First open water trip 2015

[jrock]

Hatd about two hours to kill this afternoon so after making sure one of my local native streams was open for fishing, which it was just restricted to catch and release, which I always practice with native trout anyway. So anyway got three nice bites couldn't set the hook on one but the two I did catch struck like a jack hammer! After two nice tussles cp&r two nice native browns. The big one was about 18 inches and the smaller one about 16. Both caught on a small husky jerk. Can't beat the colors on native trout, the ones in this particular stream remind me of the ones I catch on the upper deleware. If you can't wait for opening day fellows I suggest you chase some natives as there are some streams open for catch and release only.

[Chrisper4694]

Beauties, I'll be trying a designated wild trout area next week by my job but I'd be very surprised to find anything other than mini Brook trout there. Looks like you have a real trout Stream there! A real nj treasure!

[jrock]

Yea wild trout are truly a nj treasure. While going through the regs to make sure it was ok to be there I noticed after opening day your allowed to keep two a day. Man this particular stream has some good fish in it but its a relatively small stream and doesn't hold that many fish. Two a day per person seems like way to heavy of a limit for this stream. I never see any other anglers out there but these fish could be wiped out if people started fishing there and kept their limits all the time. Thank god the majority of hardcore anglers practice catch and release on these natives. Nothin wrong with keeping some fish for the frying pan at all, I enjoy a good fish fry myself but these natives are a precious resorce.

[Dave B.]

Nice pair of brown beauties, way to go! They both look to be well recovered from the fall spawn and in good condition considering the rather harsh late winter we've had.

You're right, most of our WTS's could never support every angler keeping a 2 fish limit on a regular basis. Fortunately the vast majority of guys who fish those waters are strictly C & R, and this detail is not missed when the biologists are reviewing a stream for WTS designation along with the many other criteria involved.

[AndyS]

Great looking fish !!! Nice color

[Chrisper4694]

well just never tell anyone where you are and don't let anyone see you haha. I've never fished or saw anyone fishing where i'm targeting by my work, but hey you never know...if there are fish there, i'll probably never tell anyone! haha. The pool a little ways down from the area held great top water bass fishing two seasons ago but then they did some major work on the damn so i don't know what it'll be like, we'll see.

[liveitup1.75liter]

Very nice healthy wild brownies!!! Jus a fyi.. brook trout are the only natives to nj.. rest are just wild.. every year in the south branch i see guys trowin wild browns on the stringer.. I try n have a chat wit em n in courage them to release em.. 50% success rate .. some dnt even no we have wild fizz n some argue its a stocker jus hate seein breeder sized wild fish go out like that!!!

[jrock]

Liveitup you are correct they are wild browns not natives. Like I said if you wanna legally take one every once in a blue moon I understand but most of them should be released I think. There is just not enough of a population of them to withstand heavy pressure. On the upper deleware where there are a heck of a lot more wild browns the limit in season is still only one a person per day. Well at least they are a lot harder to catch then stockies.