Larry Case: Wild for brook trout

"To those devoid of imagination, a blank place on the map is a useless waste; to others, the most valuable part." - Aldo Leopold

Why are we drawn to wild places? Do you ever think about that? What is it in our convoluted human makeup that compels us to venture into remote corners and get as far away from everything and everybody as we can?

As a hunter, I have always felt the urge to explore. What is over that ridge? Where does this old tram road go? If I follow it, will I find new places with a lot of game untouched by other hunters? Probably not, but the draw to explore it and find out is still there.

I think non-hunters feel a similar draw just to see the wild, seemingly untouched locales and all that they hold.

Some animals are synonymous with wilderness. Eagles and mountain lions are generally not found in a city park. You can hunt for squirrels in the wooded lot behind your Uncle Bill's barn, but an elk hunt usually requires a trip to a more remote area. You can say the same for many fish. Bass and bluegills can be had in a local farm pond, but salmon and arctic char may require some travel.

To me, no creature represents the embodiment of wilderness as much as the brook trout.

The brook trout (scientific name Salvelinus fontinalis), is the only trout native to the eastern United States, and to make things even more complicated, the scientists who worry about such things tell us he is not really a trout but a member of the char family. In my opinion, salmon, trout and char are so closely related, you couldn't tell the difference between them at a family reunion, but biologists may disagree with me.

Whether he is a char or a trout may be up for grabs, but there is no doubt brook trout are highly prized by fishermen all over the eastern United States and parts of Canada. Brookies require clean, cool water and will tolerate nothing else. The waters they inhabit generally flow from remote mountain streams where the forest cover keeps the water cool and the inaccessibility preserves the water's purity.

In the Appalachians, brook trout streams tend to be small, rocky creeks that tumble out of the hills. Small is the key word here, and if you are not familiar with this beautiful little trout (OK, char!), then you might be amazed at the size of the streams they may live in. I am talking little here - a lot of these wild little creeks you can step over at summer flows.

Fishing these creeks sometimes requires commando-like tactics, such as crawling up to likely looking holes in the stream while you try to stay out of sight of the wary brookie. Finesse is key here: light tackle, light line and no heavy weights. Purists will often go after brook trout with fly tackle, but many of us use live bait.

Meal worms seem to be a favorite on the brook trout's menu. Some die-hard brookie anglers I know don't take any bait; they simply find grubs and worms under rocks and logs at the creek.

The truth is brook trout are voracious eaters and will hit about anything. And once you catch him, you have what I think is the best trout around for eating. A native brook trout taken from cold, clear waters has no rival in a recently stocked, hatchery raised trout. Sadly, this has probably led to more than a few brook trout creeks being depleted.

I get no enjoyment in telling you that in my days as a conservation officer I saw some examples of greed in dealing with brook trout. One incident involved several of the little fish stuffed into a Prince Albert tobacco can. (Oh boy, that one is going to date me.)

Don't get me wrong. If you know of a thriving brook trout stream, you can take a few trout to eat occasionally. Many consider this a rite of spring, a tradition in which the wild trout can be enjoyed with some ramps (wild leeks) and maybe wild turkey breast.

While the brook trout's range is certainly not as wide as it once was in the eastern United States, fisheries biologists tell us that where they are still found, they are doing OK. They may be holding their own in part because of where this rugged little mountaineer is found - the steep hills and god-awful laurel thickets are his sanctuary.

To me, that is the essence of the brook trout.

To meet this tenacious little fish, you have to go to the wild places. That's how it should be.

"The Trail Less Traveled" is written by Larry Case, who lives in Fayette County, W.Va., has been a devoted outdoorsman all of his life and is a contributing columnist for The Times Free Press. You can write to him at larryocase3@gmail.com.

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