Finsylvannia

LEAVE A MESSAGE IN COMMENT SECTION IF YOU WANT TO SEND AN E-MAIL FOR THE STOCKING REFORM CAMPAIGN! In today’s elisode we introduce The Pennsylvania Wild Trout Coalition, an organization dedicated to getting the white hatchery truck off wild trout streams. The organization’s founder James(Jim) Neely comes on the podcast to discuss the laser focus of the organization on stocking reform, small/ nimble leadership group, and lack of traditional entanglements that often slow down large traditional conservation non-profits. We are not a 501c3, we don’t stock trout, we don’t teach kids to stock trout in school, and we don’t have banquets or raffles. We are purely driven by the angling publics overwhelming desire for both excellent wild non-native brown trout fisheries and wild native brook trout management areas. We feel public angling opportunity/recreation would be better served by focusing on the big issue of loss of stream access rather than stocking over wild trout and wasting enormous sums of money. We talk about how the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has gotten so far off mission and over its budget. We talk about the proposed merger with the game commission to bailout hatcheries burning cash yet again. We also discuss the failures of Josh Shapiro, Greg Rothman, and Anita Kulik-Astorino to reign in the fish commissiony wreckless behavior. Jim Neely also discusses his Native Brook Trout initiative in the Allegheny National Forest. We discuss the importance of the Finsylvania E-mail Stocking Reform Campaign and the importance of becoming an official Bussiness or organizational partner with PA Wild Trout Coalition. So “Let Nature raise the fish” and please go check out the PAWTC website that has tools to contact your senator, a mission statement, details on our leadership team, a petition, and so much more! We don’t want your money we want your voice! PA Wild Trout Coalition Website https://pawtc.org/Finsylvania Stocking Reform E-mail Campaign Action Center(if you would rather copy and paste the e-mails into one address and send message me or leave a comment and I can send them to you!) Click below and demand stocking over wild trout be addressed by the media and politicians!https://www.unicornbrookies.com/campaign/#wildtrout #conservation #flyfishing #blueliner

Hey everyone,Thanks for participating in the Finsylvania Stocking Reform Campaign!Here is the link to the action center built by Philip Light from UnicornBrookies.com where you can send e-mails to hundreds of politicians and the journalists who cover them. 👉 https://www.unicornbrookies.com/campaign/Please try to personalize your message if you can, and only use the AI email text generator as a starting point to add to or change to your desired wording.(suggested talking points at bottom of e-mail)AFTER YOU SEND YOUR E-MAIL CALL POLITICIANS & JOURNALISTS TOO!!!Here are phone numbers to call and advocate for stocking reform! Politicians Call Josh Shapiro717-787-2500Call Greg Rothman’s office(Chair of senate game and fish committee) 7177871377Find your state senator/representative’s office via this link! 👉 https://www.palegis.us/find-my-legislatorMediaCALL AND ASK WHY THEY ARE NOT REPORTING ON WASTE FRAUD AND ABUSE AT FISH AND BOAT!!Statewide & Investigative Spotlight PA (Statewide Capital/Investigative): (717) 418-9684 Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN): (717) 730-6000Harrisburg & Central PA PennLive / Patriot-News (Harrisburg): (717) 255-8100 WGAL Channel 8 (Lancaster/Harrisburg NBC): (717) 393-5300 ABC27 WHTM (Harrisburg ABC): (717) 745-3413 CBS21 WHP (Harrisburg CBS): (717) 238-2100 Fox43 WPMT (York/Harrisburg Fox): (717) 843-0043 LNP / LancasterOnline: (717) 291-8811Pittsburgh & Western PA Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: (412) 263-1601 TribLIVE / Tribune-Review: (724) 834-1151 KDKA Channel 2 (Pittsburgh CBS): (412) 575-2245 WTAE Channel 4 (Pittsburgh ABC): (412) 244-4444 WPXI Channel 11 (Pittsburgh NBC): (412) 237-1100 Philadelphia & Eastern PA The Philadelphia Inquirer: (215) 854-4500 6ABC WPVI (Philadelphia ABC): (215) 878-9700 CBS News Philadelphia / KYW: (215) 977-5333 (Direct Tip Line) NBC10 WCAU (Philadelphia NBC): (610) 668-5555 Fox 29 WTXF (Philadelphia Fox): (215) 982-5500 The Morning Call (Allentown/Lehigh Valley): (610) 820-6500Northeast & Northwest PA WNEP Channel 16 (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre ABC): (570) 344-1616 The Times-Tribune (Scranton): (570) 348-9100 Erie Times-News: (814) 870-1600 WJET Channel 24 (Erie ABC): (814) 864-2400FIND THESE POLITICIANS AND JOURNALISTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND ADVOCATE THERE TOO!!!These are the big points to include in any messages to politicians or the media:1. Financial waste and reckless spending: This includes $100 million in taxpayer infrastructure grant dollars used to bail out hatcheries. A 2027 PSU Business School analysis stated that hatchery cuts were unavoidable; instead of making these cuts, we are draining the taxpayers.2. Ecological damage: The current system causes ecological damage to native brook trout and hellbenders, while decreasing the quality of wild trout fishing.3. The stream access crisis: This is the direct opportunity cost of hatcheries stealing stream access easement money for decades.4. Waste, fraud, and abuse: Executive Director Tim Schaeffer and his crony commissioners must be REMOVED, and brave whistleblowers like Eric Hussar must be protected from retaliation. Abuses include self-dealing to private businesses using commission resources, sweetheart stocking exemptions for wealthy, for-profit trout clubs, and shadow governance by Tim Schaeffer, who stripped all public meeting recordings from YouTube.5. The danger of a Fish/Game commission merger: It would be a massive mistake to view a Fish & Boat / Game Commission merger as anything more than yet another hatchery bailout(license fee increases, $100 million tax payer grant dollars, senate bill 800, and now this). The money to bail out hatcheries would come from the Game Commission's oil and gas revenues—funds that are supposed to buy public land in the form of State Game Lands for hunting and fishing. We need to fix the PFBC, not find it a Game Commission "sugar daddy" to continue its reckless spending and reduce public land purchasing ability as a result.6. We need a stocking authorization immediately: The PFBC had to watch helplessly while numerous invasive species—including Australian Barramundi and algae eaters—were stocked in PA waters because the commission chose not to have the power to approve or deny private stockings.

