Brown Trout Club provides a world-class fishery
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Corrspondent John Pastorek from the Brown Trout Club addresses the Susquehanna Valley chapter of Trout Unlimited at the Covenant Central Presbyterian Church Wednesday.
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Corrspondent Members of the Susquehanna Valley chapter of Trout Unlimited met for their regular meeting at the Covenant Central Presbyterian Church Wednesday.
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Corrspondent John Pastorek from the Brown Trout Club addresses the Susquehanna Valley chapter of Trout Unlimited at the Covenant Central Presbyterian Church Wednesday.
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Corrspondent John Pastorek from the Brown Trout Club addresses the Susquehanna Valley chapter of Trout Unlimited at the Covenant Central Presbyterian Church Wednesday.
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Corrspondent Members of the Susquehanna Valley chapter of Trout Unlimited met for their regular meeting at the Covenant Central Presbyterian Church Wednesday.
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Corrspondent John Pastorek from the Brown Trout Club addresses the Susquehanna Valley chapter of Trout Unlimited at the Covenant Central Presbyterian Church Wednesday.
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John Pastorek fell in love with the Pine Creek Valley many years ago, so perhaps it was only fitting that he eventually became involved with the Slate Run Brown Trout Club.
The group's mission is to bring a world-class fishing experience to northcentral Pennsylvania, according to Pastorek, a club director and editor of the Slate Drake newsletter.
At least that was the goal or vision of Tom Finkbiner, who along with his wife, Deb, for many years owned and operated the Slate Run Tackle Shop along Pine Creek.
Each year, the Brown Trout Club stocks a 2.8-mile section of Pine Creek from Slate Run south to Bonnell Run with German Brown Trout, the sort of healthy, large-sized fish area anglers would not otherwise have a chance to catch.
Not surprisingly, the section known at The Stretch has become a popular spot for trout fishing.
Pastorek — a western Pennsylvania resident, hiker and avid angler — recounted those efforts to make Finkbiner's mission a reality.
Like any organization, the club had an uneasy beginning.
Arguments for and against setting aside a special regulations area for fishing were heard.
"They said kids would be excluded," Pastorek recalled.
There was also the fear of more people flocking to the remote Pine Creek Valley for recreation.
Initially, some anglers took exception to the introduction of a Delayed Harvest Area prohibiting the use of live bait for catching trout.
"Some said there were too many regulations already," Pastorek said.
Yet another argument against creating a DLA was that it would mean the introduction of invasive species and that the fish would simply die, as many trout do, in the warm waters of summer.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission already stocked many sections of Pine Creek with hatchery-raised trout.
By mid-June, Pine Creek often becomes too warm for trout, some of which migrate to or at the mouth of colder tributaries such as Slate Run and Cedar Run, which hold good numbers of wild trout.
Neither of those streams are stocked with trout.
Eventually, a compromise was reached to allow The Stretch to be changed from DLA to an all-tackle, no kill section for trout fishing.
Today, the Brown Trout Club is thriving, a non-profit organization raising between $27,000 and $30,000 a year through donations to keep alive Finkbiner's vision.
The club stocks the section in March and April and the fall.
"I think it's been a good experience," Pastorek said.
Many anglers including children come away from fishing The Stretch with wonderful memories and successful fishing days.
"That is the real success story," he said.
After all, a positive experience fishing as a youth can translate to a lifelong angling habit.
Pastorek noted that despite what many anglers feared, many of the trout stocked in The Stretch do survive through the summer months.
Pastorek gives partial credit to the Fish and Boat Commission for getting behind the Brown Trout's efforts to establish the special fishing section.
Straub Brewery, he noted, has helped with financial commitments.
The future of the Brown Trout Club will depend on the support and contributions of people, he noted.
Pastorek said he'd like to see more support of the Brown Trout Club from cabin owners, anglers, and other outdoors enthusiasts who benefit from the Pine Creek Valley's recreational opportunities.