Finsylvannia

cmxrhbt65h
  • 4.0 (4)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Finsylvania is a podcast dedicated to discussing and changing how we manage fish in Pennsylvania. There are action alerts in each episode to drive stakeholder engagement with elected officials, members of the media, and fish managers. Tune in, take action, and lets improve fisheries management in Pennsylvania! fishing license PA PA fishing regulations trout stocking schedule PA fishing license issuing agent near me fishing permits PA fishing tackle loaner sites Fishing Locations: fishing near me fishing spots in [county/city] (e.g., fishing spots in Erie) best fishing waters PA fly fishing streams Pennsylvania ice fishing PA Susquehanna River fishing, Lake Arthur fishing, Oil Creek fishing, Presque Isle Bay fishing trout fishing PA bass fishing Pennsylvania steelhead fishing Lake Erie walleye fishing PA small stream fishing Pennsylvania fly fishing PA best flies for small creeks Real-time Information: Pennsylvania fishing reports stream reports PA water levels #pafishing #stockingreform #conservation #pennsylvaniaflyfishing #stopstockingoverwildfish #blueliner #nativefish #pafishandboat #fisheriesmanagement #brooktrout #hellbenders #nativebrooktrout #flyfishing #fishing

Episodes

  1. FEB 10

    Breaking News Update

    In this episode I discuss some breaking news coming out of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat commission, the latest class A stocking exemptions (including Penns Creek), as well as an update about Finsylvania’s stocking reform e-mail campaign to politicians and journalists. People have been coming out of the woodwork asking if they can help get stocking reformed by sending their own personalized e-mail to politicians and journalists. I have compiled an enormous list of all the publicly searchable politicians and journalists I could find. If you mesage me on social media(james suleski) or e-mail me at salvelinus19@gmail.com I would be happy to share that list of addresses with you so you can join the fight for stocking reform by making your own personalized message to PFBC’s elected oversight demanding better oversight and serious reforms at the agency. Check out Darkskies Fly Fishing Magazine!! https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqOL3WLXsnvL8fmCEujH0SLvecRW9hHdfet3fdBKmsLZGi10K0E Contact me about sending an e-mail to fight for stocking reform! Salvelinus19@gmail.com #nativebrooktrout #stopstocking #blueliner

    16 min

  2. JAN 25

    Bill Dell on Brook Trout

    In this episode Bill Dell from the troutbitten project and I discuss wild native brook trout and their management here in Pennsylvania. We cover topics like setting expectations for anglers who want to fish for them, their often underestimated resiliency, and how we could be managing them better here in PA. We discuss how states like Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and others are managing native brook trout much more effectively that the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. We talk about the free to cost saving management actions that would likely allow the PA wilds to have larger and healthier populations similar to those southern state’s managers have created with evidence based management. We talk about how fly fishermen often leave PA to fish for native brook teout because of how bad the management is here. A central theme discussed is a big lack of angler education from PA Fish and Boat. Other states have much more angler education videos and material while PA fish and boat seems to just try tominflate the value of hatchery trout to fishermen with their social media. We discuss brook trout conservation genetics and how stocking ontop of brook trout and in large downstream waterways harms their genetics. We discuss how the combination of stocking and bad stream habitat restoration attendant that simulate raceways in the wild have harmed native brook trout. We discuss the contrast how the habitat blueliners find brook trout in naturally sharply contrasts with the trench or chute like monoculture habitat created by these single channel stream restoration projects with no islands or sode channels. Finally in the action alert listeners and viewers are encouraged to reach out if they are interested in writing an opinion editorial(op-ed) for a local media source to publish to help raise public awareness and pressure politicians responsible for PA fish and boat’s continued waste and failures to do better. #nativebrooktrout #blueliner #pawilds #pafishing #flyfishing #conservation #brooktrout #wildtrout Action Alert: Contact me at this e-mail if you would be interested in writing a short opinion editorial on the need for stocking reform and submiting to a local state media source. Salvelinus19@gmail.com Show notes and resources mentioned: If you love wild native brook trout check out the link to the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture below. https://easternbrooktrout.org/ Dark Skies Fly Fishing Magazine @darkskiesflyfishing If you love fly fishing and want to read about overlooked fishing opportunities available to you in the northeast and mid Atlantic this is the publication for you. It features articles on fly fishing tactics, destinations, species, conservation, and fly tying. This is no amateur publication. Ralph Scherder who created this project is a full time very skilled fly fishing writer and guide. He puts his heart and soul into Darkskies and it shows. Subscribe now, its only $12 a year for 5 issues. https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/magazine/?srsltid=AfmBOor8-SLp8gTSPgK3EIs9FTA3XkB6qXzuCKcwTA9G576eFK7ZGU2R Unicorn Brookies by Philip Light This blog covers native brook trout in PA like you have never seen before. Phil’s articles take a deep dive into different brook trout populations in PA and surrounding states as he examines their management in a setailed science based manner that teaches readers things they can’t get any where else about these amazing fish. Fascinating Blog on brook trout. https://www.unicornbrookies.com/ Trout (Stocked, Wild, Rainbow, Brook, Brown) Smallmouth Bass Largemouth Bass Walleye Muskellunge / Musky Yellow Perch Crappie (Black/White) Channel Catfish Flathead Catfish Northern Pike Chain Pickerel Bluegill / Pumpkinseed Carp Shad (American/Hickory) Steelhead (Lake Erie) Lake Erie Fishing Susquehanna River fishing Lake Nockamixon (Bucks County) Raystown Lake Lake Wallenpaupack Allegheny River / Reservoir Delaware River Yellow Breeches Creek (Fly fishing) Big Spring Creek Pymatuning Reservoir Lake Arthur (Moraine State Park) Pine Creek (Trout) Lehigh River Octoraro Lake Marsh Creek Lake PA Fishing License (Online/Purchase) PA Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) PA Trout Stocking Schedule Trout Permit Pennsylvania PA Fishing Regulations Summary Class A Wild Trout Streams PA Keystone Select Trout Streams PA Free Fishing Days Sunday Fishing Regulations PA Special Regulation Trout Streams 4. Gear, Tackle & Techniques Trout Unlimited Fly Fishing PA Best Trout Lures PA Senko Worm (Green Pumpkin) Waders / Simms Waders Fishing Charter Near Me Fishbrain App Garmin Livescope / Sonar Baitcasting Reel KastKing Fishing Tackle Trout Rod Fly Tying Materials Bass Fishing Boat 5. Seasonal & Specific Searches Ice Fishing PA Spring Trout Season Fall Bass Fishing PA Fishing Report Fishing Map PA Boating Handbook PA Magnet Fishing PA Ten Species Challenge Boat Rental PA Best Fishing Near Me

