Trout Time

See this AP News story:

This trout season will bring two significant changes for anglers in Pennsylvania: The state will stock fish that are larger than those previously stocked, and opening day will be earlier in 18 counties, including those in the Philadelphia region.

The changes grew out of a “trout summit” held in 2002 by the state Fish and Boat Commission as part of its review of its management program for trout, Pennsylvania’s most popular game fish.
“Anglers have consistently told us they like big fish,” commission spokesman Dan Tredinnick said yesterday. The fish will be larger but fewer – by about 20 percent.  Annual production is capped at 1.9 million pounds because of hatchery capacity and environmental discharge permit limits, Tredinnick said. The stocked fish will average about 10 ounces and 11 inches – up from about 7 ounces and 10 inches. The state will stock about 3.4 million brook, brown and rainbow trout in 745 streams and 128 lakes.
Some anglers want both more and larger fish, Tredinnick said, adding that’s not possible.
“We think when it’s really going to get positive is when people start catching some of these fish,” he said.  Melody Zullinger, executive director of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, said members were largely pleased with the change. “Most of the anglers out there today are promoting catch-and-release, so they enjoy catching the bigger ones,” she said. For the first time, trout season will start March 31 in these counties: Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Northampton, Perry, Schuylkill and York. For the rest of the state, opening day is April 14.
Warmer weather comes earlier to the areas with the earlier opening date. The end of general trout season will remain Sept. 3 throughout the state.

Time to get the gear out, start preparing for wetting those lines, patch the waders, tie some extra flies, and pack the cigars in waterproof containers.  It’s Trout Time!