The Lehigh River upstream from the Route 903 bridge in Jim Thorpe is not stocked by the state fish commission, leaving it up to local fishing enthusiasts to fill the void.

Enter the Five Mile High Stocking Club, who through word of mouth and a love of fishing have built a 120-person strong membership in just six years.On a rainy Sunday morning along the rail bed at Glen Onoko, around 30 of those members released 800 trout, ranging from 14 to 22 inches, into the Lehigh River.“All of our money raised through dues and other fundraisers goes toward purchasing the trout for stocking,” said Bruce “Whitey” Mandzak of Beaver Meadows. “We do it because we love it and it benefits everyone.”The group left the Glen Onoko parking lot around 9 a.m. and traveled up the trail to the confluence at Bear Creek stopping around 8 times on the way downstream to unload the trout, which came courtesy of Sand Springs Hatchery.For more, read a print edition of the Times News or check out tnonline.com this week.