NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
Oct. 21, 2008
Vol. 38, No. 482
For more information, contact Roy Miller or Craig Shirey, Fisheries, Division of Fish and Wildlife, 302-739-9914, or Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.
Fisheries Announces Freshly Stocked Trout in White Clay Creek
The Fisheries Section of the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife announced today that fall stocking of trout in White Clay Creek was completed last week.
The Fisheries staff, along with the help of numerous volunteers, stocked 1,000 pounds of rainbow trout throughout White Clay Creek from near the border with Pennsylvania downstream to Newark at all of the normal stocking locations. The volunteers used float boxes to carry hundreds of fish upstream and down from the truck access points along White Clay.
“The fish looked great! Most were over 12 or 13 inches, and they were all healthy, just a beautiful bunch of fish!” enthused Fisheries staff member Mark Zimmerman, who heads up the trout stocking efforts.
Fisheries Program Manager Craig Shirey noted that fall stocking is handled with less hoopla than the spring stocking to give anglers a different flavor in a mellower season.
“We try to avoid the crowds and hype that often overshadow the spring opener on the first Saturday in April,” Shirey said. “Fall anglers like to go to one of their favorite spots, find fish and have the stream mostly to themselves. It’s a beautiful time of year to enjoy some peace and quiet and catch some nice fish. And, since trout are a coldwater species, fish stocked in the fall should provide action throughout the winter.”
Delaware’s trout stocking is conducted under the Federal Aid in Sportfish Restoration program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Trout anglers support the program directly through the purchase of the required trout stamp along with the normal resident or non-resident fishing license. Proceeds from trout stamps go directly towards the purchase of the rainbow and brown trout that are contracted from out-of-state producers, typically in Pennsylvania.
