Brown Trout over 30 inches anyone?

[Red Childress]

We were discussing those 'Alpha' browns last nite (during the TU chapter meeting) that manage to exceed the magical number of 30 inches. I feel confident I have seen a few of these special fish over the years and possibly saw one throw my client's hooks last Fall but have no REAL proof to back them up.

With that being said, do any of you have FACTUAL information or have experienced seeing/catching a brown in that 30 inch class??

I am just extremely curious how many have actually been seen/caught from Rivers or large streams here in PA. 30-inches is a whole lotta trout.

[Katmai Kid]

I've been after one since I was old enough to walk. 24" is my personal best out of the Congo. I've seen one 28" that a good friend got in the same spot. 28 is also my biggest trout, but that was in Alaska! You're so right Coach, 30" is a whole lotta trout!

[allegheny river kid]

In one of Joe Humphreys books that he wrote he had pics of a fair number of PA brown trout over the 30 in mark that were caught in the State College region of the state. If memory serves me correct the names of the streams he caught them out of were also posted below the pics. Most if not all were caught at night with large flys. Even on the lake Ont. tribs i've only seen a handful of browns over the 30in mark myself.

[JIM T]

I used to live in Milesburg &then Bellefonte ,1964 to1969. We could fish at the hatchery" fishermans paradise" and yes those big breeders were in that section,and yes we did catch and release 30 &30+inch trout. There ,at that time, usedto be hugh browns at a spillway by the powerplant,used minnows or 5" streamers. At the time I used a custom made 7 1/2 foot fiberglass fly rod with a shakespeare automatic reel. WOW,that was some hot stuff---WAY BACK WHEN !!! DAMN,GUESS I AM GETTING OLDER, NOT OLD YET,JUST OLDER!

[ppalko]

My biggest trout caught in PA is a brown in the 28+ category (on a size 12 wetfly no less!) from the river a bunch of years ago. The largest trout I ever saw was in Sugar Bay in one of the mouths of the tribs during high water. This rainbow had to be well over 30. It swam under our boat and vanished.

[muskie24/7]

My Biggest Brownie was 28.5" with black spots as big as quarters! I caught a 28" Rainbow an hour later!

Brian

[McDunnoftheAllegheny]

never caught a brownie that size but i'm still aggravated about what our fellow fisherman who's cars are pulled by horses are doing to the river.

[Red Childress]

Hey JT,

I used to fish many of those same streams during my college days. The state record brown had recently been stocked just below the Tylersville Hatchery (on Fishing Creek, Lamar area) just before Joe Humphrey caught it while night fishing many years ago. Fishing Creek has an artificial only section that is about 7 miles long and is just loaded with trout. I mean loaded. Many are wild trout as well.

The state record Brook Trout came from the same stream at 7lb. or so. I am not sure if either fish are still holding the top spots, however.

[JIM T]

Red, the chevy dealer in Warriors MARK owned a farm with a pretty good stretch of Spruce creek going thru it.I was lucky enough to be invited to fish this a number of times. A number of presidents,celebs,sports figures etc. fished there.Trout like torpedos,black midges were a favorite then.But--as I said, this was a while back. Right now i'm just a newbe trying to learn the river after not seeing the Allegheny for 35 years or so. Have been grateful for your help and am going to try to get your help again in June and about 8th of August. My brother will be in on aug. 7, says he likes fishing with me but that we need some professional help. So much for respect from the younger brother. I'll call you to set these up.

[Trauts]

I caught a brown off of Trout Run in Erie that was dang close to 30"...It weighed in at almost 16lbs.

I didn't measure it for length though...so I am guesstimating a bit.

[Mark G.]

I remember this brown trout that was caught at the Walnut Creek access area on July 4, 2000...32 1/4 inches in length, 22 inch girth and weighed 19lb 10oz.

[Red Childress]

Back in the mid-90's when I was absolutely pounding the Erie tribs, I used to see tons of salmon and rarely a brown trout. Then in the early-2000's, I went back there a few times and was surprised at how many large and small brown trout were present. I assume there were some real monster browns pulling into the tribs during their spawning runs but I never saw a 10 lb. class fish....mostly 3-7 pounders but (obviously) there had to be a few giants like the one Mark posted.

