Finsylvannia

Breaking News Update

In this episode I discuss some breaking news coming out of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat commission, the latest class A stocking exemptions (including Penns Creek), as well as an update about Finsylvania’s stocking reform e-mail campaign to politicians and journalists. People have been coming out of the woodwork asking if they can help get stocking reformed by sending their own personalized e-mail to politicians and journalists. I have compiled an enormous list of all the publicly searchable politicians and journalists I could find. If you mesage me on social media(james suleski) or e-mail me at salvelinus19@gmail.com I would be happy to share that list of addresses with you so you can join the fight for stocking reform by making your own personalized message to PFBC’s elected oversight demanding better oversight and serious reforms at the agency. Check out Darkskies Fly Fishing Magazine!!https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqOL3WLXsnvL8fmCEujH0SLvecRW9hHdfet3fdBKmsLZGi10K0EContact me about sending an e-mail to fight for stocking reform!Salvelinus19@gmail.com#nativebrooktrout #stopstocking #blueliner

Bill Dell on Brook Trout

In this episode Bill Dell from the troutbitten project and I discuss wild native brook trout and their management here in Pennsylvania. We cover topics like setting expectations for anglers who want to fish for them, their often underestimated resiliency, and how we could be managing them better here in PA. We discuss how states like Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and others are managing native brook trout much more effectively that the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. We talk about the free to cost saving management actions that would likely allow the PA wilds to have larger and healthier populations similar to those southern state’s managers have created with evidence based management. We talk about how fly fishermen often leave PA to fish for native brook teout because of how bad the management is here. A central theme discussed is a big lack of angler education from PA Fish and Boat. Other states have much more angler education videos and material while PA fish and boat seems to just try tominflate the value of hatchery trout to fishermen with their social media. We discuss brook trout conservation genetics and how stocking ontop of brook trout and in large downstream waterways harms their genetics. We discuss how the combination of stocking and bad stream habitat restoration attendant that simulate raceways in the wild have harmed native brook trout. We discuss the contrast how the habitat blueliners find brook trout in naturally sharply contrasts with the trench or chute like monoculture habitat created by these single channel stream restoration projects with no islands or sode channels. Finally in the action alert listeners and viewers are encouraged to reach out if they are interested in writing an opinion editorial(op-ed) for a local media source to publish to help raise public awareness and pressure politicians responsible for PA fish and boat’s continued waste and failures to do better. #nativebrooktrout#blueliner#pawilds #pafishing #flyfishing #conservation #brooktrout #wildtrout Action Alert: Contact me at this e-mail if you would be interested in writing a short opinion editorial on the need for stocking reform and submiting to a local state media source. Salvelinus19@gmail.comShow notes and resources mentioned:If you love wild native brook trout check out the link to the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture below.https://easternbrooktrout.org/Dark Skies Fly Fishing Magazine @darkskiesflyfishing If you love fly fishing and want to read about overlooked fishing opportunities available to you in the northeast and mid Atlantic this is the publication for you. It features articles on fly fishing tactics, destinations, species, conservation, and fly tying. This is no amateur publication. Ralph Scherder who created this project is a full time very skilled fly fishing writer and guide. He puts his heart and soul into Darkskies and it shows. Subscribe now, its only $12 a year for 5 issues. https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/magazine/?srsltid=AfmBOor8-SLp8gTSPgK3EIs9FTA3XkB6qXzuCKcwTA9G576eFK7ZGU2RUnicorn Brookies by Philip Light This blog covers native brook trout in PA like you have never seen before. Phil’s articles take a deep dive into different brook trout populations in PA and surrounding states as he examines their management in a setailed science based manner that teaches readers things they can’t get any where else about these amazing fish. Fascinating Blog on brook trout. https://www.unicornbrookies.com/Trout (Stocked, Wild, Rainbow, Brook, Brown)Smallmouth BassLargemouth BassWalleyeMuskellunge / MuskyYellow PerchCrappie (Black/White)Channel CatfishFlathead CatfishNorthern PikeChain PickerelBluegill / PumpkinseedCarpShad (American/Hickory)Steelhead (Lake Erie) Lake Erie FishingSusquehanna River fishingLake Nockamixon (Bucks County)Raystown LakeLake WallenpaupackAllegheny River / ReservoirDelaware RiverYellow Breeches Creek (Fly fishing)Big Spring CreekPymatuning ReservoirLake Arthur (Moraine State Park)Pine Creek (Trout)Lehigh RiverOctoraro LakeMarsh Creek Lake PA Fishing License (Online/Purchase)PA Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC)PA Trout Stocking ScheduleTrout Permit PennsylvaniaPA Fishing Regulations SummaryClass A Wild Trout Streams PAKeystone Select Trout StreamsPA Free Fishing DaysSunday Fishing Regulations PASpecial Regulation Trout Streams 4. Gear, Tackle & TechniquesTrout UnlimitedFly Fishing PABest Trout Lures PASenko Worm (Green Pumpkin)Waders / Simms WadersFishing Charter Near MeFishbrain AppGarmin Livescope / SonarBaitcasting ReelKastKing Fishing TackleTrout RodFly Tying MaterialsBass Fishing Boat 5. Seasonal & Specific SearchesIce Fishing PASpring Trout SeasonFall Bass FishingPA Fishing ReportFishing Map PABoating Handbook PAMagnet Fishing PATen Species ChallengeBoat Rental PABest Fishing Near Me

