First Game fish of the United States: Legacy & Future of Brook Trout Fishing
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- Over the next three months I’m taking a head first dive into the deep end of the southern Appalachian mountains. Mind you.. nearly everything East of the Muddy Mississippi will be fully foreign to my fresh eyes. The primary reason for making this trip is to fix my relationship with the aforementioned brook trout, and more specifically fostering a new connection with the Southern Appalachian strain that calls these mysterious mountains home.
When its all said and done, I hope to make a positive change in the eyes of as many anglers as possible and raise awareness for these special fish. For those just as unfamiliar with the region as I was, my boots will stay wet from North Georgia all the way up to Southern Virginia and everywhere in between.
My own personal goal for this excursion is to catch one brook trout specimen from each of the states in which it’s native, of course the side mission will be to document everything else I experience along the way. This is set to be a fish focused film that attempts to untangle some of the misconceptions and current issues surrounding Americas first game fish. This was a massive opportunity to learn and hopefully at the end of it all, make a difference in the future of brook trout.
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In the comments section please note for: “Brook Trout Restoration”
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Quick info for ya, love the channel. I have a fisheries and Wildlife degree from WVU and worked for the WVDNR for a seasonal and then the USFS for a year doing work all across the southern apps. Your assessment is correct. Hatchery trout drive fishing licenses in many of these states. The state does get a decent ROI on these stockers given many people don't outfish the value of their license. When I worked with WVDNR, I was on the wild trout crew. We did decent work. But our funding was severely limited. We were subsided by programs like trout stamps, that were shared with the Hatchery guys. Habitat and food availability does play a massive role in these places. Historic land use is also a factor rarely talked about, that you do touch on. Unfortunately, these places will never be the same so it's difficult to harbor the native brookies in numbers and size we'd love to see. The places we stock would have difficulty holding wild trout year round, leading things like DH for increased angling opportunity. Historically, places with wild brookies were also hit with rotanone to then stock fish over. Our past haunts us, and makes the future tough. If you have anything you want to discuss further lmk, I'm happy to dive deeper on anything. Being educated and an avid angler, I love discussing this stuff. Tight lines, love seeing you fish. Hit up WV sometime, it won't disappoint.
Thank you so much for reaching out! I really appreciate the support and for backing me up on some of the information listed. It is a very long road to recovery and money is a real MF in it all. I hope that is what folks can start to see from this and maybe it can induce some change in future sentiment. The long list of hurtles could go on and on and this video could have easily been four hours of just lectures without fish and it still wouldn't be able to fully encapsulate the intertwined issues.
Don't tempt me with a good time! I could talk fish all day long! HMU on IG and I'm sure we could spin a yarn!
I also was sad to see that he didn't make it to WV.. basically the good ol days right now of Brookies!
Incredible video! I'm in college in Kentucky and have spent many breaks driving the few hours south to fish for these beauties in the backcountry of Tennessee. Throwing a dry fly all day and hiking endless water is so amazing. Thanks for yet another awesome video!!
I don't blame you at all! If I was that close, I would be fishing there way too much! Have you fished any of the other states the SABT is native to?
Yet another amazing high quality video you put together Mike. I think you did an amazing job highlighting the importance of protecting these very special char and showing off the beautiful places they live in as well! Thank you so much for putting in the time and effort for this film!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Building up the proper context takes a lot of work, but its worth it.. even in saying that I could have droned on about so many different things..
Absolutely loved this video and now must watch much more. Your narration is fantastic. Amazing job!! Keep up the great work.
You know, so many of us strive to always go out on a mission to catch the biggest fish we can no matter what species that may be.
I've found that fishing is so much more enjoyable if you can just appreciate the species no matter the size. Don't get me wrong, a 20" brook trout is super exciting or a 50" musky is awesome but, no matter the size, relax and enjoy fishing, admire the species.
I say this fully understanding that I do get caught up with " ahhhhh..... just a little goober" mentality to try and flick it back in the water for the next fish hopefully being a bigger and better fish. It's not all about that. Ejoy it all. The surroundings, the strikes, the fights, the colors, the company. Great video!!
