The Roanoke Times: The Wild Life

Comments

# 1

[January 8, 2008 11:35 AM]

Aaron Myers

Speaking of Pandapas pond, I was up there this morning and it still had A LOT of ice on it. There wasnt a lot of room to fish. I managed 2 trout one was too small the other 14 inches. It was thawing nice when I left at 10 o'clock.. Just figured I'd give a little winter fishing report...

# 2

[January 8, 2008 12:54 PM]

Jay

Mark, For those of us who don't fish, can you tell us (me, I guess) why streams need to be stocked with additional fish? Thanks!

Curiously, Jay

# 3

[January 8, 2008 1:33 PM]

Matt Wimmer

Mark, you should have come up to Pandapas! I'm just getting off work now and about to head out there and see if they're hitting. They stocked Craig's Creek last week and I went out there on Saturday and caught 6 within about 45 minutes.

# 4

[January 8, 2008 1:42 PM]

Mark Taylor

Thanks for the report from Pandapas, Aaron. I am surprised there's still that much ice on the pond but I guess that was a pretty good cold snap we had.

Have you ever ice-fished there? It's pretty fun. I like fishing in the smaller upper pond for pickerel and usually manage to catch a couple on every trip. I've fished for trout on the main pond but it can be pretty slow. Plus, I know if I fall through on the upper pond I won't go under because it's so shallow!

Sorry I'll miss you today, Matt. Maybe next time.

As for your question, Jay, it's a good one and my answer could be long and complicated.

But the short of it is that stocking is considered a way to increase recreational fishing opportunities.

As trout go, relatively few Virginia waters support robust populations of wild trout, and none have the kind of fish necessary to support heavy fishing pressure and harvest.

Many stocked waters, including Tinker Creek, don't even support a wild trout population. By stocking the stream about a half-dozen times a year, the state creates a fishery, albeit a temporary one. That prompts fishermen to buy trout licenses, the revenue from which helps support the hatchery program.

Some trout purists scoff at so-called put-and-take programs. Personally, I think they have their place in the overall scheme of things and I think the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries does a pretty good job with its program.

Put-and-take fisheries provide a lot of a people with a lot of enjoyment. They also probably help protect wild trout fisheries by attracting the attention of those fishermen who want to take a bunch of fish home to eat.

There are issues, of course. I don't like the idea of stocking hatchery trout over wild populations, particularly over native brook trout. And the heavy fishing pressure can have quite a negative impact on the riparian habitat.

Ideally we'd have such great trout waters that wild populations could support heavy fishing pressure and harvest. That's not going to happen. So, as long as the put-and-take program isn't a major money loser for the DGIF, I think its positives outweigh the negatives.

Trout aren't the only species stocked for recreation. Smith Mountain Lake's hugely popular striped bass fishery exists only because the state stocks the lake each spring with about 400,000 fingerling stripers. Other species popular for stocking include walleyes and muskellunge.

Thanks for reading.

mt

# 5

[January 8, 2008 11:26 PM]

Aaron Myers

When I pulled up to Pandapas Tuesday morning I didnt know what to think with all the ice... Several guys were there and it made for a little tight fishing.. But It started to melt fast and I'd say by the warm up from the afternoon it probably melt a ton more.. I have never ice fished at all, it would be something worth trying... Usually when Im done deer and bear hunting for the year its apparently getting warm, even though it is january!! Well good luck fishing, I believe I am going to hit tinker before work wednesday morning.. thanks for all the time you take with your stories and updates! Aaron