Colorado Brookies

The brooktrout is such a jewel of a little fish. The bright orange
fins and color, especially in the fall, has to be seen. It is one of
the more spectacular of all of the trouts. In it's natural
distribution it is prized as the native species for those watersheds
and our good friends in Maine to North Carolina share a love affair
with this gem.

In Colorado, the brook trout is thriving as well and, while it seldom
gets very large (there are exceptions) it is abundant and one of the
fish you're likely to encounter here. In Colorado the brook trout is
no longer stocked but it reproduces extremely well and finds its way
up and down watersheds in Colorado. It is prolific in beaver ponds.
The brook trout is a prolific spawner.

The brook trout in Colorado is, generally, stunted and anglers are
encouraged to take an additional bounty (10) of the small brookies, as
part of its management strategy.

A study of the Brook trout in the Mt. Zirkel wilderness shows a swing
towards establishment of the Cutthroat trout there. Cutthroat are the
only native trout in Colorado.

http://www.mountainjaymedia.com/page...ess_area.h tm

The flesh of the Colorado stream born and reared brook trout simply
can not be surpassed. It is delicious and all the more so by its
scarcity in the smaller fish harvested. I once heard this contrasted
to small alpine berries, all the sweeter for where they were found and
appropriately sized in the harsh environment.

The brook trout is often caught in the smallest of streams and rises
eagerly to the dry. In the fall it is extremely aggressive and will
hit a small wet or beadhead with abandon. That said, they can be
particularly sensitive and spooky. One false move in a beaver pond and
they may stop rising for hours.

In man's quest to provide good fishing and eating in Colorado the
brook trout was stocked heavily along with the rainbow and brown
trouts. As we make our way back to a more natural state we might find
ourselves with extreme bountry of these species as we selectively
harvest them we will find ourselves the benefactors of these mis-
stockings.

On Sat, 8 Mar 2008 08:23:23 -0800 (PST), Halfordian Golfer
wrote:

In man's quest to provide good fishing and eating in Colorado the
brook trout was stocked heavily along with the rainbow and brown
trouts. As we make our way back to a more natural state we might find
ourselves with extreme bountry of these species as we selectively
harvest them we will find ourselves the benefactors of these mis-
stockings.

Correctamundo! There should never have been brook trout stocked in
Colorado. I would be super ****ed if rainbows or browns were
introduced to native-brook-trout-only waters in Maine. There are lots
of put and take places to fish in New England. I have no problem with
someone following the hatchery truck. I have no problem with the
state stocking *certain* waters, but leave the native fish alone. If
a river has nothing but greenback cutts in it, it should remain that
way. The same with brook trout water. Introducing alien fish to
fisherey is a sure way to eventually ruin it. When will man learn to
not interfer with things that are wild?

Dave

Halfordian Golfer wrote:

The brook trout in Colorado is, generally, stunted and anglers are
encouraged to take an additional bounty (10) of the small brookies, as
part of its management strategy.

In man's quest to provide good fishing and eating in Colorado the
brook trout was stocked heavily along with the rainbow and brown
trouts. As we make our way back to a more natural state we might find
ourselves with extreme bountry of these species as we selectively
harvest them we will find ourselves the benefactors of these mis-
stockings.



I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here but I think this is a
good example of how your "selective harvest" ISN'T effective. I
personally know of no stream where this additional "bounty" has helped
to either reduce the number or increase the size of these stunted
Brookies or to increase the proportion of native trout.

Willi

On Mar 8, 11:42 am, Willi wrote:
Halfordian Golfer wrote:
The brook trout in Colorado is, generally, stunted and anglers are
encouraged to take an additional bounty (10) of the small brookies, as
part of its management strategy.
In man's quest to provide good fishing and eating in Colorado the
brook trout was stocked heavily along with the rainbow and brown
trouts. As we make our way back to a more natural state we might find
ourselves with extreme bountry of these species as we selectively
harvest them we will find ourselves the benefactors of these mis-
stockings.

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here but I think this is a
good example of how your "selective harvest" ISN'T effective. I
personally know of no stream where this additional "bounty" has helped
to either reduce the number or increase the size of these stunted
Brookies or to increase the proportion of native trout.

Willi

Willi,

I agree with you. This very thing was the subject of one of John
Gierach's book regarding the greenback restoration project. This was
the "Kill a Brookie for Bruce" campaign. Bruce Roenlund, being the
director of the recover effort. In the parking lot they'd query
anglers coming in...how many brookies did you catch? "A lot...". Can
we see them? Groan. The point being we've become so dogmatic that we
have an auto-reaction to catch and release, even when it is
exceedingly detrimental to do so. This is part of the reason I want to
discuss this and to be specific about it. It's not that the additional
bounty isn't affective, it's that people won't bonk 'em. The choice is
rotenone. Or, I suppose, mandatory kill where it would be illegal to
release a legal fish.

Your pal,

Halfordian Golfer

Willi -

Did you see the Mt. Zirkel link in the original? I thought that pretty
interesting and pretty damned impressive. Maybe we should plan an
outing for brookies and incidental greenbacks?

http://www.mountainjaymedia.com/page...ess_area.h tm

Tim

Halfordian Golfer wrote:
Willi -

Did you see the Mt. Zirkel link in the original? I thought that pretty
interesting and pretty damned impressive. Maybe we should plan an
outing for brookies and incidental greenbacks?

http://www.mountainjaymedia.com/page...ess_area.h tm

Tim


You up for a backpack trip?

Willi

On Mar 9, 6:56 am, Willi wrote:
Halfordian Golfer wrote:
Willi -

Did you see the Mt. Zirkel link in the original? I thought that pretty
interesting and pretty damned impressive. Maybe we should plan an
outing for brookies and incidental greenbacks?

http://www.mountainjaymedia.com/page...ness/fishing_i...

Tim

You up for a backpack trip?

Willi

DEFINITELY! Great to schedule one now too.

July?

Tim

Halfordian Golfer wrote:

Tim
You up for a backpack trip?

Willi

DEFINITELY! Great to schedule one now too.

July?

Tim

July is probably good. Even with the heavy snowpack we have, things
should be clear by then. I'm semiretired and can be pretty flexible.

Email me to make plans.

Willi

On Mar 10, 7:32 am, Willi wrote:
Halfordian Golfer wrote:
Tim
You up for a backpack trip?

Willi

DEFINITELY! Great to schedule one now too.

July?

Tim

July is probably good. Even with the heavy snowpack we have, things
should be clear by then. I'm semiretired and can be pretty flexible.

Email me to make plans.

Willi

Stake in the sand: 7/18-7/21 ? Need to start poring over the maps and
yes, let's finalize with email.

Tim