Very nice jersey brown trout

[ESetter]

That's crazy Bucksnbows. I figured at least a few would have survived in the no kill sections and what not. 

[Bucksnbows]

11 minutes ago, ESetter said:

That's crazy Bucksnbows. I figured at least a few would have survived in the no kill sections and what not. 

Too many years have passed for any to have remained.  Also, nearly 100% of any stocked trout from a NJ state hatchery is not going to reproduce.  Our wild browns in this state began spawning decades ago, and perhaps over 100 years ago when they were first introduced because those fish were much closer to wild or were wild stock when first introduced.  Our trout genetics don't seem to allow much in the way of spawning the last few decades at least.  The recent exception is the Kamloops strain of rainbows that Musky Trout Hatchery raises and sells to clubs in NJ and other states.  Those bows are closer to wild genetics, and they seem to be increasing in numbers in some rivers such as the South Branch.

But that's a very solid brown, and I'm sure hemlock will find it again and hopefully fool it a 2nd time.  Browns, especially big browns, are highly territorial and will nearly always be found in the same place the next day.  I name some fish in the West Branch that I have love/hate relationships with over the years.  Some just were too smart for me and others I stuck and landed over and over.   

 

Edited May 18, 2018 by Bucksnbows

[hemlock]

Just now, Bucksnbows said:

 

No, but NJ has dozens of private clubs that still stock browns. That one looks like a Musky Trout Hatchery brown.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Yes I believe it is. a musky hatchery fish. The stream it was caught in feeds stocked streams both private and state.

[kmtpr]

NICE!!

[Gunsmoke]

very nice.

[Mink]

10 hours ago, Bucksnbows said:

Too many years have passed for any to have remained.  Also, nearly 100% of any stocked trout from a NJ state hatchery is not going to reproduce.  Our wild browns in this state began spawning decades ago, and perhaps over 100 years ago when they were first introduced because those fish were much closer to wild or were wild stock when first introduced.  Our trout genetics don't seem to allow much in the way of spawning the last few decades at least.  The recent exception is the Kamloops strain of rainbows that Musky Trout Hatchery raises and sells to clubs in NJ and other states.  Those bows are closer to wild genetics, and they seem to be increasing in numbers in some rivers such as the South Branch.

But that's a very solid brown, and I'm sure hemlock will find it again and hopefully fool it a 2nd time.  Browns, especially big browns, are highly territorial and will nearly always be found in the same place the next day.  I name some fish in the West Branch that I have love/hate relationships with over the years.  Some just were too smart for me and others I stuck and landed over and over.   

 

Man, that is depressing! None of the trout we now stock reproduce ? Very informative but none the less depressing, I always thought releasing the trout in the high quality streams was helping the population. 

[Bucksnbows]

2 hours ago, Mink said:

Man, that is depressing! None of the trout we now stock reproduce ? Very informative but none the less depressing, I always thought releasing the trout in the high quality streams was helping the population. 

If natural reproduction was the goal, it is best to strip eggs and milt from wild fish, native or non-native.  Our trout are raised to spawn in the fall so they can be ready to catch by spring.  A wild rainbow, for example, is an early spring spawner when not light manipulated into spawning in the fall and/or selectively bred because of their early spawning abilities.  Those things don't necessarily make for a hardy fish that will holdover and spawn.  I believe it is fewer than 20% of stocked trout into either Trout Maintenance or Trout Production waters will holdover through their first summer.  That's not a lot.  A year later, it's only a very small fraction of the initial stocking.

That is why whenever possible, wild fish are the way to go.  But you need habitat and food.  Few of our streams can sustain large wild trout populations.  It is mostly our smaller streams that can do so, and most of them on private property or farther from the beaten path (less angling pressure).  Our best wild trout stream is or will be the upper 9.75 miles of the South Branch now that the river from Budd Lake down to just upstream of the Schooley Mountain Road bridge in Long Valley (Washington Twp., Morris) is no longer stocked and is a listed WTS.  It is loaded with wild browns and brookies, but it now has special regulations which will only improve that fishery in a few short years.  We just need a decent spawning year as the last 4 or 5 straight have sucked.  We just haven't had decent flows to get wild fish up into their better spawning habitat in late fall nor have we had good flows in summer to spread out the young of the year (YOY) fish which allows for greatly increased predation of the YOY by the larger fish in the river.  

Sorry for hijacking the thread, but good discussion.  

Edited May 19, 2018 by Bucksnbows

[Joeybeets]

Nice fish 

[Live to Hunt]

Nice Hemlock 

[Mink]

9 hours ago, Bucksnbows said:

If natural reproduction was the goal, it is best to strip eggs and milt from wild fish, native or non-native.  Our trout are raised to spawn in the fall so they can be ready to catch by spring.  A wild rainbow, for example, is an early spring spawner when not light manipulated into spawning in the fall and/or selectively bred because of their early spawning abilities.  Those things don't necessarily make for a hardy fish that will holdover and spawn.  I believe it is fewer than 20% of stocked trout into either Trout Maintenance or Trout Production waters will holdover through their first summer.  That's not a lot.  A year later, it's only a very small fraction of the initial stocking.

That is why whenever possible, wild fish are the way to go.  But you need habitat and food.  Few of our streams can sustain large wild trout populations.  It is mostly our smaller streams that can do so, and most of them on private property or farther from the beaten path (less angling pressure).  Our best wild trout stream is or will be the upper 9.75 miles of the South Branch now that the river from Budd Lake down to just upstream of the Schooley Mountain Road bridge in Long Valley (Washington Twp., Morris) is no longer stocked and is a listed WTS.  It is loaded with wild browns and brookies, but it now has special regulations which will only improve that fishery in a few short years.  We just need a decent spawning year as the last 4 or 5 straight have sucked.  We just haven't had decent flows to get wild fish up into their better spawning habitat in late fall nor have we had good flows in summer to spread out the young of the year (YOY) fish which allows for greatly increased predation of the YOY by the larger fish in the river.  

Sorry for hijacking the thread, but good discussion.  

Thank You,very informative! 

[Dave B.]

On ‎5‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 7:57 PM, LPJR said:

Nice fish! I forgot what a brown trout looks like in the Flatbrook lol.....Used to absolutely love to fish when it was raining for browns. The harder it came down, the harder the browns would hit! 

Here's a couple from the Flatbrook. The first one was two weeks ago and went 14.5", the second was caught yesterday (Sat) in the rain and measured 17 inches. Both were holdovers from private stockings during the past several years and both found new homes in the frying pan.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2018 by Dave B.
Change to cropped pic.

[LPJR]

25 minutes ago, Dave B. said:

Here's a couple from the Flatbrook. The first one was two weeks ago and went 14.5", the second was caught yesterday (Sat) in the rain and measured 17 inches. Both were holdovers from private stockings during the past several years and both found new homes in the frying pan.

 

 

 

 

Well done in the Flatbrook Dave, especially with the fly rod 

[Thunderchicken]

Very cool Hemlock!

[SPEARFISH]

Nice.  Haven't caught one in a while.

[Slayer1962]

awesome fish