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Venesky

It’s no longer a secret.

And that’s a good thing.

It wasn’t that long ago that the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission treated the in-season trout stockings as top secret information. They would tell us the week that a particular stream or lake was to be stocked, and it was up to us to guess the day.

Every angler worked their “sources” trying to find the day their favorite fishing hole was to be stocked. It was valuable information, and sometimes agency staff did a good job of keeping quiet, but every now and then word would get out.

There were times when the agency did such a good job at keeping stocking dates quiet that no one would be waiting when the trout arrived. Other times, when the secret couldn’t be kept, there were so many people waiting for the truck it resembled the crowd on opening day.

Regardless, most of us would simply have to guess.

When that “week of” stocking date arrived for a particular lake or stream, every day a few anglers would wait patiently in their cars hoping for the stocking truck to arrive. All of a sudden, one day there would be more cars than usual and that was a sure way to tell the day had arrived.

It was like a game.

My dad had a “source” for the date of the in-season stocking on the North Branch of Mehoopany Creek outside of Lovelton. I knew the day arrived when he would show up at my elementary school to get me out early so we could go fishing.

Later, when I was in high school, I developed a source of my own. A friend’s father knew someone who knew a deputy Waterways Conservation Officer who would quietly let him know when Fishing Creek in Benton was to be stocked.

Word trickled down and on that day a buddy and I would be too sick to go to school, but well enough to be standing along Fishing Creek when the stocking truck pulled up.

I’m not condoning skipping school to go fishing, but in the big picture there’s far worse things a kid could do.

Today, things have changed. The in-season stockings are no longer a secret and sources aren’t necessary. And with some stockings taking place on Saturdays, kids no longer need to skip school.

There’s a reason why the PFBC changed its practice and now tells us the exact day a particular lake or stream will be stocked. They want us to catch trout.

They want everyone to have an equal opportunity.

It makes sense, considering anglers buy the fishing licenses that pay to raise the trout. Why stock the trout that anglers pay for and keep it a secret?

Well, back then there was a concern that by announcing stocking dates, places would quickly become “fished out” the day they were stocked, leaving little opportunity for those who couldn’t get off work or out of school to fish. It was a legitimate concern as catch-and-release wasn’t practiced as much as it is today, and the daily creel limit was seven, higher than today’s limit of five.

Now, even with the stocking dates announced, most places have plenty of trout left after they are stocked and the opportunities persist for everyone.

The PFBC wants us to catch trout because they know if we do we’ll likely stick with the sport and new anglers will become interested. In the end, that means more licenses and trout stamps will be sold to pay for the trout that we love to catch.

And that’s no secret.