Protect...keep safe, keep from harm, preserve, safe guard....no matter the meaning it;s useless if we don't do what's necessary to maintain and protect this wonderful environment. I have seen what bad practices have done to some pretty brook trout streams. Streams that have gone from a robust population of wild brook trout to complete extirpation. These happen from both man and nature.
In years of drought the brookie will do it's part to survive. Most time he finds a way but other times he has no choice. Poor logging practices, bad planning in the construction of new homes and other retail developments just compile strain on an already limited water supply.
Woody debris...so valuable to the brook trouts survival.
What looks to be a rain puddle is actually a ground water spring. It is full now but will dwindle in volume as the year progresses. A bad decision in logging can all but cause the destruction of this valuable brook trout water source.
So as much as we love our native brook trout we must love his finely tuned environment. With out this there are no brook trout.
I for one do not want to see him go...
Posted by Brk Trt at 7:01 AM 
Hi Alan
ReplyDeleteAs anglers, we all have a duty to protect those blue lines our quarry calls home.......
HRFFC on the little river Leven, works closely with the wild trout trust and the Tees rivers trust to provide the best environment possible for sustainable angling for years to come. This includes (amongst others things) river bank and bed restoration, sympathetic vegetation removal, reintroduction of water weeds such as ranunculus, fly life monitoring, leaving wood piles in place where they won't damage or undermine banks and beds and separating livestock from the river to reduce bank errosion.
If we want these fish to play ball with us, we must look after their environment. If we do this correctly, then we will be rewarded with beautiful fish like that little fella for decades to come - and what better gift to pass onto the next generation than that?
Take care and stay safe
Alistair
Alistair
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Alistair it sounds as if HRFFC has a well organized plan to keep the wild trout on those rivers in great condition. It's so important to keep all of the habitat around the river in the best possible condition.
Education....
Amen. Spectacular pictures and a message that is so important; and you've said it so well. Up here, bad logging practices and even worse ag practices are destroying what's left of one of the last bastions of truly wild brook trout habitat. Fight like hell -it's what we have to continue to do.
ReplyDeletemike
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Mike you guys up there have the strongest wild brook trout populations anywhere. I know it's a fight and it has been going on for years. But it must continue and even the small voice can ring loud.
We have a city not too far from here called Folsom. Folsom Prison, yeh that one. They are building these humongous houses South of the city, but still within the city limits. They are building by the 100's and I can't fathom where they're going to get all the water from. We're supposed to be in a 1200 year drought, Folsom Lake is at the lowest it's been in a while, and they keep building.
ReplyDeleteMark Kautz
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Mark that's just insane. We have developments where homes are built with 10 rooms including 3 baths...and where the hell is the water coming from.
It's amazing that brook trout have held on as well as they have in Connecticut in spite of all the challenges that they have faced over the past 400 years. Now they face the challenge that in order to survive people have to know that they exist and care about preserving them. Yet too much attention is also dangerous.
ReplyDeleteOn a brighter note, I visited Roly Poly today and came home with a big bag full of delicacies.
Shawn
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Shawn our brookies have mostly done the survival thing on their own, no help from man. And as far as naming them I strongly disagree with that. The best tool is "quiet"
I'm glad you paid a visit to Roly Poly...I hope you picked up a few horn rolls? I love the poppy seed ones.
In my view Alan, the Brookie is the canary in the coal mine. What becomes of the Brookie will ultimately become of all us. Look at what happened to the Atlantic salmon here in Connecticut. There were only two salmonids native to CT (salmo salar and salvalinus fontinalis). Over the past 30 or so years there was an attempt to restore the leaper, at a cost of many millions, which of course failed miserably. It all comes down to greed, basically. Some things are nearly impossible to undo. In the meantime, year round open seasons, in CT is definetly a step in the wrong direction, if protecting the resource is your goal.
ReplyDeleteJohn Dornk
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John the salmon restoration project was not well thought out, in my opinion. To many dams for one. Year round seasons is something that should be discussed but as of now in CT there is not enough study done on this.
Alan
ReplyDeleteThe ground springs are the lifeblood of small streams that have trout. A strong Game and Fish Department helps with the management of streams and rivers in each state----but they are not as aggressive when it involves keeping streams, lakes, and rivers clean of trash. That task falls on the average angler and, some are not doing a good job in that department. Thank goodness for trout unlimited and the tremendous work they do in educating anglers about the importance of clean waters and catch and release. Thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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Bill ground water is so important to the well being of trout during hot dry summers. Good civic minded folks like us take on the responsibility of keeping our lands and waters clean of this trash....
Alan, nicely said, I agree wholeheartedly.
ReplyDeleteDave H
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Dave glad your onboard...
Amen Alan. Amen!
ReplyDeleteHibernation
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Will well said.
It is a great truth, Alan, no matter how we do it, we simply have to do something in some way or another to preserve and conserve these precious wild spaces where these wonderful species of small trout live that we love so much to entertain ourselves, let's take care of this environment.. .
ReplyDeleteArmando Milosevic
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Armando these small wild creatures give me so much pleasure. I do my best to tell others of the joys these fish and the places they call home. In some small way I hope I can educate others.