catch are the spring rainbows which were stocked in reservoirs (at some point) and make false spawning runs up the rivers. Not sure how to classify them.

---------- Post added at 02:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:16 PM ----------



A little side trivia here for those that own Caucci/Nastasi's book Hatches II... many of the pictures showing those dark forested, beautiful mountain streams that look like they're miles back in the Catskills? They're actually from the same, super popular trout fishery (close to urban sprawl) on Boyscout property in the Pocono's that is nearly 100% reliant on freshly stocked trout each spring (due to thermal pollution over the summer months). Great place to fly fish... but all stocked.

And Im guessing that would be Resica Falls?

[stenacron]

Originally Posted by theboz

And Im guessing that would be Resica Falls?

Correct sir!

(Big) Bushkill, Resica Falls property.

[dean_mt]

100% wild here. There are some places that the state still stocks, but not the main rivers and tribs that I fish.

As for native, that number dwindles rapidly and since rainbows cross breed with the native cutthroat, sometimes it is impossible to tell. But if you count the native whitefish (which technically is a salmonidae) then the number goes back up some.

[theboz]

Originally Posted by stenacron

Correct sir!

(Big) Bushkill, Resica Falls property.

Your on the money with great place to fish! Incredible scenery and no crowds!

[clarkii]

only wild or native for me.
i would say 90% native- 10% wild
the wild fish being browns/brookies/bass that have self sustaining populations.

clarkii.