    1h 15m

  3. JAN 11

    Stream Restoration: Cure or Disease

    In this episode I sit down with Professor of Fluvial Geomorphology Doug Thompson to discuss the overwhelming failure of engineered instream structures to help streams over the past century. In fact, engineered instream structures have harmed and scared many streams in that timeframe by destroying channel complexity, preventing tree growth in the riparian zone, decreasing ground water/spring recharge, and creating a habitat thats hostile to native fish. Further we discuss examples like stream projects at fishermen’s Paradise and how they were considered a “success” by Pennsylvania Fish and Boat because of their popularity with anglers who lined up by the thousands to catch stocked trout in the easy to fish “holes” created by the rock and log engineered structures. However, ecologically these projects were a failure because they stopped the stream from moving naturally in the flood plain as well as stopped the stream from engaging the flood plain. We also discuss how this unregulated wild wild west of building faulty instream structures like J-hooks, deflectors, mudsills, lunker bunkers, and backwards rootwads continues today despite a century of failures and lots of evidence they do more harm than good. Doug talks about how Pennsylvania fish and boat commission’s habitat manual still displays extremely harmful and misinformed structures like Jack Dams. We discuss Dorothy Merritts and her discovery that legacy sediment is covering many of our stream valleys hiding what true pre colonial reference conditions for our streams would have been. We discuss legacy sediment removal as an exciting new technique with promise that creates a flood plain and lets the stream channel establish itselft where it wants to as well as move around on the flood plain. We discuss my conversation with Dorothy Merritts about how streams were likely not single channel morphology and were more likely channel networks with islands, side channels, and anastomosing channels. I talk about the growing fisheries science consensus that single channel stream restorations are bad for native brook trout and facilitate invasion of their havitat by non-native brook trout. Doug talks about the benefits of overly wide streams that form islands and in crease the fraction of the stream covered by tree canopy on the islands and in the riparian zone. We talk about the thermal benefits of legacy sediment removal and flood plain connection causing more downwelling and ground water recharge that makes streams colder. Finally doug gives advice to anglers and conservationists looking to get into stream work on how to “do no harm” and avoid working with rock, big boulders, and not over engineering large woody debris. We talk about Doug’s book The Quest For The Golden Trout and how it captures the synergistic consequences of hatchery trout and engineered stream projects as far as harming aquatic ecosystems and native species. Any serious angler or conservationist will enjoy this eye opening discussion about how we need to fix stream “restoration.” For $12 a year subscribe to Darkskies Fly Fishing Magazine. Ralph Scherder puts his heart and sould into this magazine and the stories and articles are top not h. There is a regional focus on Pa and surrounding states in the northeast and midatlantic. Buy Douglas Thompson’s Book The Quest for The Golden Trout https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChsSEwis5dHQ8oOSAxUwQf8BHXvrPFgYACICCAEQABoCbWQ&co=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrOXR0PKDkgMVMEH_AR176zxYEAAYASAAEgL_dfD_BwE&sph&cid=CAAS0gHkaKhTg55oda2mMs3p_3BHBOl3VYEo19cNZeX3iYIp-IdFczIG5H3rBmvhZOk_KSsK_e1cjP2tGtHay1H2NwnqShbvHaD8fegJzjX5Wp8xPRdWSfQh1eiF5zzBZCwGqM3ebYUCNUVsqKINimzTSIl0ClcBbp0eMKHJE9E7zdl7bXWex55Pn-YVp-lW8hOl4aV6SIM_QeCIloj-IUQOCYg5WPicH5P1JAdCJBSvKvgPqa47lpt0oEdorPwZz4x7S9O8lCR646o5xJAsDCkk83TQGIg&cce=1&sig=AOD64_16CuJ7NSvuo1-KVRTEWEG2LagKaA&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwjNicvQ8oOSAxUtrokEHURsLrQQ0Qx6BAgUEAE https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/magazine/?srsltid=AfmBOoryFuCcNSjJkQS0ckoYzoFSQZZOOv67MdrOA1T9ol9DchvIQizP fishing gear tackle box fishing rod fish finder fishing line fishing hook fishing bait fishing lure fishing reel huk fishing fishing license fishing regulations trout fishing PA bass fishing PA smallmouth bass PA largemouth bass PA rainbow trout PA brook trout PA walleye fishing PA crappie fishing PA perch fishing PA musky fishing PA catfish fishing PA steelhead fishing PA Lake Erie fishing report Susquehanna River fishing Pine Creek fishing Pymatuning Reservoir fishing Lake Wallenpaupack fishing Penns Creek fly fishing Spring Creek fishing PA stocked trout streams Seasonal & Regulatory Queries PA trout season opener PA fishing season dates PA fishing license cost PA Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC)

