Do wild brook trout enhancement regulations improve brook trout angling?

Wild Brook Trout Enhancement (WBTE) regulations were established on a few Pennsylvania trout streams in 2004 and 2005.  Stakeholders who provided input to devising WBTE regulations identified increased catch rate (CPUE) and increased length of brook trout caught as desirable measures of enhancement.  We tested whether establishment of WBTE regulations on three streams resulted in increased CPUE and total length of wild brook trout captured by angling.  Two experienced anglers fished two sites each on three WBTE streams one to three times annually from 2004 through 2009 using light spinning gear.  Each angler recorded total length of each fish captured (nearest quarter inch, 6.4 mm) and total time fished (nearest 15 minutes) during each outing.  Nested ANOVA was used to test for effects of stream, site (within stream), angler, and year on CPUE and total length of captured brook trout.  Mean total length and CPUE of harvestable-length brook trout varied by year, stream, and site, and decreased throughout the study period.  Trends in brown trout CPUE varied by site.  Mean stream discharge decreased through time, which may explain decreased brook trout CPUE.  Angling will continue through the end of the evaluation period for WBTE regulations in 2011.