casion, created successful fisheries where none existed before. One of the DNR’s special-regulation trout waters, Buffalo Creek of the New River, didn’t harbor even a single trout until a handful of anglers began catching fish from other streams and transferring them there. The DNR only imposed regulations on the stream after the fishery was well established.
“Still, stockings like that aren’t a good idea,” Hansbarger said. “Truth be told, if biologists had known then what we know now, some of the fish we now consider highly desirable might never have been stocked here.
“For example, smallmouth bass, which were originally found only in the Ohio watershed, might never have become established in the Potomac and its tributaries. Brown trout, which are native to Europe, might never have been stocked anywhere in the state. Same goes for rainbow trout, which are native to rivers west of the [U.S.] continental divide.”
Businesses, fishing clubs and other entities are allowed to purchase hatchery-raised bass or trout and stock them in state waters, but only if the fish came from inside the state or if they are obtained from hatcheries certified to be disease-free.
Even then, there’s no guarantee. Hansbarger said agency officials from several states recently placed a moratorium on importing muskellunge, smallmouth bass and several other fish species from the Great Lakes area after VHS, or viral hemorrhagic septicemia, was traced back to Great Lakes sources.
“It’s best to err on the side of caution,” Hansbarger added. “Once diseases get established in fisheries, it’s almost impossible to get rid of them. The same goes for non-native fish species. The best way to make sure they don’t get established is to inform and educate fishermen so they don’t create a problem, knowingly or unknowingly.”