    1h 23m

  4. 12/28/2025

    Breaking News: 13 Class A stocking exemptions!

    Tim Schaeffer just signaled he is going to grant 13 class A stream stocking exemptions(5 new and 8 renewals) including Penn’s Creek! This was disclosed at the december 23rd hatcheries and fisheries committee meeting 2 days prior to Christmas and WAS NOT listed in the meetings agenda. Further it has been brought to my attention that one pay for play trout club owns property on many of these streams and we are currently trying to find out if they or their property are connected to the sections recieving exemptions. Also an angler survey reveals a solid majority of trout anglers DO NOT want hatchery trout stocked over significant wild populations. This same survey shows access is a big concern for anglers as well. Join us and learn more about whats going on in fisheries management in PA. Action Alert! Tell Governor Shapiro & the house/senate game and fish committees an executive director that ignores the angling public, lies in senate hearings, spends the agency into oblivion on stocked fish, and puts all his energy into pandering to special interests won’t be tolerated. TELL THEM ALL TIM SCHAEFFER HAS TO GO!!! Shapiro E-mail: deeberly@pa.gov Senator Greg Rothman, head of G&F committee: bslate@pasen.gov Rep Anita Kulik Astorino, head of house G&F committee: RepKulik@pahouse.net Consider buying a subscription to Dark Skies Fly Fishing Magazine! Its a great project that covers the where, how, what, as well as conservation issues for the mid-atalntic region and pairs very nicely with a subscription to other national fly fishing magazines for just $12 a year! https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/magazine/?srsltid=AfmBOoryFuCcNSjJkQS0ckoYzoFSQZZOOv67MdrOA1T9ol9DchvIQizP Pennsylvania fishing PA fishing license Fishing regulations PA PFBC (PA Fish & Boat Commission) Fishing near me PA Best fishing PA PA fishing spots When does fishing season open PA Species-Specific 9. Bass fishing PA (Largemouth, Smallmouth) 10. Trout fishing PA (Brook, Rainbow, Brown) 11. Walleye fishing PA 12. Catfish fishing PA 13. Perch fishing PA 14. Crappie fishing PA 15. Pike fishing PA 16. Musky fishing PA Locations & Waters 17. Raystown Lake fishing 18. Neshannock Creek fishing 19. Delaware River fishing PA 20. Susquehanna River fishing 21. Lake Erie fishing PA 22. Allegheny River fishing 23. Fly fishing PA 24. PA stocked trout waters Techniques & Gear 25. Bait fishing PA 26. Fly fishing gear PA 27. Lures for bass PA (Crankbaits, Swimbaits) 28. How to fish for Walleye PA 29. Best bait for trout PA 30. Fishing knots 31. Fishing rods for PA bass Guides & Charters 32. PA fishing guides 33. Fishing charters PA 34. Guide to bass fishing PA Seasonal & Events 35. Ice fishing PA 36. Spring fishing PA 37. Fall fishing PA