Enjoy it all is right! There is a time and place for everything. But these little fish are absolutely gorgeous and so full of personality. Thank you very much for the kind words!
Thanks for the Native Fish Coalition shout-out, we really appreciate it.
Sure thing! Matt spoke very highly of the work y’all are doing for native fish!
Those brookies are frickin gorgeous!!! Great video!! Keep it rolling buddy best videos around
Also I love the water box that you keep the trout in. You can definitely see the beauty of the fish!
Each one was its own work of art! Thank you so much, doing our best!
Great vid! Took me a week to watch but another great one!
Love to hear that!! Compares in many way to small stuff in Utah! But I really appreciate the support as always!
Youre an inspiration. I love fishing and being in the outdoors but your ability to film and capture your experiences is something special. Much love from Nebraska!!
Thank you so much!! I hope something like this might move you to go experience these amazing places too!
Terrific fishing opportunities for future trips and thanks for another great video!
So glad you enjoyed!
Dude, the way you tell the story and the videography combined just makes for a masterpiece. So kick ass! Only thing on UA-cam that can keep me entertained and tuned in for almost 3 hours!!
Really love to hear that! So happy the story resonates
I love this channel and your work, been watching since I got to college, I have fished now almost every weekend for the past 3 years. Bass trout and great vibes all on a couple rods: thank you Mike and boys of Fly All SZN
Love to hear that! Thank you so much for the support!
Your patience to film ,edit and put this together is very much appreciated. I mostly fish shenandoah park streams, and whether I catch a few or not , its such a great time . You put together an awesome film
Thank you! Really hope this helps folks care a bit more about these cool fish.
Thanks for the effort in making this film. The more attention to the southern Appalachian Brookies the better. They are so rare and so special! Hunting them has made my life better. Pray for the streams effected my Helene! I live in the effected area and it’s up in the air the impact it will have on the Brookies. It doesn’t look good for some streams.
It's great to see others share the passion! I was really devastated to hear about all the damage done.. Those kind of events can really damage those fragmented populations.
Great show. It really echoes my experience . Grew up fishing New Mexico and Colorado and all other points west of the Mississippi, made my first trip to the East last spring and now I’m trying to get back.
So glad you liked it! Very similar to some of those isolated pockets of fish in NM. Really gotta work to get after em
As a Western NC trout fisher who focuses on wild brookies, you're so right about the issues with stocked fish. I appreciate you bringing it up. If you're ever back in the area, I can put you on some good streams!
Really appreciate that!! Its something I've never been able to fully understand.
"Do you want to get our picture?"
Thats how im asking for someone to take our photos from now on! 😂😂
Excellent video. A documentary for sure!
I wasn’t opposed!! Just really confused that’s all! Thank you so much!
Beautifully done Mike…thanks!
YES!! Thank you so much!!
Haven't watched a second of it yet, and already love it. The Southern Appalachians are my second home, and the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout is the fish that gets my pulse rate up. The smaller and more remote the blue line, the better.
Thats phenomenal to hear! Hope you do enjoy it when you get around to watching it!
@@FLYALLSZN Oh my goodness, you fished Cosby! While I've fished all over GSMNP, Cosby is the stream I've fished the most - it's my 'home' stream, it's where I caught my first Brook Trout in the park, and it is the source of so many memories, for me and my daughters (who I dragged up there when they were growing up...luckily they all took to fly fishing). It influenced me so much, I bought land in the area, just outside the park boundary - one day, I might build on it. Cosby is an interesting stream - as you observed, it's easy to access, although I've seldom run across other fishermen when there. It is in an area that was never extensively logged, so the brookies didn't need to be restored here; they also seem to happily coexist with rainbows - I've caught some nice bows WAY up in the upper reaches. Cosby has some tributaries that fish very well too. In 2015 (I think), there were a few massive floods in the Cosby basin - enough to wash out the access road in places. For a while, it didn't fish very well afterward, but it seems to be coming back. I was up there a few days before Thanksgiving, and it fished well for me - the specs were still smashing drys, that late in the season.
