Finsylvania is a podcast dedicated to covering the state of fisheries management, conservation, and related topics. There are action alerts in many episodes to drive stakeholder engagement with elected officials, members of the media, and fish managers. The goal is to educate the public on important fisheries management issues and get them engaged to make change that benefits wild native fish! Tune in, take action, and lets improve fisheries management!
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In this two part podcast we dive in to everything Brown Trout. In part on we discuss the various brown trout species, their relatives, and thier distribution across Eurasia with James Suleski of the Finsylvania Podcast. In part two we dive into the history of the brown trout as well as their genetic lineages across time and their native range with geneticist Steve Weiss.
Check out our Book: Journey For The World's Trout, where we find, catch, and document many of these species discussed in this podcast around the world.
Adirondack Pond Brook Trout Conservation: Scott Daskiewich
lundi 24 août 2026 • Durée 01:13:24
Ever wanted to explore remote wilderness native brook trout ponds in the Adirondaks? Well this is the podcast for you! In this episode I interview Scott Daskiewich the chair of the New York Chapter of Native Fish Coalition on native brook trout conservation and threats in the Adirondak region. We talk about the harms from non-native northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, yellow perch, golden shiner, Atlantic Salmon, Brown trout, and rainbow trout. We also talk about climate projections for adirondak ponds as well as the phenomenon known as “browning” that threatens many brook trout ponds. scott details some of his own adventures and how dragging a boat or tube miles into a remote stillwater bative brook trout fishery off grid is different than what we have in Pennsylvania. We talk about New York DEC’s new native brook trout pond management plan. All in all this epsiode will take you on a journey to one of the most special and pristine environments on the east coast where a unique native brook trout fishing experience exists. We also talk about opportunities for more native lake trout management in the Adirondaks.
CALL THE WASHINGTON SWITCHBOARD AND GIVE YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS A PEICE OF YOUR MIND ABOUT THE ROADLESS RULE REPEAL!!!(directs you to your local politician by area code)
(202) 224-3121
Why we should end King Salmon Stocking in Lake Ontario & Salmon River with Dr. Kathryn Peiman
lundi 10 août 2026 • Durée 01:15:23
Lake Ontario & Salmon River: Why Ending King Salmon Stocking could benefit everyone with Dr. Kathryn Peiman
In this episode of the Finsylvania Podcast Road Trip Series we sit down with fisheries scientist Dr. Kathryn Peiman to discuss why stocking non-native King Salmon in Lake Ontario and its tributaries is likely just wasting miney at this point wince the fishery is dominated by natural reproduction. We talk about the harms to the ecosystem that the artificial and unnatural human balancing act between non-native salmon and non-native alweives cause. One of the original motivations of introducing non-native king salmon being controlling alweives. We discuss the bizarre practice of manipulating salmon stocking to protect the alweives population that currently takes place. We discuss alweives causing lake wide thiamine deficiency in native salmonids like Atlantic salmon and lake trout. We discuss the cold hard truth that managing for alweives and pacifics is “incompatible” with successful Landlocked Atlantic Salmon Restoration. We talk about how fisheries managers around Lake Ontario are engaged in double speak by simultaneously claiming to make efforts to restore native fish populations while knowingly continuing to prop up invasive fish populations that make such native fish recovery efforts near impossible. We talk about how anglers make up an extreme minority of Lake Ontario stakeholders and users yet stocking programs not based in science that pander to this minority are forced on every stakeholder group. Maybe most surprisingly, hatchery salmon hurting the overall king salmon fishery by delaying thiamine deficiency adaptation and eating wild king salmon fry. We discuss the most likely scenario if salmon stocking stopped tomorrow, no change in the amount of king salmon. Yes thats right you read that correctly, we are spending millions and millions of dollars in environmentally destructive aquaculture to do what nature could likely do for free. Why are we wasting this money? The answer is simply because anglers that have not been adequately informed on the science share a false belief their non-native salmon fishing experience or Bussiness would go away without stocking. We discuss why these fears are unfounded in reality yet so very pervasive. We call for more honest science communication to ALL great lakes stakeholders, recreationalists, anglers and the public that pays taxes going into the great lakes. Openly espousing managers are seriously invested in native fish recovery while stocking the one of the largest barriers to recovery is dishonest and must stop. Its time for a watershed gut check moment in Lake Ontario, Pulaski, Oswego, and on the Canadian side about the quality of our current expensive hatchery based fisheries management model. From New York to Canada we can do better. Finsylvania listeners will see many parallels between hatchery based fisheries management issues at Pennsylvania Fish and Boat as well as many other states where trout stocking exists purely for tradition and not fiscal or environmental pragmatism. We also talk about how all this money wasted on stocking non-native salmonids could be going to access easements instead that have conservation plantings and best management practices on them instead. This would further enhance natural reproduction, watershed protection, and fishing access. Making hatchery cuts to fund stream access/conservation easements is a better way forward for the sport of fishing, conservation, water quality, and great lakes restoration.