    16 min

  5. 12/16/2025

    Episode 3:Losing Stream Access to Posting

    This week on Finsylvania Mike Evanko creator of Wooly Bugged and author at Dark Skies Fly Fishing discuss loss of stream access to posting of private land. Many noteable anglers around the state are sounding the alarm on this loss of access that is not getting significantly replaced by Pennsylvania Fish and Boat. We discuss why “angler opportunity” always seems to mean stocked fish and not access in PA. We discuss the future of our sport and how much of a threat losing access is. We also discuss those who might benefit fork this loss of access and seek to monitize it. Please take part in this week’s Action Alerts by doing the following….   1. E-mail Senator Greg Rothman, Anita Kulik Astorino, and governor Josh Shapiro at these E-mail addresses. Tell them a lot of license dollars and certainly tax payer infastructure grant dollars need to be shifted from stocking to creating more stream access! They need to protect our sport and the PA outdoor economy!   Shapiro E-mail: deeberly@pa.gov   Rothman E-mail: bslate@pasen.gov   Kulik Astorino E-mail: crippole@pahouse.net   DONATE TO BIG SPRING’s LEGAL DEFENSE FUND!!   https://protectbigspring.org/donation-use/   Subscribe to Dark Skies Fly Fishing Magazine for $12 a year!!   https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/magazine/?srsltid=AfmBOoocwf7H7yp67aWvj-6zg_FK4OJQqTy9oTcN2zEYzpNRjRq6oqNs   #streamaccess #publicland #postedsigns #lossofstreamaccess #fishpa   * fishing near me * PA fishing license * PA fishing regulations * PA trout stocking schedule * best fishing spots in Pennsylvania * fishing in Pennsylvania * trout fishing PA * bass fishing PA * fly fishing PA * ice fishing PA * fishing Lake Erie PA * fishing Raystown Lake * fishing Susquehanna River * fishing Lake Wallenpaupack * fishing Lake Arthur * PA fishing permits * PA fishing season dates * Walleye fishing Pennsylvania * Steelhead fishing PA * catfish fishing PA * Musky fishing Pennsylvania * Bluegill fishing PA * Crappie fishing PA * Yellow Perch fishing PA * Snakehead fishing PA * where to buy PA fishing license * PA Fish and Boat Commission * fishing tackle shops near me * fishing guides Pennsylvania * best trout streams PA * public fishing waters PA * fishing maps Pennsylvania * PA state record fish * fishing gear * fishing rod * waders for fishing * best fishing lures for PA waters * fishing charters Pennsylvania * shore fishing PA * family fishing spots PA * beginner fishing PA * youth fishing programs PA * night fishing PA * kayak fishing Pennsylvania * warmwater fishing PA * coldwater fishing PA * Allegheny River fishing * Delaware River fishing PA * Monongahela River fishing * Oil Creek fishing