Stream Restoration: Cure or Disease

In this episode I sit down with Professor of Fluvial Geomorphology Doug Thompson to discuss the overwhelming failure of engineered instream structures to help streams over the past century. In fact, engineered instream structures have harmed and scared many streams in that timeframe by destroying channel complexity, preventing tree growth in the riparian zone, decreasing ground water/spring recharge, and creating a habitat thats hostile to native fish. Further we discuss examples like stream projects at fishermen’s Paradise and how they were considered a “success” by Pennsylvania Fish and Boat because of their popularity with anglers who lined up by the thousands to catch stocked trout in the easy to fish “holes” created by the rock and log engineered structures. However, ecologically these projects were a failure because they stopped the stream from moving naturally in the flood plain as well as stopped the stream from engaging the flood plain. We also discuss how this unregulated wild wild west of building faulty instream structures like J-hooks, deflectors, mudsills, lunker bunkers, and backwards rootwads continues today despite a century of failures and lots of evidence they do more harm than good. Doug talks about how Pennsylvania fish and boat commission’s habitat manual still displays extremely harmful and misinformed structures like Jack Dams. We discuss Dorothy Merritts and her discovery that legacy sediment is covering many of our stream valleys hiding what true pre colonial reference conditions for our streams would have been. We discuss legacy sediment removal as an exciting new technique with promise that creates a flood plain and lets the stream channel establish itselft where it wants to as well as move around on the flood plain. We discuss my conversation with Dorothy Merritts about how streams were likely not single channel morphology and were more likely channel networks with islands, side channels, and anastomosing channels. I talk about the growing fisheries science consensus that single channel stream restorations are bad for native brook trout and facilitate invasion of their havitat by non-native brook trout. Doug talks about the benefits of overly wide streams that form islands and in crease the fraction of the stream covered by tree canopy on the islands and in the riparian zone. We talk about the thermal benefits of legacy sediment removal and flood plain connection causing more downwelling and ground water recharge that makes streams colder. Finally doug gives advice to anglers and conservationists looking to get into stream work on how to “do no harm” and avoid working with rock, big boulders, and not over engineering large woody debris. We talk about Doug’s book The Quest For The Golden Trout and how it captures the synergistic consequences of hatchery trout and engineered stream projects as far as harming aquatic ecosystems and native species. Any serious angler or conservationist will enjoy this eye opening discussion about how we need to fix stream “restoration.”For $12 a year subscribe to Darkskies Fly Fishing Magazine. Ralph Scherder puts his heart and sould into this magazine and the stories and articles are top not h. There is a regional focus on Pa and surrounding states in the northeast and midatlantic. Buy Douglas Thompson’s Book The Quest for The Golden Trouthttps://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChsSEwis5dHQ8oOSAxUwQf8BHXvrPFgYACICCAEQABoCbWQ&co=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrOXR0PKDkgMVMEH_AR176zxYEAAYASAAEgL_dfD_BwE&sph&cid=CAAS0gHkaKhTg55oda2mMs3p_3BHBOl3VYEo19cNZeX3iYIp-IdFczIG5H3rBmvhZOk_KSsK_e1cjP2tGtHay1H2NwnqShbvHaD8fegJzjX5Wp8xPRdWSfQh1eiF5zzBZCwGqM3ebYUCNUVsqKINimzTSIl0ClcBbp0eMKHJE9E7zdl7bXWex55Pn-YVp-lW8hOl4aV6SIM_QeCIloj-IUQOCYg5WPicH5P1JAdCJBSvKvgPqa47lpt0oEdorPwZz4x7S9O8lCR646o5xJAsDCkk83TQGIg&cce=1&sig=AOD64_16CuJ7NSvuo1-KVRTEWEG2LagKaA&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwjNicvQ8oOSAxUtrokEHURsLrQQ0Qx6BAgUEAEhttps://darkskiesflyfishing.com/magazine/?srsltid=AfmBOoryFuCcNSjJkQS0ckoYzoFSQZZOOv67MdrOA1T9ol9DchvIQizPfishing geartackle boxfishing rodfish finderfishing linefishing hookfishing baitfishing lurefishing reelhuk fishingfishing licensefishing regulations trout fishing PAbass fishing PAsmallmouth bass PAlargemouth bass PArainbow trout PAbrook trout PAwalleye fishing PAcrappie fishing PAperch fishing PAmusky fishing PAcatfish fishing PAsteelhead fishing PA Lake Erie fishing reportSusquehanna River fishingPine Creek fishingPymatuning Reservoir fishingLake Wallenpaupack fishingPenns Creek fly fishingSpring Creek fishingPA stocked trout streams Seasonal & Regulatory QueriesPA trout season openerPA fishing season datesPA fishing license costPA Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC)