@@FLYALLSZN Also Lynn Camp - my family has a history there too. My girls and I participated in a "fish out" on Lynn Camp, just before it was closed for the restoration - there was a check-in station at the trailhead, and the deal was you had to keep every rainbow caught, regardless of size; at the end of the day, the fish were all measured by the biologists. Shortly after the first restoration effort was made, some "bucket biologist" reintroduced rainbows above the cascades, and they had to start over. Also, the connectivity issue is important in another way. The first restoration efforts in the park were made with brood stock taken from several different streams; the biologists discovered that these different populations of brookies were so isolated from each other, they wouldn't spawn with trout sourced from other streams. So, now they source the trout from one donor stream - in Lynn Camp's case, the brookies came from nearby Sams Creek.
Thats very interesting! I wish I could have gotten into more detail, but I heard similar accounts about the spawning. That just goes to show how distinct each of these populations can be. Again, unique just doesn't quite do them justice.
@@FLYALLSZN One last point - you mentioned floods. Well, floods, and droughts, are all part of the life cycle for these fish. I started fishing the Smokies back in 2007 - the first of two years of extreme drought in the Southern Appalachians. Streams got skinny, and to this day, I prefer fishing low water to high, even if it means skitterish trout. I caught close to 50 in 4 hours one day on Cosby during that time. Anyway, after the drought, the assessment seemed to be that the drought effected rainbows more than any other species - the mortality rate was higher. The brook trout, on the other hand, not only seemed to do fine, they also took the opportunity to re-colonize some stretches from the rainbows, particularly in areas like Cataloochee. So, if these fish are given a chance, they'll do well.
Maybe you’re best documentary yet.
YES! So glad you enjoyed it!
Love this video! I have spent countless hours and days fishing on one of the streams featured in this video. It is small water that underwent major restoration to native Southern Appalachain Brookies. Great job on the video.
Love to hear that! Hopefully that story can continue as efforts move forward with brook trout restorations across the region.
I love these long videos, I know how tough it is to edit but please keep them up! This is my anxiety escape during the offseason here in Serbia. ❤🇷🇸
Serbia! That’s amazing! So glad you enjoyed the video!
what a joy to watch!
Thank you!
Enjoyed it, it took me a couple of days to fit it all in but incredible camera work and very informative. Appreciate you seeking out of my favorite streams in Graham county. There's a lot of forgotten history on that stream. Cheers from R'ville!
Thank you!! There is so much history! Too much to fit into one story like this.. maybe I’ll have to come back one day! What would you have liked to hear more about?
As a fisherman and fish keeper they would revive faster if you bring a portable aerator to make bubbles in your viewing tank would be much better for the fish
As a fisherman and a fish keeper I would be really interested to know your overall understanding of dissolved oxygen.. I would maybe agree with bringing a portable aerator if they were to be kept in that confined space for many hours.. but they were all back in the water well before they ever ran out.
I'm sure I have some bias but I gotta say this was a phenomenal video. I can tell you put a ton of effort into it and I hope it begins to take off. I grew up out west but now live in Asheville and I have become absolutely obsessed with chasing these beautiful wild brookies. There's something different and very special about the creeks here that I can't get enough of. Great work, Mike!
I agree, there is something special about these creeks, glad you enjoyed it!
How's everyone, the streams and fish recovering around Asheville after Helene?
@@rstrouts I purposely haven’t been fishing some of the harder hit areas north of Asheville. Some streams near Brevard and Canton don’t seem to be fishing quite as well but still have populations of fish. Everything west of Waynesville is fishing well. For the most part, things are back to normal for most folks. Some people and areas will take years to recover.
I’ve heard a lot of different reports. Some places are good, others are really rough.
What an amazing video! I learned so much about brook trout from this. I am from Washington state and I actually get to go to Tennessee in April for my sister’s wedding. I plan to arrive there a week before her wedding so I can do some fishing. I guess you could say this video has got me even more pumped for it now.
Awesome! Hope you have a great time at the wedding and enjoy some time on the water before then. Those brookies will be well worth your effort!
Absolutely fantastic, thanks
Glad you enjoyed!!
You are absolutely correct in that any western NC native brook trout bigger than 8”-9” is a big brook trout and anyone that says differently is either lying or just misinformed. I’ve fished western NC for trout for close to 50 years and I would rather catch a native spec than a 20” stocker any day of the week. Great video and very informative.
