SBRR encroachers

[Razorbacker]

I hit the old Claremont TCA section of the SBRR yesterday. The flow was excellent, best I've seen the river look in ages.... really thought I would pick up a few wild browns. Instead I get these two state inmates. Pretty sure the club rainbows are the nice Kamloops from Asbury, no? Not these things. Very surprised to see stockies this far upstream.

[Rusty Spinner]

Other than the obvious reply that fish swim, they have decent pectoral fins and could be wild bows. You are correct about the clubs, especially Angler's Anonymous which is just above the old Claremont stretch. How was the beaver activity? I live very nearby, but haven't been there in a few years.

[troutfishing4life]

I would agree with you and say they look like state fish to me. Yes the clubs do stock from the musky hatchery.

Nice fish either way

[Razorbacker]

There was no noticeable beaver engineering in the part I walked. Most of the old deadfall blockages I remember have gotten washed away except for in the first "S" bend about 80 yards upstream from the concrete footpath bridge. Also, it was shocking to see how far over the banks it has overflowed the past few storms.

[Drossi]

they probably got "mistakenly" stocked there. I got plenty of rainbows in the spring up along the rail trail by were Drakes brook comes in. I posted about it at the time.

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[Razorbacker]

same thing here too, caught 3 stockies on 4 casts in the deep hole at the Naughright / Bartley road intersection... cant remember when exactly, but late spring-ish. I've emailed the regional field agent to ask.

[Troutman]

fish have baggage . They travel

[Drossi]

fish have baggage . They travel

I got mine on 4/29 and they sure look like fresh stockies. They were podded up under an exposed root wad. My guess is the truck crew goofed on where they were supposed to stock.

[troutfishing4life]

Drakes brook is stocked so they could be swimming down from there as well besides up from the long valley bridge

[Rusty Spinner]

Drakes brook is stocked so they could be swimming down from there as well besides up from the long valley bridge

Great point. We also know about 10% of stocked bows head upstream versus downstream or staying put based on telemetry studies on the Flatbrook by a Division biologist.

[Rusty Spinner]

The uppermost stocking location by the Division (not by clubs) is the bridge over the river in "downtown" Long Valley, the old route 24 as locals know it. Above that is only one club, Anglers Anonymous. We catch a LOT of state stocked fish in Shannon's private water, and they are only stocked downstream as far as being stocked "nearby". So no surprise stocked bows head upstream into the unstocked waters.

[Drossi]

Drakes brook is stocked so they could be swimming down from there as well besides up from the long valley bridge

Great point. We also know about 10% of stocked bows head upstream versus downstream or staying put based on telemetry studies on the Flatbrook by a Division biologist.

Didn't know they stocked Drakes brook that close to the confluence. I got my bows upstream probably 1/3 or so. Not out of the realm of possibility they came out of Drakes then, closer to likely that they swam from there.

[troutfishing4life]

Drakes brooks last stock spot is the bridge on Bartley road and thats pretty close to the mouth of the south branch

[troutfishing4life]

The uppermost stocking location by the Division (not by clubs) is the bridge over the river in "downtown" Long Valley, the old route 24 as locals know it. Above that is only one club, Anglers Anonymous. We catch a LOT of state stocked fish in Shannon's private water, and they are only stocked downstream as far as being stocked "nearby". So no surprise stocked bows head upstream into the unstocked waters.

Very good point! when I was member that one year when you and I were fishing together a caught few state fish that spring

[Razorbacker]

the Drake's Brook stocking completely explains it, especially the ones Drossi and I caught along different points along Bartley Rd. I did not know Drake's was stocked. Now I have to say it- that is a STUPID plan by the State. WTH would you create a new WTS designation, with the apparent intention of fostering a "wild only" population, and then dump almost 500 stockers into a direct tributary to the WTS section?!?!? Drake's should be targeted to try and re-establish a brook trout only population.

[troutfishing4life]

the Drake's Brook stocking completely explains it, especially the ones Drossi and I caught along different points along Bartley Rd. I did not know Drake's was stocked. Now I have to say it- that is a STUPID plan by the State. WTH would you create a new WTS designation, with the apparent intention of fostering a "wild only" population, and then dump almost 500 stockers into a direct tributary to the WTS section?!?!? Drake's should be targeted to try and re-establish a brook trout only population.

Drakes brook has some nice wild fish as well. Maybe our expert will say way @rusty spinner

[Rusty Spinner]

the Drake's Brook stocking completely explains it, especially the ones Drossi and I caught along different points along Bartley Rd. I did not know Drake's was stocked. Now I have to say it- that is a STUPID plan by the State. WTH would you create a new WTS designation, with the apparent intention of fostering a "wild only" population, and then dump almost 500 stockers into a direct tributary to the WTS section?!?!? Drake's should be targeted to try and re-establish a brook trout only population.

Too many browns already in Drake's to make it brookie only. The stocked rainbows aren't the problem, the wild browns are for the native brookies.

[Drossi]

the Drake's Brook stocking completely explains it, especially the ones Drossi and I caught along different points along Bartley Rd. I did not know Drake's was stocked. Now I have to say it- that is a STUPID plan by the State. WTH would you create a new WTS designation, with the apparent intention of fostering a "wild only" population, and then dump almost 500 stockers into a direct tributary to the WTS section?!?!? Drake's should be targeted to try and re-establish a brook trout only population.

Too many browns already in Drake's to make it brookie only. The stocked rainbows aren't the problem, the wild browns are for the native brookies.

The stocked rainbows are a problem for the lovely wild browns though...

[troutfishing4life]

The rainbows take angler pressure off the wild fish. I have no issues with them being there and who knows maybe some more wild rainbows will come from this

[Razorbacker]

this is more like it... but I caught this one in the stocked section downstream from the Long Valley stone bridge.
I started my morning pheasant "hunting" in Black River, until the pellets started getting uncomfortably close overhead. The WMAs are insane... I wish F&W would stock twice a week at 50/50. Maybe that would keep the mass rush down right after the stockings.