Breaking News: 13 Class A stocking exemptions!

Tim Schaeffer just signaled he is going to grant 13 class A stream stocking exemptions(5 new and 8 renewals) including Penn’s Creek! This was disclosed at the december 23rd hatcheries and fisheries committee meeting 2 days prior to Christmas and WAS NOT listed in the meetings agenda. Further it has been brought to my attention that one pay for play trout club owns property on many of these streams and we are currently trying to find out if they or their property are connected to the sections recieving exemptions. Also an angler survey reveals a solid majority of trout anglers DO NOT want hatchery trout stocked over significant wild populations. This same survey shows access is a big concern for anglers as well. Join us and learn more about whats going on in fisheries management in PA. Action Alert! Tell Governor Shapiro & the house/senate game and fish committees an executive director that ignores the angling public, lies in senate hearings, spends the agency into oblivion on stocked fish, and puts all his energy into pandering to special interests won’t be tolerated. TELL THEM ALL TIM SCHAEFFER HAS TO GO!!!Shapiro E-mail: deeberly@pa.govSenator Greg Rothman, head of G&F committee: bslate@pasen.govRep Anita Kulik Astorino, head of house G&F committee: RepKulik@pahouse.netConsider buying a subscription to Dark Skies Fly Fishing Magazine! Its a great project that covers the where, how, what, as well as conservation issues for the mid-atalntic region and pairs very nicely with a subscription to other national fly fishing magazines for just $12 a year! https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/magazine/?srsltid=AfmBOoryFuCcNSjJkQS0ckoYzoFSQZZOOv67MdrOA1T9ol9DchvIQizPPennsylvania fishingPA fishing licenseFishing regulations PAPFBC (PA Fish & Boat Commission)Fishing near me PABest fishing PAPA fishing spotsWhen does fishing season open PASpecies-Specific9. Bass fishing PA (Largemouth, Smallmouth)10. Trout fishing PA (Brook, Rainbow, Brown)11. Walleye fishing PA12. Catfish fishing PA13. Perch fishing PA14. Crappie fishing PA15. Pike fishing PA16. Musky fishing PA Locations & Waters17. Raystown Lake fishing18. Neshannock Creek fishing19. Delaware River fishing PA20. Susquehanna River fishing21. Lake Erie fishing PA22. Allegheny River fishing23. Fly fishing PA24. PA stocked trout watersTechniques & Gear25. Bait fishing PA26. Fly fishing gear PA27. Lures for bass PA (Crankbaits, Swimbaits)28. How to fish for Walleye PA29. Best bait for trout PA30. Fishing knots31. Fishing rods for PA bassGuides & Charters32. PA fishing guides33. Fishing charters PA34. Guide to bass fishing PASeasonal & Events35. Ice fishing PA36. Spring fishing PA37. Fall fishing PA

Episode 3:Losing Stream Access to Posting

This week on Finsylvania Mike Evanko creator of Wooly Bugged and author at Dark Skies Fly Fishing discuss loss of stream access to posting of private land. Many noteable anglers around the state are sounding the alarm on this loss of access that is not getting significantly replaced by Pennsylvania Fish and Boat. We discuss why “angler opportunity” always seems to mean stocked fish and not access in PA. We discuss the future of our sport and how much of a threat losing access is. We also discuss those who might benefit fork this loss of access and seek to monitize it. Please take part in this week’s Action Alerts by doing the following….
 