this special episode, I interview Fish Commissioner Eric Hussar of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission about the agency’s ballooning hatchery costs and its failure to make cuts recommended by the Penn State Smeal College of Business a decade ago—cuts that could have avoided these issues entirely. We discuss the agency’s transition from the 'Operation Future' era, to the stocking-cut pragmatism under John Arway, to its more recent abandonment of its stated 'resource first' mission in favor of doubling down on commercial-scale, invasive fish farming that is spending it into oblivion.Eric gets candid about the lack of leadership regarding the agency’s true mandated mission in the PA Code, and how much of the board has lost its way. We discuss the shameful—but completely legal in PA—stocking of Australian Barramundi in the Delaware River this year, which was uncovered via notice of stocking in PFBC Right-to-Know requests. We also talk about the urgent need for a stocking authorization before shared watersheds in New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, and New York get permanently harmed by Pennsylvania's 'Wild West' approach to private stocking.Furthermore, we cover the long history of overspending on hatcheries and the many off-ramps we could have taken, using Freeman Run and other examples. We discuss Governor Josh Shapiro’s recent, unfortunate decision to bring back Commissioner William Brock, who has a history of conflicts of interest, failing the agency's mission, and arguing for sweetheart stocking exemptions that threaten high-conservation-value aquatic ecosystems. I also bring up DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn’s long history of looking the other way on stocking inside DCNR Wild and Natural Areas, which are legally supposed to 'protect native biodiversity.' She, Josh Shapiro, Greg Rothman, and Anita Kulik Astorino, among many others, have ignored hundreds of letters for years from people calling to protect taxpayer infrastructure grants and our state fish from seemingly limitless hatchery spending.How do we fix it? Tune in and find out.#pennsylvania #brooktrout #troutstocking #pafishing #pawildsCheck out Unicornbrookies.com for the most evidence based and thought provoking written word out there on our state fish!!!Check out https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/ for some of the best flyfishing writing, articles, how-to, and content out there!!!