Thank you so much!! And there is so much value in those native Brook Trout! Those stockers aren’t worth their weight in salt.
50 years is a long time! How has the state of Brook trout changed in that time? Any insight?
@ I had an uncle that would take me fishing as a kid when I was about 10 years old and at the time I didn’t really know the difference between a rainbow or a brook trout. He would tell me that’s a spec or a rainbow trout. He also kept everything he caught and I remember him coming by our house sometimes with 50 or more fish. I didn’t know any better at the time but looking back I wished he hadn’t kept so many. I’m not sure if they were all brook trout or not but there were lots more trout back in the mid 70’s. I fished pretty regularly up into my late teens but then life and work seemed to have gotten more busy and I stopped fishing for a few years. As a mid 20 year old I worked on the road and never fished much. Back in those days we mostly fished with red worms. I just started fly fishing a few years ago and haven’t went back. I’ve read that prior to the logging industry of the early 1900’s brook trout could be caught in streams as low as 2000’ in elevation in western NC. I’ve fished a few of the streams in your video and as you pointed out the brook trout are still there if you’re willing to put in the work to find them. You seem to have put in a lot of research and probably know more than I do about how much change has taken place in there habitat. I just turned 60 but still really enjoy chasing the native brookies but I can’t walk for miles before I start fishing. Usually a mile or so in the right location will put me on them.
That’s very interesting! Super cool you’re still out there getting after it. I noticed the same thing, it doesn’t take long to get away from other folks and onto the fish.
The classic tale describing what brook trout fishing was like once upon a time in my home province of Nova Scotia is, “The Tent Dwellers” by Albert Bigelow Paine. I highly recommend it. Walking the brooks and streams in search of a ‘mess of trout’ has been a 55 year journey for me who learned it from my Dad and who has passed it on to my sons. Long may we continue to get outside each spring, summer and fall for the royal family of fishing.
I’ll most certainly give it a look! Thank you for the recommendation! Generational outdoorsman is what we need more of! Is the fishing up that way pretty incredible?
@ used to be amazing but some lunatic introduced smallmouth bass and chain pickerel a few years ago that have devastated the trout. A few areas remain untouched but you gotta walk and hike to get there. I don’t mind that at all so we trouties are hanging in there… love the channel
What a shame! Such a similar story no matter where you seem to go. Thank you for the support!!
Man, it breaks my heart to see it but you're 100% correct about the trash in the SE. I moved down here from the Mid-West (where I thought our rivers were very junk-choked) but I was BLOWN AWAY by the sheer amount of trash and refuse that is just.....left. Not even piecemeal, but like someone emptied their kitchen trashcan right there on the side of the road/riverbank. I'm unsure if its a culture thing or if population density has been around for so long that it just accumulates, but its a travesty how dirty some of those creeks get especially after flushing floods.
It really is a shame.. I left quite a bit of trash I found out of the video.. but I saw very similar instances. It looked like an entire dumpster was just tossed down a hill. It can all seem a bit bleak, but if we all pick up some trash whenever we can, maybe things can change!
Really enjoy the longer videos
It's hard to fit everything in shorter ones! Context is king and even in saying that I still had to leave out quite a bit.
Excellent film, Mike!
Thank you so much!
Great video! I made my girlfriend watch it with me 😅 TBH, your videos and Wild Fly are the only ones she actually enjoys watching because of the production quality that both channels have.
On another note, Southern fly fisherman are really passionate about the native brook trout, as I’m sure you’re starting to see. NC even has a custom license plate for NBT awareness. Admittedly, I never understood why people cared so much about these little game fish until I started fly fishing. In my defense, I did very little freshwater fishing prior to fly fishing.
Hurricane Helene did a lot of damage to the NBT population. I’m really hoping the state will make some drastic moves and look at these creatures as economically essential fauna.
No kidding! Well tell her thank you very much! Doing the best with what I have!
It’s very sad to see what’s happened to them! The road to recovery is going to be awful long but we gotta start somewhere. How bad has the damage been in your opinion? I haven’t really seen much about the aftermath..
