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Here in our area and most of Pennsylvania, trout season opens this year at 8 a.m. on April 18, while 18 counties in the southeastern part of the state enjoy a two-week head start on the rest of the state with an April 4 opener.
In preparation for this annual rite of spring, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will begin its preseason trout-stocking efforts this week in most counties of our region. During 2020, the PFBC will release about 3.2 million adult trout around the state into 707 streams totaling 4,600 miles and 130 lakes totaling 7,083 acres.
These figures include approximately 2.1 million rainbow trout; 660,000 brown trout; and 365,000 brook trout. In addition to trout raised at state fish hatcheries, PFBC cooperative nurseries operated by sportsmen's clubs across the state will add another 1.2 million trout to selected waters open to public angling.Most stocked trout waters also receive at least one in-season stocking some time from the opening week of the season until late May.
The average size of trout stocked by the PFBC is expected to be 11 inches. This year, the PFBC will be stocking about 60,000 brood fish, which are 21/2- and 31/2-year-old rainbow, brown, and brook trout measuring 14 to 20 inches long. This is more than double the number of these big trout stocked last year. Fans of golden rainbow trout will be interested to know that the PFBC will be stocking 13,000 of those ugly genetic-freak fish, an increase of about 40 percent over last year. About 80 percent of the mutant rainbows will be released during the preseason stockings and 20 percent during the in-season stockings.
This week will be a busy one for the preseason stocking efforts in Blair County. Clover Creek is scheduled to be stocked tomorrow; the meeting place is the Williamsburg post office at 10:15 a.m. Canoe Creek Lake will be stocked on Wednesday; meeting place is the Canoe Creek State Park office at 10:30 a.m. Bald Eagle Creek will be stocked on Thursday; meeting place is village of Bald Eagle at 9:45 a.m. Canoe Creek will be stocked on March 14; meeting place is the Canoe Creek State Park office at 10:15 a.m.
Other preseason trout stockings in Blair County will continue this month through mid-April. Poplar Run and South Poplar Run will be stocked on March 9; the meeting place is the Newry post office at 10:30 a.m. Beaverdam Creek and the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River will be stocked on March 10 starting at 10:30 from the Claysburg post office.
Blair Gap Run will be stocked on March 17; the meeting place is the Newry post office at 10:15 a.m. The final preseason stocking for Blair County will be Bells Gap Run, Riggles Gap Run and Vanscoyoc Run on April 15; meeting place is the Sheetz store off the Bellwood exit of I-99 at 10:15 a.m.
Of course, volunteers are always welcome to help carry fish to the streams during any scheduled stocking. If you are looking for an excuse to get outside for a little late-winter exercise, come out and help with an upcoming stocking. Bad weather or high water may cause last-minute postponements of some stockings, so scheduled stockings are subject to change.
For complete information on the preseason and in-season stocking schedules for other counties, check the PFBC website at www.fishandboat.com. Anglers with smartphones can find the stocking schedules and other information about fishing in Pennsylvania through the FishBoatPA app, which is available free from the Apple App Store and Google Play.
One popular water in our region will not be stocked this year. Whipple Lake in Huntingdon County has been temporarily removed from the trout stocking program because the lake has been drained to allow for dredging and maintenance onthe dam. This project is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2020. Once refilled, the lake should be stocked again during the preseason and in-season of 2021.
Special presentation
The John Kennedy Chapter of Trout Unlimited will feature Father Clement Gardner as the guest speaker at its regular monthly meeting this Tuesdayat 7 p.m.
The public is welcome to attend this free program at the Allegheny Township Volunteer Fire Department located at 651 Sugar Run Road, Altoona. Father Gardner, who has been a priest for 50 years and a fly tier for 65 years, will be demonstrating fly-tying techniques and new fly patterns.
His specialty is tying flies with unusual materials, especially craft foam, which has earned him the nickname "Father Foam." Some of the flies he will feature in his presentation include a threadless bead-head, a new idea for "Gorillia Gue" bugs, and a new foam pattern for a caddis, hopper and stonefly.