More big trout in more places

Posted on: January 24, 2017 | Bob Frye | Comments

Keystone Select 2--ReegerTribune-Review photo
This is a look at some of the trophy fish stocked in Loyalhanna Creek last spring under the Keystone Select trout program.

Big fish closer to home for more people, that’s what 2017 promises to bring across Pennsylvania.

The state’s Fish and Boat Commission is expanding its “Keystone Select” program this year, adding six waters to the list of those that will get an exceptional number of brood trout.

The program debuted in 2016 on sections of eight streams: Loyalhanna Creek in Westmoreland County, Laurel Hill in Somerset, Neshannock in Lawrence, First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek in Potter, Loyalsock Creek in Lycoming, Wiconisco Creek in Dauphin, South Branch Tunkhannock Creek in Lackawanna and Wyoming, and Middle Branch White Clay Creek in Chester.

All were stocked with trophy brood trout going 14 to 20 or more inches in length and 2 to 3 pounds at a rate of about 250 per square mile.

By comparison, most stocked trout streams get about five such fish per mile.

The intent was to create “destination” fisheries that would draw anglers and promote fishing.

Jason Detar, chief of the commission’s bureau of fisheries management, said at a meeting of the board in Harrisburg on Monday that on-the-water interviews with anglers proved the program was popular. Ninety-seven percent said they’d like to see it grow, he added.

Keystone Select

“There were very high levels of support for the program. Many happy anglers,” Detar said.

The commission is granting their wish.

It’s adding six more stream sections – all likewise managed under delayed harvest artificial lures only rules – to the program for this spring. They are Oil Creek in Venango County, Kinzua Creek in McKean, Tulpehocken Creek in Berks, Chest Creek in Cambria, Big Cove Creek in Fulton and Harveys Creek in Luzerne.

Those six and the original eight will get one load of fish prior to opening day of trout season and another in-season, at a rate of 175 to 225 big fish per mile.

That will require stocking about 4,500 trout, Detar said. If that sounds like it a lot, he added, it’s important to note it represents only about 15 percent of the total brood fish available.

“We didn’t want to take too many fish out of our statewide distribution of brood trout,” Detar said.

The other 85 percent will be spread around the state among stocked trout waters managed under general regulations.

In the meantime, the hope is that putting big fish in more places – thereby “filling in the gaps in the Keystone Select program” – will increase fishing on these streams even more, Detar said.

“So we’re real excited about being able to expand this program,” he said.

Bob Frye is the everybodyadventures.com editor. Reach him at 412-838-5148 or bfrye@535mediallc.com. See other stories, blogs, videos and more at everybodyadventures.com.

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