@ Depends on the on area, obviously. GSMNP and far western portion of NC didn’t get hit as hard as the area between Asheville and Boone. Wilson creek and it’s headwaters have been wiped out. I don’t know anyone who’s caught a fish in that drainage since the storm. That was a big trout fishing destination prior to Helene. I’m planning on fishing East Fork Pigeon and the Smokys this month. Hoping to find some surviving NBTs.
What an absolute shame! That’s so sad to hear.. just goes to show how quickly some of those unique populations can be wiped out..
Looking forward to this one!
Hope you enjoy!
Awesome video!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Mike, you knocked this video out of the park. It was so neat to see some waters I recognized on your channel again. Also, I have to admit I got a good laugh seeing you struggle through the rhododendron hells, dead falls and slick rocks. That’s a struggle I know all too well here in North Georgia. Hell I even have a plate in my arm to show for it. Thanks for shedding light on our native char!
Thank you so much for the kind words, I’m so happy you enjoyed. Those streams are no joke!! A few of those streams absolutely kicked my teeth in!
Awesome seeing my backyard. I have drunk water out of that white pipe and walked by that bus on snowbird a million times. Best trip is taking 3 or 4 days and backpack from top down that creek.
I wish I could have given that watershed more time! Four days would have been outstanding.
@@FLYALLSZN There is an article in NC Wildlife Magazine, November/December 2024 edition, about the game warden that patrols Snowbird. One of his first trips into Snowbird he caught a man with over 200 brookies in his possession. Poachers are a major problem in WNC. My son and I have camped at the old bus. We were hiking in one spring evening and were hit with a cloud burst, so we camped there. I enjoy your work.
@ I was thinking about adding some of those stories in but couldn't quite find the best spot.. I heard quite a few stories of folks going up into the headwaters and doing exactly that. Funny enough they were catching them and then pickling them? Little pickled brook trout sound far from appetizing.. 200 is crazy..
@@FLYALLSZN they eat them like sardines. The poachers follow the stocking truck and will clean out the hole, even on the DH streams.
Man that’s really disheartening.. especially for those wild populations.. I’ve heard the charges for that kind of activity aren’t even that harsh in the grand scheme of things
for the life of me idk how this video doesnt have 500k views right now. the way outdoor videos are taking off , its just a matter of time. to the rugged hiking , crazy beautiful views that only you are able to show us and to the perfect commentary . keep doing what your doing brother. the hard work you put in does not go unnoticed !
I really appreciate you saying that! Can’t say I care much about that, I just hope more people learn about these fish. The more folks that know the more will care!
I really joy your channel I know how hard it must be to work full time and chase the Passion you love keep it coming my friend I would love to catch a Brook trout we don’t have them in the Uk 🇬🇧 but I’ve heard there is a few tiny brooks in Scotland some were stocked in a hundred years ago but like most things it will remain a myth for now ?
😊
Thank you so much!! That would be a super cool story to chase! I’ve heard Scotland has some great fishing
i like ur vid man nice work////////side note whats your reel your using
Thank you very much! Which reel on which rod are you referring to? I carry a couple.
Great film Mike, I call East TN home and you did a great job with the presentation of this region
Glad you liked it, there's a lot of beauty there!
Mike, great production and awesome native brookies from the southeast. One question though as someone from the southeast, is there a reason behind name dropping some of these small wild creeks? These creeks cannot handle additional pressure that may come from advertising them and I have seen firsthand how additional pressure has deteriorated the fishing on some creeks and led to more traffic and trash. I feel that specifying the state and general area is enough and maybe the larger drainage for some bread crumbs. Just want to understand the reasoning behind it. Again beautiful brookies and great scenery in the video though!
Howdy! Appreciate the respectful inquiry. Usually these kind of questions come with an extra dose of anonymous venom. As long as it’s not in “your” backyard most folks are indifferent about things shown on the internet. In my silly opinion, crying about spot burning or fearing more pressure is simply a red herring argument when stacked up to everything else portrayed throughout the film. It makes it seem like more care is put towards the “spot” rather than the fish.