Introducing PA Wild Trout Coalition: A unifying voice for stocking reform!
mardi 28 juillet 2026 • Durée 01:05:35
LEAVE A MESSAGE IN COMMENT SECTION IF YOU WANT TO SEND AN E-MAIL FOR THE STOCKING REFORM CAMPAIGN!
In today’s elisode we introduce The Pennsylvania Wild Trout Coalition, an organization dedicated to getting the white hatchery truck off wild trout streams. The organization’s founder James(Jim) Neely comes on the podcast to discuss the laser focus of the organization on stocking reform, small/ nimble leadership group, and lack of traditional entanglements that often slow down large traditional conservation non-profits. We are not a 501c3, we don’t stock trout, we don’t teach kids to stock trout in school, and we don’t have banquets or raffles. We are purely driven by the angling publics overwhelming desire for both excellent wild non-native brown trout fisheries and wild native brook trout management areas. We feel public angling opportunity/recreation would be better served by focusing on the big issue of loss of stream access rather than stocking over wild trout and wasting enormous sums of money. We talk about how the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has gotten so far off mission and over its budget. We talk about the proposed merger with the game commission to bailout hatcheries burning cash yet again. We also discuss the failures of Josh Shapiro, Greg Rothman, and Anita Kulik-Astorino to reign in the fish commissiony wreckless behavior. Jim Neely also discusses his Native Brook Trout initiative in the Allegheny National Forest. We discuss the importance of the Finsylvania E-mail Stocking Reform Campaign and the importance of becoming an official Bussiness or organizational partner with PA Wild Trout Coalition. So “Let Nature raise the fish” and please go check out the PAWTC website that has tools to contact your senator, a mission statement, details on our leadership team, a petition, and so much more! We don’t want your money we want your voice!
Finsylvania Stocking Reform E-mail Campaign Action Center(if you would rather copy and paste the e-mails into one address and send message me or leave a comment and I can send them to you!) Click below and demand stocking over wild trout be addressed by the media and politicians!
The Stocking Reform Campaign: Phil and I kick it off!
lundi 13 juillet 2026 • Durée 37:11
Hey everyone,
Thanks for participating in the Finsylvania Stocking Reform Campaign!
Here is the link to the action center built by Philip Light from UnicornBrookies.com where you can send e-mails to hundreds of politicians and the journalists who cover them.
Please try to personalize your message if you can, and only use the AI email text generator as a starting point to add to or change to your desired wording.(suggested talking points at bottom of e-mail)
AFTER YOU SEND YOUR E-MAIL CALL POLITICIANS & JOURNALISTS TOO!!!
Here are phone numbers to call and advocate for stocking reform!
Politicians
Call Josh Shapiro
717-787-2500
Call Greg Rothman’s office(Chair of senate game and fish committee)
7177871377
PA Fish & Boat: Off Mission and Over Budget- Getting it back on the rails with Eric Hussar
lundi 22 juin 2026 • Durée 01:12:54
this special episode, I interview Fish Commissioner Eric Hussar of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission about the agency’s ballooning hatchery costs and its failure to make cuts recommended by the Penn State Smeal College of Business a decade ago—cuts that could have avoided these issues entirely. We discuss the agency’s transition from the 'Operation Future' era, to the stocking-cut pragmatism under John Arway, to its more recent abandonment of its stated 'resource first' mission in favor of doubling down on commercial-scale, invasive fish farming that is spending it into oblivion.