I dropped by the Big Spring in Cumberland County Pennsylvania to film the newly constructed engineered habitat structures for you guys. I walk you through alot of them and talk about some of the research, case studies, and anecdotal examples of the effects of engineered instream structures on native brook trout populations in streams highly invaded by non-native trout. We found some friendly PA fish and boat commission staff who explained the surveys before the habitat project and the funding/permiting for this work. One thing I was thankful for atleast was they were aware of some of this research and tried to limit depth to 2 feet since more depth seems to correlate with worse outcomes for brook trout in some case studies and anecdotal examples. A survey is planned in the future, we will be covering that as well. #brooktrout#flyfishing #bigspring

In this episode I talk to Minnesota DNR scientist Nicholas Peterson who specializes in managing Lake Superior Native Coaster Brook Trout. You will learn alot about the amazing life history of coaster brook trout, their resilience, genetics, and many many fisheries management lessons/initiatives we can apply here in Pennsylvania. We may not have Lake Superior in Pennsylvania but we have deep lakes connected to brook trout streams that have similar adfluvial life histories. We can learn a lot from Minnesota DNR’s focus on brook trout conservation genetics, thermal refuge mapping, stocking reform, university/non-profit brook trout research partnerships, and just generally their commitment to so much more than just stocking hatchery trout. We will also talk briefly about how brook trout often are found living in places they “shouldn’t be” such as streams in the upper 70’s and other places we don’t think they can survive yet have thermal micro habitat. We also talk about Nick’s experience holding 25 inch coaster brook trout at night electro surveying in the livht of the Aurora Borealis(northern lights). There is plenty of discussion about historical human impacts that harmed Minnesota coaster brook trout as well as the 2018 recovery of coasters that was helped along by forward thinking coaster brook trout harvest regs enacted in 2006. Minnesota’s north shore is a magical place with magical fish! Check out my Fly Fishing After Dark column in Dark Skies Fly Fishing Magazine!!!https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/magazine/?srsltid=AfmBOorkaTITiDCQvc53i3399mUrzVoaonT_DaAT7DTr2WaHm9ZwrRCbCheck out Philip Light’s Unicornbrookies.com for the most science based blog on PA’s native brook trout and their managementhttps://www.unicornbrookies.com/

In this episode I sit down with fisheries manager and snakehead invasion researcher Dr. Joseph Love of the Maryland DNR. We cover history of the invasion, snakehead biology, documented harms, snakehead misinformation peddled in angling circles, fishing bias towards ignoring harms, and the general lack of understanding out there about how biological invasions work. We talk about the ofd behavior of humans illegally introducing them to new environments and the selfis underlying sociology behind it. We talk about snakehead pushing into new environments in PA/ MD as new food items such as trout are found in their stomachs as they invade further upstream. Finally we close with the important point that just because we cannot erradicate invasive snakehead(currently) it doesn’t mean we cannot mitigate them with harvesting every snakehead we catch. We talk about the conservation heros bowfishing snakehead out of the upper Chesapeake. Also we talk about exciting genetic technologies on the horizon that offer hope for eradicating invasive snakeheads in the future. We also talk about invasion in the Delaware River system in Pennsylvania such as the Schuylkill River and the New Jersey tributaries of the Delaware. #snakehead #channaargus #invasivespecies #bowfishing #pafishing #pinebarrens#newjersey Check out my Fly Fishing After Dark Column in https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/magazine/?srsltid=AfmBOooW7zQVW2P_JhFP8q7BLjBq8LgwuxATSpecyyMoZSrmjrNRYBJd Check out UnicornBrookies.com for the most data driven and thought provoking conservation articles on brook trout out there.

In This episode I interview Dr. Jessica Gorzo, NJDEP weakfish population stock assessment scientist. We talk about the historic cultural significance of these regal sportfish and how they shaped New Jersey shore towns. I talk about my own treasured experiences with weakfish chasing them as a child in capemay in the 1990s and then watching their populations crash and fall off a cliff. Its this crash which is the majority of our discussion as we explore the reasons behind what some scientists call the greatest mystery in Atlantic marine biology. We talk about possible factors for the reasons these fish gonout to open ocean and seem to just disappear. Stripers, bottle nosed dolphin, spinny dogfish, and bluefish have all been suspected but unproven. We will talk about bycatchint in trawler netting, changes to forage base, and havitat changes in costal estuaries as we try to get to the bottom of why these fish have declined from their former glory. We also talk about the micro increase in their populations, talk about anecdotal fishint reports and ask are there reasons for optimism in the future or not? #weakfish #saltwaterfishing #saltwaterflyfishing #seatrout #fortescue Check out my Fly Fishing After Dark Column in Dark Skies Fly Fishing Magazine! https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorsfzId4xoY6sTFNaqpnzjprpwhEVD11uUQKhY5WZJ8MjrYDtS2Check out UNICORNBROOKIES.com for the best coverage of brook tro it fisheries science out therehttps://www.unicornbrookies.com/