What did you think about the message surrounding brook trout conservation? I’d love to hear your opinion on the trash PSA, did you make it that far? What about the rampant stocked trout across the region, the continued encroachment of wild non-natives, habitat loss, connectivity issues, and everything else weaved in throughout the story? (rhetorical) In my opinion THAT is all much more damaging to watersheds. Especially when you stack that up to “angling pressure”. If you listen to each of the introduction sections for all the states/park, pay attention to how many miles of these “fragile” streams are still out there. Breaking down each section, there are 3 streams highlighted. The overwhelming majority are found with simple Google searches, a few were from searching maps, and then four went unnamed (because they were the prong of a branch and didn’t seem worth mentioning).
The streams and rivers I fished are not a secret and I had to work my butt off to reach most of them. Even if research was a touch more difficult than most adventures, all the information is out there for the public. I found it, you can see it in the description of the video. All these streams are on public land. They aren’t mine and they certainly aren’t yours. If the information listed can help an individual become connected to the fish and landscape then I consider it a win and I have no reason to withhold it. (Especially in the case of these Brookies) It would be amazing if we lived in a world where more anglers cared about the places we like to play rather than the expensive toys we bring to the play-date.
Full transparency, if a friend shows me a spot or if I’m fishing private water then I won’t name it out of respect. That’s why I often decline when folks want to take me to “their” honey hole. There is lots of water to explore. I’m not sure what to tell you if seeing one of “your” creeks on UA-cam is upsetting. Hopefully this gives you the answer you are looking for. UA-cam comment sections are a terrible way to communicate and present nuanced issues like this, if this does not suffice please reach out on instagram and we can set up a call to talk. (I do it often so this isn’t an empty gesture)
Doug Duren says it best. “It’s not ours, it’s just our turn.” The video is hopefully a guide to others on how others ought to treat their turn.
Thanks for the response! I understand your reasoning for including some names although I disagree with doing it. Certainly habitat loss and way too much stocking of non natives is a bigger issue, I totally agree on that. Siltation, water temp issues and non natives encroaching are certainly big problems especially in GA since it is the furthest south and stocks way too many fish. Totally agree on the trash PSA as well it’s a big problem at a lot of campgrounds/streams down here. Also agree that any of these streams can be found online through searching and some guide books. Just wanted to understand your reasoning is all. Thanks for the response and appreciate your effort into these cool films!
Funny you mention stocking mid-atlantic brook trout in Appalachia. Because parts of Wisconsin used to stock Appalachian brook trout in many areas but switched back to stocking more local strains in the past few decades.
Do you know how many streams that might have damaged?
@@FLYALLSZN No idea, I remember a seeing a note about the change in strains at the Osceola or St. Croix Falls hatchery, can't remember exactly. Rising water temperatures are a much larger concern based on the presentations WI dnr have provided to TU.
It would be interesting to do a similar video up there. Especially if the experts think they're going to be gone here soon.
Great film! Love the blue lines. But I gotta ask about the jeans.....
Thank you!! Don’t knock it til ya try it!
I’m a WVU alumni in water sciences and I’ve recently fallen in love with fly fishing for native brookies. They always live in beautiful places. But One thing I am curious you keep mentioning is the “southern strain”. The little research i was able to find indicates WV does not have southern strains, but we do have natives that come from original genetic lineages, so my question is what makes the southern strain natives more “special” then the northern native populations?
Special is within the eye of the beholder! For me it’s rooted in the history of these fish and the cultural significance. What I said is not meant to put one strain above another because I’ve yet to experience the others. I’d love to give em a look one day and fish for those as well!
What makes your WV natives special to you?
These videos are absolutely brilliant mate. As a fisherman from England I’m envious of the sheer space and scope of your fishing in the states, so much scenic wilderness to fish from and so many beautiful fish.
Keep up the good work buddy❤
Thank you so much!! A lot of folks have no clue how lucky we have it over in the USA.. There is a staggering amount of water if you are willing to go find it.
Great Video. I appreciate your view on native trout fishing. I try to focus on native trout fishing up here in Quebec. May I ask where I can get those neoprene socks? 😛
Hell yeah thank you!! I am pretty sure those were either Simms or Patagonia!
