Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2020 - 57

Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout will mature at a rate of
"let's convert a portion of our pond into a trout nursery.
1-inch per month. About the middle of May, the trout will
The amount of trout we raised would complement the
enter the second stage in development.
amount of trout currently being stocked by the Lehigh
During the month of May, juvenile trout will grow
River Stocking Association." Tom and Maureen knew little
to 2-inches and be relocated to select locations in the
about raising trout, but they had a dream and were now in
Lehigh River. Here, trout are placed in secure protective
the trout nursery business.
containers and anchored in locations offering steady, free
Tom knew he had a great source of water and adequate
running water that safely protects the fingerling trout from
space to house the nursery. Their pond was built many
natural predators.
years ago and served as the location for an annual
As trout continue to mature, the fish will leave the
Childrens Fishing Derby founded 30 years ago. The derby
protection of the boxes and enter the main waters of the
welcomes parents and children. The children fished,
Lehigh River to mature into the trout population.
parents supervised and introduced their children to
The Gyory Pond Cooperative Nursery has a superb
fishing. The pond was stocked, and each family kept a fish
water supply from a 2-foot wide, shallow running stream.
for dinner.
The pond is of modest size, 10-feet deep, 60-feet wide and The stream maintains a constant, yearly flow at an even
temperature. The water flows from numerous fresh water
100-feet long. The average water temperature is 68 degrees
F, maintained by the use of aerators located within the pond. springs on Gyory property. The water enters the nursery
by a secure, heavy, screen pipe, maintaining a steady, even
Tom and Maureen agreed they could manage the nursery
flow. Water temperature within the nursery will rarely
without a disruption in their fulltime, professional jobs.
exceed 72 degrees F, even during hot summer days.
Tom and Maureen eagerly went to work to make
Gyory Pond Cooperative Nursery became successful in
the nursery a reality. Tom knew some private hatchery
operators within driving distance. He quickly visited those quick order. The resulting success has been so profound
that Tom and Maureen have left hints of expansion. At its
hatchery owners/operators and found them to be helpful,
inception in 2016, Rainbow Trout were the sole product. In
giving him ideas on how to construct the proper housing
pens for the trout. Tom was fortunate to find housing pens 2019, Brown Trout were added to the production schedule.
for sale in good condition, and immediately made the
In the process of preparing this Pennsylvania success
purchase. He also found a suitable trout delivery tank and
story, I became aware of the presence of other cooperative
added it to the inventory.
nurseries in Pennsylvania that have similar success stories.
For more information on establishing a PFBC-approved
The next and most important step, contact the
cooperative nursery, contact Brian McHail at 814-353-2225
PFBC to discuss the guidelines to become an approved
or bmchail@pa.gov.
cooperative nursery.
The final step was an onsite visit of the nursery
The Gyory Pond Cooperative Nursery is a story with a
location, which included rigid testing of water flow, water
happy adventure from beginning to present. The original
temperature, clarity, and source of water. The feeder stream intent was to enrich the trout population of the Lehigh
was examined and water samples taken. After a monthRiver, and it has already reached that goal. All trout from
long waiting period for the results of the inspection,
the nursery will continue as a donation of stocked trout to
Tom received the good news that his application was
enrich a public stream for the enjoyment of all. They have
accepted and approved. The process started to make this
done a fantastic job in a short time.
new venture operational and thriving.
This new cooperative nursery was not
restricted to stocking only the Lehigh
River. The juvenile Rainbow Trout and
Brown Trout can be released into any
Pennsylvania trout stream that is open
to the general fishing public.
Fertilized eggs were purchased from
another private nursery located near the
Lehigh River. This initial order was for
10,000 Rainbow Trout eggs received in
April 2016. The availability of fertilized
trout eggs are governed by supply,
weather condition, and temperature.
After the eggs are received, the
eggs are put into the hatching pens for
hatching and development. Trout will
hatch within a week and development
The cooperative nursery is located below the Gyory residence. The delivery vehicle
as fingerlings begins. The juvenile
and tank are poised for delivery to the Lehigh River.
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - March/April 2020

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