Eric gets candid about the lack of leadership regarding the agency’s true mandated mission in the PA Code, and how much of the board has lost its way. We discuss the shameful—but completely legal in PA—stocking of Australian Barramundi in the Delaware River this year, which was uncovered via notice of stocking in PFBC Right-to-Know requests. We also talk about the urgent need for a stocking authorization before shared watersheds in New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, and New York get permanently harmed by Pennsylvania's 'Wild West' approach to private stocking.
Furthermore, we cover the long history of overspending on hatcheries and the many off-ramps we could have taken, using Freeman Run and other examples. We discuss Governor Josh Shapiro’s recent, unfortunate decision to bring back Commissioner William Brock, who has a history of conflicts of interest, failing the agency's mission, and arguing for sweetheart stocking exemptions that threaten high-conservation-value aquatic ecosystems. I also bring up DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn’s long history of looking the other way on stocking inside DCNR Wild and Natural Areas, which are legally supposed to 'protect native biodiversity.' She, Josh Shapiro, Greg Rothman, and Anita Kulik Astorino, among many others, have ignored hundreds of letters for years from people calling to protect taxpayer infrastructure grants and our state fish from seemingly limitless hatchery spending.
Check out Unicornbrookies.com for the most evidence based and thought provoking written word out there on our state fish!!!
(Video On YouTube)Coverage of Current Big Spring Stream Project Construction
mardi 9 juin 2026 • Durée 10:20
I dropped by the Big Spring in Cumberland County Pennsylvania to film the newly constructed engineered habitat structures for you guys. I walk you through alot of them and talk about some of the research, case studies, and anecdotal examples of the effects of engineered instream structures on native brook trout populations in streams highly invaded by non-native trout. We found some friendly PA fish and boat commission staff who explained the surveys before the habitat project and the funding/permiting for this work. One thing I was thankful for atleast was they were aware of some of this research and tried to limit depth to 2 feet since more depth seems to correlate with worse outcomes for brook trout in some case studies and anecdotal examples. A survey is planned in the future, we will be covering that as well.
#brooktrout
#flyfishing
#bigspring
Coaster Brook Trout Genetics, Life History, and Management with Minnesota DNR’s Nick Peterson
lundi 8 juin 2026 • Durée 01:14:14
In this episode I talk to Minnesota DNR scientist Nicholas Peterson who specializes in managing Lake Superior Native Coaster Brook Trout. You will learn alot about the amazing life history of coaster brook trout, their resilience, genetics, and many many fisheries management lessons/initiatives we can apply here in Pennsylvania. We may not have Lake Superior in Pennsylvania but we have deep lakes connected to brook trout streams that have similar adfluvial life histories. We can learn a lot from Minnesota DNR’s focus on brook trout conservation genetics, thermal refuge mapping, stocking reform, university/non-profit brook trout research partnerships, and just generally their commitment to so much more than just stocking hatchery trout. We will also talk briefly about how brook trout often are found living in places they “shouldn’t be” such as streams in the upper 70’s and other places we don’t think they can survive yet have thermal micro habitat. We also talk about Nick’s experience holding 25 inch coaster brook trout at night electro surveying in the livht of the Aurora Borealis(northern lights). There is plenty of discussion about historical human impacts that harmed Minnesota coaster brook trout as well as the 2018 recovery of coasters that was helped along by forward thinking coaster brook trout harvest regs enacted in 2006. Minnesota’s north shore is a magical place with magical fish!
Check out my Fly Fishing After Dark column in Dark Skies Fly Fishing Magazine!!!
Dr. Joseph Love of Maryland DNR: Invasive Snakehead Truth
samedi 23 mai 2026 • Durée 53:16
In this episode I sit down with fisheries manager and snakehead invasion researcher Dr. Joseph Love of the Maryland DNR. We cover history of the invasion, snakehead biology, documented harms, snakehead misinformation peddled in angling circles, fishing bias towards ignoring harms, and the general lack of understanding out there about how biological invasions work. We talk about the ofd behavior
of humans illegally introducing them to new environments and the selfis underlying sociology behind it. We talk about snakehead pushing into new environments in PA/ MD as new food items such as trout are found in their stomachs as they invade further upstream. Finally we close with the important point that just because we cannot erradicate invasive snakehead(currently) it doesn’t mean we cannot mitigate them with harvesting every snakehead we catch. We talk about the conservation heros bowfishing snakehead out of the upper Chesapeake. Also we talk about exciting genetic technologies on the horizon that offer hope for eradicating invasive snakeheads in the future. We also talk about invasion in the Delaware River system in Pennsylvania such as the Schuylkill River and the New Jersey tributaries of the Delaware.