Awesome video…what model Leer camper shell do you have? I am seriously considering a leer for my truck. Thanks.
Oh man that’s a good question.. I think it’d greatly depend on the make/model of your truck, what are you driving?
@ I have a Ram 1500. I live in Missouri and was looking at the Leer 100R. It looks similar to what your model is. I think they make the models for several different truck makes/models. Just was curious if you had the 100R. Supposed to be nice here coming up. Going to try to get to Spring or Mill. Cheers
I think the one I have is the 100 XR!
@ thanks so much!
Most of your 'rainbows' are golden trout, O. aguabonita btw. But yay brookies, they are awesome. Ya don't have to scale 'em, either! I appreciate their ability to spawn in high altitude Sierra Nevada lakes, else there'd be none to have for breakfast at 9,000 feet. Have caught them out of bathtub-size pools in narrow little creeks on scary steep slopes in the Granite Chief Wilderness draining to the west . . .
How do you know? I can speak with almost certainty and say that Golden trout were never historically stocked in the Southern Appalachia. Please send the stocking records over if you know something I don't! All the rainbow trout that were featured in this film were undoubtedly O. mykiss.
It’s funny in Alberta these brook trout out compete the cutties in smaller streams and even seem to do better than the stocked rainbows in many instances I’ve observed. Out here it’s flipped.
Its the same way out in the western USA! Super weird how that all works.
Another top tier video! The quality of your filming and the story lines is second to none. Thanks for showcasing a very under appreciated species!
I'm glad you liked it! I think they are the most beautiful fish in the world!
@@FLYALLSZNyou’re probably right but I’m inclined to think redfish are more fun
Thoroughly enjoyed the video. Love your work. We have fished many of the same streams from the Weminoche to SW Va. My best SABT came from the falls of Stewart's at 11". VA Tech has done genetic mapping of our southern strain. They found several streams with pure strains and many with introgression from state stocking. The study is being used to help guide future management in the Old Dominion. As Matt Kulp indicated, progress is being made but we have a long way to go. Habitat degradation has led to most of our southern and northern strains being trapped in isolated streams becoming allopatric. Part of the reason for low invertebrate populations is a legacy of acid rain. But this is improving. I am optimistic for the future, with informed scientific management and public support progress can and is being made from centries of habitat degradation. Thanks for the journey.
It definitely makes sense as to why the legacy of acid rain would have an adverse affect on those invertebrates. See that’s the thing about this story! It’s such an intertwined ball of issues. And 11” brookie is no joke! Did you get em to come up on a big bushy dry fly?
Bro loved every moment. Keep up the good work this is award worthy!
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! This one took quite a bit of time haha
What visual characteristics were you using to differentiate Northern from southern strain?
I wasn't! If you watch the intro to Chapter 2, I admit my eye isnt that keen (im not sure if anyone's is) I rely on historic stocking data.
Let me know when your ready for PA
Shoot I’ve heard good things! Think it’d be worth a film like this?
Awesome video Mike. Thanks for sharing the beauty of our great nation
We are so lucky!
Great video.. Interesting stuff for someone in the UK 🇬🇧
Howdy!! Thank you so much! Hope you got to learn a little about these cool fish!
I live in NNJ and we have a few native Brooke streams, although they are at risk and state stocks rainbows everywhere. Due to people, roads, pollution,etc. I wonder if the population is getting less genetically diverse. Would it help our northern brooks to cross bred with southern and restock?
I do struggle to understand why you wouldn’t keep the rainbows and eat them and thereby remove them from the fishery. In Cattalochi they tell you to remove all fish you catch due to overpopulation regardless of species.
I’m so sorry to hear that! Like I mentioned I’m not a biologist, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say no that would not help with their genetic diversity. It would only further muddy the waters.
Like I mentioned in the video multiple times I had no good way to properly harvest the rainbows. If refusing to needlessly kill a wild fish makes me a bad person, then I’m a bad person. I’m not opposed to taking fish, but if I’m going to take fish I want to do it in an ethical manner that respects the loss of life.
Any chance of you planning a trip for native brookies in Maine?
I’ve heard great things about Maine! I’ve also heard access can be tough, have you ever fished it?
