Where streams are cold and clean enough, Pennsylvania has a wealth of reproducing populations of wild trout. Wild trout or "natives" spawn either in spring or fall, according to the species, over gravelly shoals, usually in small streams. The female digs a shallow dish nest in the gravel by lying on her side against the bottom and swimming forward energetically. Her body and fins flush out the stones. One or several males join her in the actual spawning. Afterward, the adults abandon the nest, called a redd. The eggs fall into the spaces between the gravel. They may be covered slightly with more gravel by the female before she leaves. Eggs hatch in four to 10 weeks, depending on water temperature. If you're lucky (and they don't see your shadow), you might catch a glimpse of the natives while you're recovering this traditional cache!