Check out UnicornBrookies.com for the most data driven and thought provoking conservation articles on brook trout out there.
The Ghosts of Cape May: Recovering Weakfish with Dr. Jessica Gorzo of NJDEP
mercredi 13 mai 2026 • Durée 01:17:40
In This episode I interview Dr. Jessica Gorzo, NJDEP weakfish population stock assessment scientist. We talk about the historic cultural significance of these regal sportfish and how they shaped New Jersey shore towns. I talk about my own treasured experiences with weakfish chasing them as a child in capemay in the 1990s and then watching their populations crash and fall off a cliff. Its this crash which is the majority of our discussion as we explore the reasons behind what some scientists call the greatest mystery in Atlantic marine biology. We talk about possible factors for the reasons these fish gonout to open ocean and seem to just disappear. Stripers, bottle nosed dolphin, spinny dogfish, and bluefish have all been suspected but unproven. We will talk about bycatchint in trawler netting, changes to forage base, and havitat changes in costal estuaries as we try to get to the bottom of why these fish have declined from their former glory. We also talk about the micro increase in their populations, talk about anecdotal fishint reports and ask are there reasons for optimism in the future or not?
Reach out to me on Instagram and Facebook with your thoughts!
Dr. Peiman’s other podcast about environmental harm and waste related to salmon stocking in Lake Ontario. Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.comShould we keep stocking Chinook Salmon in Lake Ontario? A converstaion with Dr. ...
Covering Waters: Salmon River, Lake Ontario, Pulaski NY, Altmar NY, Oswego County
🎙️ Hosted by: Finsylvania Podcast
Salmon River, Pulaski NY fishing, Lake Ontario king salmon, Chinook salmon stocking, Altmar NY, Salmon River hatchery, New York DEC fishing, Great Lakes fly fishing, Finsylvania podcast, steelhead vs king salmon, Oswego County fishing
FIND THESE POLITICIANS AND JOURNALISTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND ADVOCATE THERE TOO!!!
These are the big points to include in any messages to politicians or the media:
1. Financial waste and reckless spending: This includes $100 million in taxpayer infrastructure grant dollars used to bail out hatcheries. A 2027 PSU Business School analysis stated that hatchery cuts were unavoidable; instead of making these cuts, we are draining the taxpayers.
2. Ecological damage: The current system causes ecological damage to native brook trout and hellbenders, while decreasing the quality of wild trout fishing.
3. The stream access crisis: This is the direct opportunity cost of hatcheries stealing stream access easement money for decades.
4. Waste, fraud, and abuse: Executive Director Tim Schaeffer and his crony commissioners must be REMOVED, and brave whistleblowers like Eric Hussar must be protected from retaliation. Abuses include self-dealing to private businesses using commission resources, sweetheart stocking exemptions for wealthy, for-profit trout clubs, and shadow governance by Tim Schaeffer, who stripped all public meeting recordings from YouTube.
5. The danger of a Fish/Game commission merger: It would be a massive mistake to view a Fish & Boat / Game Commission merger as anything more than yet another hatchery bailout(license fee increases, $100 million tax payer grant dollars, senate bill 800, and now this). The money to bail out hatcheries would come from the Game Commission's oil and gas revenues—funds that are supposed to buy public land in the form of State Game Lands for hunting and fishing. We need to fix the PFBC, not find it a Game Commission "sugar daddy" to continue its reckless spending and reduce public land purchasing ability as a result.
6. We need a stocking authorization immediately: The PFBC had to watch helplessly while numerous invasive species—including Australian Barramundi and algae eaters—were stocked in PA waters because the commission chose not to have the power to approve or deny private stockings.