@@FLYALLSZN I live in Maine. Personally I do not find access to be tough. Our industial timber land is treated as public land. Yes the drives can be long on the logging roads. But the hikes are generally short. Unlocked boats and canoes can be found on 95 percent of the trout ponds. And the few well known rivers that have big trout are easy access. Although I don't fish them because they are often crowded. Ponds on where I focus my time.
Sounds like a lot of cool opportunities! I’d love to do a similar production in a place like Maine! When would the ideal season be ya think?
@ Late May and early June are best typically. First week of July is usally the peak of the hex hatch, which can be fun.
Interesting! I’ll have to look into it! Seems like amazing country up there
what shoes are you wearing in South Carolina?
Are you asking about the wading boots?
what was the overall predominant sub species (Common name). Looks like there several sub species in every stream. Yes? No? How many different sub species did you find in any one stream?
The southern Appalachian and mid Atlantic were the two strains I ran into. Each can be further categorized as clades. But those clades get to be well past my level of understanding.
I appreciated the work put in on this. I lived in The Green Mountains of Vermont. If I caught an 8" brook Trout it was like winning the Super Bowl. I fished the sh!t out of that whole state and surrounding states.
This video iterates the fact that pursuit and love of surroundings is the best part of brookie fishing. Not bad if you keep a few either. They are tasty. But do let em go if you can help it.
I came across used syringes that could stab you. We do clean up after ourselves. I wish folks with addiction would take needles with them.
Imagine catching Hep C or worse because you were wet wading
Glad you enjoyed it, those Brookies are an amazing fish! Yikes thats some pretty gnarly trash!
Beautifully done Mike…thanks!
Great video would love to see more fishing in North Carolina. It’s were I’ve grown to love the brook trout and it was great to see this amazing video.
Thanks, there are some incredible streams in North Carolina!
contrary to popular belief there is some larger browns in the park. i seen a guy from Townsend catch a dozen of them that are over 20".
Oh no doubt! The browns can grow a bit bigger out there
For a bit of history look up Ted Wiiliams, not the baseball player, who wrote for Fly Rod & Reel, Audubon, and others about fish and fish conservation.
Thank you! I will have to give it a look
My only experience is in the New England region and I gotta recommend fishing the amazing native brook trout of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and other New England states. If you haven’t made it out, give it some consideration. There’s some amazing bastions of pristine nature especially in Maine and Vermont
I've heard those New England brookies are some of the most beautiful trout in the world, no question! I’ll have to check them out sometime.
What does it mean exactly when there’s 100 confirmed populations within the state of TN?
www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/twra/documents/gis/Trout_Map_Side2.pdf
@@FLYALLSZNI guess they mean there’s 100 different creeks that the brook trout live in?
Who the heck is this Mike goofball and where is Sam???
Tune in next week!
I'm gonna throw this out there. I know some fisherman don't agree, but have you ever thought of using a Tenkara rod in those very tight quarters. You can still use anything in your fly box and it makes for very interesting battles with big fish. It's NOT cane pole fishing. Stealth is just as much a factor as in Western fly fishing. Just a thought.
P.S.
I love the channel.
It’s funny, anglers in Japan will carry a bait caster, fly rod, AND a tenkara rod. It’s just another tool in the tool box! It’s fun to hate on and has almost become a meme at this point, but you can’t argue that it has its time and place! What size rod do you like to use?
I use three "zoom" rods. Essentially, that gives me 9 different rods differing in length from 8 to 20 ft. Very easy to collapse, stuff in the pack, and deploy. On the shorter rods a 6 inch fish can feel like a 12 inch one. I'm only about an hour from Blueridge, Ga. and start hitting the Rhododendron lined trails in spring.
I could see those being super useful for hiking in and out of those spots! I had to break down my traditional fly rods in half on most of the streams just to be able to walk up and down.
Still using similar flys?
Anything in your box, including small streamers. You can use all your knowledge to fish tenkara. As you can probably guess, I'm not bridled by conventional thinking. It doesn't make sense to not use all the tools available to me.
I also follow Flicky Flies and Tenkara Addict. Those guys know a ton about it.