Join me for this Finsylvania Podcast Update! We announce a new big Finsylvania project called “The Finsylvania Road Trip Series” where we hit the road and talk to subject matter experts in management of species outside of PA and take fisheries science & management lessons home back to PA. Meet a new species, a nee fishery, or just learn more about one you already know ir have interest in! I also announce THE BIG SPRING PRESENTATION ASSOCIATION’s May 7th fundraiser for Big Springs Legal Defense Fund against the warehouse that potentially threatens to distribute or alter its spring source. 5-8pm come raise kiney for this legendary stream and enjoy the conpany of the fly fishing community and refreshments all in the beautiful natural setting of the Kings Gap Mansion. Also on this Update episode we talk about warming stream temps and reducing brook trout thermal stress by bonking stockers in brook trout and wild trout streams on the head and removing the man made hatchery stream pollution. Finally we talk about Tim Schaeffer’s pet project, merging PFBC and PGC. Find out my personal opinion on the motivations for this move and why it could amount to just anither way to bail out hatcheries at hunters/public land SGL’s expense. Road trip series fisheries and speciesNJDEP-Weakfish population crash and recovery effortsMaryland DNR-Snakehead invasion, myths, and harms(PA streams discussed too)Minnesota DNR-Coaster Brook Trout Managment/GeneticsLake Ontario Non-native Salmon stocking with Dr. Peiman, a new way forward #brooktrout #blueliner #snakehead #seatrout #chinooksalmon Dark Skies Fly Fishinghttps://darkskiesflyfishing.com/product/1-year-digital-subscription/?srsltid=AfmBOoqErAMSpSJoH6v0vTMHyOfG1Jr9HrXm7jpIfVEW3PvY1MvGN8Z7Unicorn Brookieshttps://www.unicornbrookies.com/DONATE TO BIG SPRING LEGAL DEFENSE FUND!!https://protectbigspring.org/