1. E-mail Senator Greg Rothman, Anita Kulik Astorino, and governor Josh Shapiro at these E-mail addresses. Tell them a lot of license dollars and certainly tax payer infastructure grant dollars need to be shifted from stocking to creating more stream access! They need to protect our sport and the PA outdoor economy!
 
Shapiro E-mail: deeberly@pa.gov
 
Rothman E-mail: bslate@pasen.gov
 
Kulik Astorino E-mail:
crippole@pahouse.net
 
DONATE TO BIG SPRING’s LEGAL DEFENSE FUND!!
 
https://protectbigspring.org/donation-use/
 
Subscribe to Dark Skies Fly Fishing Magazine for $12 a year!!
 
https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/magazine/?srsltid=AfmBOoocwf7H7yp67aWvj-6zg_FK4OJQqTy9oTcN2zEYzpNRjRq6oqNs
 
#streamaccess #publicland #postedsigns #lossofstreamaccess #fishpa
 
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Private Stocking

Show description and links below this weeks action alerts!! Action alert 1: e-mail Governor Josh Shapiro’s office and tell them we need adoption of an emergency stocking authorization in Pennsylvania to mitigate the vast ecological damage from unregulated private stocking. Please also mention we need commissioners taking the 3 vacant spots that will actually use it to say “no” to irresponsible private stocking once an authorization is adopted. E-mail for Shapiro’s office: deeberly@pa.govAction Alert number 2: please contact Penn Live and tell them the desperate need for stocking reform is important news thats not getting reported on. Tell them we don’t want to see fluff pieces on stocking that ecologically give Fish and Boat a pass and leave iut the harmful effects of these hatchery fish. E-mail Penn Live: newstips@pennlive.comWelcome to episode 2 of the Finsylvania podcast! Today we have author and guest Philip Light from unicornbrookies.com. Unicorn brookies is a conservation blog about the management of native brook trout in Pennsylvania that features high quality photography, mapping, and abundant citations of fisheries science. Its truly a one of a kind publication that helps readers understand native brook trout and their management far beyond what you will find in traditional writings about these fish. After a brief discussion of unicornbrookies.com and Phil’s path in conservation we hit the main topic, the wild wild west of private stocking in Pennsylvania. We discuss everything from what kind of entities are doing the private stocking, their motivations, the kinds of places they are doing it. Further, we discuss what the ecological and social impacts of private stocking. Finally we talk about how in our opinion private stocking illustrates a huge culture issue in the fly fishing and angling community with how pollution is viewed or not viewed. The episode ends with some action alerts including 2 conrete ones that I will list above. Hopefully everyone interested in trout fishing in Pennsylvania or stocked vs. wild and native trout enjoys the podcast. This podcast is relevant in many areas in the PAwilds where some of our most sensitive native species live. Blueliners will identify with some of the painful stories of hiking into remote wild places only to find stocked trout. Phil’s Bloghttps://www.unicornbrookies.comDarkskies Fly Fishing Magazine https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoptU1wFt2-yup60TQILuxR9Z2w8OG4mwiVv0xomXws6ocyXvJpb#blueliner #brooktrout #fisheriesmanagement #pawilds

Episode 1: Intro to Finsylvania

Finsylvania is a podcast dedicated to discussing and changing how we manage fish in Pennsylvania. In this episode we discuss the elephant in the room, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s failure to manage our states aquatic resources coherently. I lay out a high level overview of the problems with the current myoptic focus on stocking invasive hatchery trout. These issues include wide spread ecological harm to native aquatic species and gross waste of tax payer and fishing license funds on stocking. Finally we talk about the vision for this podcast, an interactive means for discussing fisheries management in Pennsylvania and taking action to make it better!
 
#pafishing #stockingreform #conservation #pennsylvaniaflyfishing #stopstockingoverwildfish #blueliner #nativefish #pafishandboat #fisheriesmanagement #brooktrout #hellbenders #nativebrooktrout #flyfishing #fishing
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