Fish Stocking Day

What could cause such an outburst of people with cameras and smiles in front of the Manor in Slate Run. If you guessed trout you guessed right. The annual Spring stocking of Pine Creek sponsored by the PIne Creek Stocking Club. They raised a $1000 to put these nice brown trout in which varied from 14 -17 inches in length. Thirty nice big brown trout were dropped off in front of the Manor in Pine Creek today. A few people thought it might be easier to grab them out of the bucket than try to find them again out in miles of creek, but where would the fun be in that.

Several more groups of thirty were placed on downstream for a total of aproximately 150 fish. This is only a small amount of the trout stocked yearly in Cedar Run, but this group is special to the Sportsman of Slate Run since they paid to have them raised and released.

According to Tom Finkbinder, Slate Run General store owner and fishing expert, certain areas described in the fishing rules and regulations book are designated: Delayed Harvest Artifical Lure areas and people have been fishing them since the first of the year. Tom tells me these brown trout will head up Slate run creek in the Fall and spawn. Well, at least the ones that don't get caught.
This weekend however, was the first time I saw many fisherman out, since the roads had been sort of rough up until the end of last weekend.

There was some awful nice looking fish in those nets and they probably were a bit confused going from a small space to so much room. They have very little time to figure things out and learn how to hide from predators like the eagles, otters and other birds that enjoy fresh naive fish.

All I can say is I am glad I didn't have to wade out in that cold water to get a picture. The woman in midstream getting a picture
was well equipped with waist high waders.

Fishing is not an expertise of mine so I must depend on relaying to you the information that the experts tell me. Any of you out there who know more are welcome to help me out if I make errors. I do know that hatches don't have anything to do with chickens. And I am betting I will learn a little just by writing this during the summer.

Mountain Girl News reporter, Paula signing out.