In this episode I sit down with Drew & Tyler from Native Fish For Tomorrow, a Minnesota based native fish conservation organization. I sit down with them to discuss the critical importance that native so called “non-game”(hate that term🥴) fish play in the health and quality of our aquatic ecosystems and fisheries. As fly fishermen we often onow everything about the emergence of the macroinvertebrates trout feed on and that part of the ecosystem yet we know so little about these vital non-trout native fish that entire aquatic environments depened on for ecosystem services. From native fall fish helping 9 other species of small antive fish spawn to white sucker runs transferint massive amounts of nutrients and protein to head water streams in their eggs during spawning runs, come learn about why the trout, bass, or musky angler should care about these amazing species. You will also learn along the way that these so called “non-game” fish are extremely worthy targets and truely excellent sport fish that have tradionally just suffered from lack of branding or false cultural stigmas. Critical to our ecosystems and fun to catch, whats not to love? I was very intentional about reaching out to Native Fish For tomorrow for an interview for this episode because their policy wins for better management of the these species(therfore healthier streams) in Minnesota is nothing short of impressive and provides a road map to healthier streams and better fishing here in PA if we chose to follow it. My contact-Jim SuleskiE-mail: Salvelinus19@gmail.comCell-609-405-1415Socialshttps://www.instagram.com/jimsinsta_gram?igsh=MXB4djIyMHh1dzc3Mg%3D%3D&utm_source=qrhttps://www.facebook.com/share/1DtXWagt9c/?mibextid=wwXIfrSubscribe To Dark Skies Fly Fishing!! Check out my Column in each issue called “ Fly Fishing After Dark” https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/product/1-year-digital-subscription/?srsltid=AfmBOoqErAMSpSJoH6v0vTMHyOfG1Jr9HrXm7jpIfVEW3PvY1MvGN8Z7Check out Phillip Light’s Unicorn Brookies Blog for the VERY BEST information on Native Brook Trout conservation a issuesPennsylvania Trout FishingStocked Trout PAWild Trout Fishing PALake Erie Steelhead AlleyPA Smallmouth Bass FishingLargemouth Bass Lakes PAPennsylvania Walleye FishingPA Musky FishingChannel Catfish PennsylvaniaPA Panfish (Yellow Perch, Crappie)Snakehead Fishing PAStriped Bass Hybrid PACarp Fishing PAFly Fishing PA TroutIce Fishing PA Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov)Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov) +5Top Location-Based Keywords (Rivers & Lakes)Delaware River Fishing PASusquehanna River FishingAllegheny River FishingPine Creek Gorge Fishing (PA Grand Canyon)Raystown Lake FishingLake Wallenpaupack FishingLake Erie Fishing ReportPymatuning Lake FishingLake Arthur FishingBeltzville Lake FishingMarsh Creek Lake FishingNockamixon Lake FishingYellow Breeches Creek Fly FishingPenns Creek TroutSpring Creek State CollegeOil Creek FishingNeshannock Creek TroutSlippery Rock Creek FishingYoughiogheny River FishingCedar Run PASlate Run PAFishing Creek BloomsburgLetort Spring RunMonocacy Creek TroutWissahickon Creek FishingConneaut Lake FishingPresque Isle Bay FishingWalnut Creek AccessElk Creek FishingSchuylkill River Fishing Juniata Valley RVJuniata Valley RV +8Top Recreational & Regulatory KeywordsPA Fishing LicensePA Fishing Regulations 2026PA Trout Stocking ScheduleBuy PA Fishing License OnlinePA Fishing License CostPA Fishing Regulations TroutPA Fishing ReportPA Trout StampPA Fishing License ExemptionsPA Fish and Boat CommissionPA Fishing Season DatesPA Fishing GuidePA Fishing License AgentsPA Senior Fishing LicensePA Trout Unlimited Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov)Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov) +3Top "Where to Fish" & Trip KeywordsBest Fishing Spots in PAFishing Near MePA Fishing ChartersPA Fishing Guides Lake ErieFamily Fishing PAADA Accessible Fishing PAPA State Parks FishingFishing Cabin Rentals PATop 100 Trout Streams PABest Bass Fishing PAPA Boat RegistrationFly Fishing Guides PAKayak Fishing PABank Fishing PABest PA Lakes for FishingTrophy Trout Fishing PASmallmouth Bass River FishingWeekend Fishing Trips PAPA Fishing Tackle Loaner ProgramPublic Fishing Access PA Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov)Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov) +8Regional and Specific Keyword VariationsPhiladelphia FishingPittsburgh FishingHarrisburg FishingPoconos FishingPA Fly Hatch ChartGreen Drake Hatch PAPA Bait and Tackle ShopsStreamer Fishing PADry Fly Fishing PAPA Record FishMuskellunge Fishing TipsWalleye Fishing Lake EriePA Inland Water FishingFishing Gear PABest Time to Fish PAPA Trout Management AreasCatch and Release Fishing PAPA Native TroutFishing Permits PALocal PA Fishing Clubs

In this episode I interview author Noah Donten. We briefly discuss his new book “Brook by Brook.” This text is a how to guide about chasing PA brook trout that also has some history/conservation information that I amReally enjoying reading right now. However, the main topic of discussion for this epsiode is a chronological history of all the various categories of environmental impairments and insults suffered by native brook trout in PA from arrival of european colonists to present day. I wanted to do an episode like this because Its my belief that to know where we are going in brook trout conservation we have to know where we have been. Seeing them survive the scale and intensity of the disturbances to both the landscape and their genetic fitnese/diversity shows us how resilient and worth our conservation efforts they truly are. We cover eras from early european colonization, mill dams, clear cutting, mining, loss of beavers, culverts/roads, and introduction of non-native competitors. Inhope you will joinnus for this discussion and consider how their extremely miraculous survival theough these eras bodes for their future survival! #nativebrooktrout #brooktrout #conservation #blueliner #pawilds #pafishing Check out Darkskies Fly Fishing Magazine and my New Fly Fishing after Dark Article! https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/magazine/?srsltid=AfmBOooD1QHS0QhO9ZYGA4HtfhbCWZgBRazvKXr2GCYZTD9mdBonii5P