    1h 22m

  6. 11/30/2025

    Private Stocking

    Show description and links below this weeks action alerts!! Action alert 1: e-mail Governor Josh Shapiro’s office and tell them we need adoption of an emergency stocking authorization in Pennsylvania to mitigate the vast ecological damage from unregulated private stocking. Please also mention we need commissioners taking the 3 vacant spots that will actually use it to say “no” to irresponsible private stocking once an authorization is adopted. E-mail for Shapiro’s office: deeberly@pa.gov Action Alert number 2: please contact Penn Live and tell them the desperate need for stocking reform is important news thats not getting reported on. Tell them we don’t want to see fluff pieces on stocking that ecologically give Fish and Boat a pass and leave iut the harmful effects of these hatchery fish. E-mail Penn Live: newstips@pennlive.com Welcome to episode 2 of the Finsylvania podcast! Today we have author and guest Philip Light from unicornbrookies.com. Unicorn brookies is a conservation blog about the management of native brook trout in Pennsylvania that features high quality photography, mapping, and abundant citations of fisheries science. Its truly a one of a kind publication that helps readers understand native brook trout and their management far beyond what you will find in traditional writings about these fish. After a brief discussion of unicornbrookies.com and Phil’s path in conservation we hit the main topic, the wild wild west of private stocking in Pennsylvania. We discuss everything from what kind of entities are doing the private stocking, their motivations, the kinds of places they are doing it. Further, we discuss what the ecological and social impacts of private stocking. Finally we talk about how in our opinion private stocking illustrates a huge culture issue in the fly fishing and angling community with how pollution is viewed or not viewed. The episode ends with some action alerts including 2 conrete ones that I will list above. Hopefully everyone interested in trout fishing in Pennsylvania or stocked vs. wild and native trout enjoys the podcast. This podcast is relevant in many areas in the PAwilds where some of our most sensitive native species live. Blueliners will identify with some of the painful stories of hiking into remote wild places only to find stocked trout. Phil’s Blog https://www.unicornbrookies.com Darkskies Fly Fishing Magazine https://darkskiesflyfishing.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoptU1wFt2-yup60TQILuxR9Z2w8OG4mwiVv0xomXws6ocyXvJpb #blueliner #brooktrout #fisheriesmanagement #pawilds

    1h 3m
  7. Episode 1: Intro to Finsylvania

    11/18/2025

    Episode 1: Intro to Finsylvania

    Finsylvania is a podcast dedicated to discussing and changing how we manage fish in Pennsylvania. In this episode we discuss the elephant in the room, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s failure to manage our states aquatic resources coherently. I lay out a high level overview of the problems with the current myoptic focus on stocking invasive hatchery trout. These issues include wide spread ecological harm to native aquatic species and gross waste of tax payer and fishing license funds on stocking. Finally we talk about the vision for this podcast, an interactive means for discussing fisheries management in Pennsylvania and taking action to make it better!   #pafishing #stockingreform #conservation #pennsylvaniaflyfishing #stopstockingoverwildfish #blueliner #nativefish #pafishandboat #fisheriesmanagement #brooktrout #hellbenders #nativebrooktrout #flyfishing #fishing Trout fishing PA" "Largemouth bass fishing Pennsylvania" "Smallmouth bass Susquehanna River" "Walleye Lake Erie" "Steelhead fishing PA tributaries" "Northern Pike Allegheny River" "Panfish species in PA" "Muskellunge fishing spots" "Catfish fishing in PA"        "Susquehanna River fishing report" "Lake Erie fishing conditions" "Yellow Breeches Creek trout stocking" "Penns Creek fly fishing" "Allegheny River fishing access" "Lake Arthur fishing" "Fishing spots near Mechanicsburg PA" "PA state parks fishing" "Schuylkill River fishing"        "PA fishing license purchase online" "Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission" "PA fishing regulations summary booklet" "Trout season opening day PA" "PA trout stocking schedule" "Lake Erie fishing permits" "Daily creel limits PA" "Illegal baitfish in PA" "[Fish species] minimum size PA"        "Best bait for PA trout" "Fly fishing techniques for smallmouth bass" "Ice fishing tips PA" "Nymphing tactics Pennsylvania" "Jigging lures for walleye" "Kayak fishing PA regulations" "Fishing tackle loaner program PA" "Fishing knots" "How to tie a [specific knot]"        "PA fishing reports" "Fishing weather forecast [location]" "PA flyfish forum" "Fish for Free days Pennsylvania"

    18 min
  • 7 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

4
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Finsylvania is a podcast dedicated to discussing and changing how we manage fish in Pennsylvania. There are action alerts in each episode to drive stakeholder engagement with elected officials, members of the media, and fish managers. Tune in, take action, and lets improve fisheries management in Pennsylvania! fishing license PA PA fishing regulations trout stocking schedule PA fishing license issuing agent near me fishing permits PA fishing tackle loaner sites Fishing Locations: fishing near me fishing spots in [county/city] (e.g., fishing spots in Erie) best fishing waters PA fly fishing streams Pennsylvania ice fishing PA Susquehanna River fishing, Lake Arthur fishing, Oil Creek fishing, Presque Isle Bay fishing trout fishing PA bass fishing Pennsylvania steelhead fishing Lake Erie walleye fishing PA small stream fishing Pennsylvania fly fishing PA best flies for small creeks Real-time Information: Pennsylvania fishing reports stream reports PA water levels #pafishing #stockingreform #conservation #pennsylvaniaflyfishing #stopstockingoverwildfish #blueliner #nativefish #pafishandboat #fisheriesmanagement #brooktrout #hellbenders #nativebrooktrout #flyfishing #fishing

Information

  • Creator
    cmxrhbt65h
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Finsylvannia

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