[Trauts]

Back in the mid-90's when I was absolutely pounding the Erie tribs, I used to see tons of salmon and rarely a brown trout. Then in the early-2000's, I went back there a few times and was surprised at how many large and small brown trout were present. I assume there were some real monster browns pulling into the tribs during their spawning runs but I never saw a 10 lb. class fish....mostly 3-7 pounders but there had to be a few giants like the one Mark posted.

I think that one is the current state record if I am not mistaken.

[allegheny river kid]

Back in the mid-90's when I was absolutely pounding the Erie tribs, I used to see tons of salmon and rarely a brown trout. Then in the early-2000's, I went back there a few times and was surprised at how many large and small brown trout were present. I assume there were some real monster browns pulling into the tribs during their spawning runs but I never saw a 10 lb. class fish....mostly 3-7 pounders but (obviously) there had to be a few giants like the one Mark posted.

PA along with a local erie club started stocking brown trout smolt from Lake Ontario in the lake erie tribs last year and our working on building a nice brown trout fishery so everyone doesnt have to drive to New York to catch nice browns. Time will tell how its gonna work out. Should start to see decent numbers of fish returning in a year or two. They hope to be able to have enough fish return to their nursery streams to get their own eggs for future stocks.

[Mark G.]

Yes, I did hear that the brownie stockings started last year and were to increase this year. During the last couple fall runs I have also heard of more browns showing up in the bay and trying to get up into Mill Creek which empties into the bay east of the dock. I am looking forward to chasing those immediately after ice out at the mouths of the lake tribs and along the lakeshore like they do in Ontario and some of the other great lakes that hold big brown populations. A couple of my high school buddies use to catch some nice browns fishing at night back in the mid-80's along the trib mouths using shrimp for bait. If those browns were around back then there must be some super bruisers out there!

Not to get off the subject but in the 2009 PA biggest fish log the top 3 walleye were supposedly taken from Elk Creek and Lake Erie in Oct, Nov, and Sept on powerbait, powerbait, and a stonefly...I am assuming by guys fishing for steelhead? Now that is very interesting...or a typo!

[ppalko]

I saw that info about the walleyes and wondered...Elk Creek has a big "mud hole" near the mouth that could hold walleyes but in early fall, it would be warm, clear, and low. I'd like to hear verification about that one. It seemed as if there were other questionable fish on that list with numbers that just do not add up. Years ago we caught some smaller browns in Elk (20 inch class). The Ontario are neat to catch. I would think the addition of browns to the mix will offer some big fish in the lake. With zillions of steelhead already running, really don't need more fish in the streams IMHO.

In eastern PA, I think Lake Wallenpaupack (spelling???) and Harvey's Lake traditionally offer some big browns. Quemahoning Res. in SW PA also has a trout population that I once heard offered some bruisers.

[Trauts]

In eastern PA, I think Lake Wallenpaupack (spelling???) and Harvey's Lake traditionally offer some big browns. Quemahoning Res. in SW PA also has a trout population that I once heard offered some bruisers.

I know walleye fisherman down on the Yough Lake get really pissed when they catch brown trout. I have seen some pictures of them and they are HUGE, but the walleye fisherman call them trash fish.

I guess whatever floats your boat.

The addition of the brown trout to the run into the tribs will really open up the fishing. The browns will hold in different water and so will allow the fisherman to spread out a bit. Or if your favorite steelhead spot is packed with people you can move a bit and have a ball will browns. I think its a win-win for everyone.

[allegheny river kid]

I think overall it will be a win win situation for most. I worry about finding a spot to fish on a weekend right now, when the browns come i feel it will only be worse, but you take the good with the bad. Also, if the browns are successful they will cut back to roughly 500,000 steelhead smolt instead of a 1,000,000 and go to 500,000 brown smolts stocked yearly. Thats if all goes well which i hope does happen.