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Sunday, February 8, 2015
An Important Cause
It is no new news that the Eastern Brook Trout population are not in the healthiest condition. But some places are far more at risk for entirely loosing their native fish populations. Take, for example, Rhode Islands Wood River. The Natives there have been put under a lot of 'white bucket angler' pressure and are being stocked over with trout that aren't capable of surviving long in the river. Even the local TU chapter is unwilling to give up their big fish catching opportunity to save a dwindling population, the exact opposite of what TU is supposed to do. This frankly makes me extraordinarily angry, because I see it around here to. For several years I have been trying to get the DEEP to either convert my home water to a Wild Trout Management Area or just stop stocking it. They've given some bad excuses. "It doesn't hold wild trout" (yes it frickin does!) or "it is necessary to keep pressure off of the stocked salmon parr" (they are all but decimated by the numbers of stocked trout too large and stupid to actually survive off of the other aquatic foods). I have had no success. But my home water is a far less pressing matter, for it's wild trout population is (for now) stable. Other streams are different. If you want to see a beautiful species killed off then go ahead and keep on the way you are going. If not try to change something. You might want to join TU (although not the Narraganset Chapter mentioned above) or start out by looking here: protectribrooktrout.org
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Is this post because of my blogger name? Thanks for doing because it is a worthy cause that I am currently working for (just started this fall, so I am not a founder). Unfortunately, it is a tough battle because we are a small group (6) fighting the RIDEM who choses to opt for license money from stocking over the conservation of the last brook trout stronghold in RI. The fishing clubs and TU chapters are also against our efforts, so it is tough going, but we are working to gain awareness and support to hopefully get our proposed wild trout refuge on the upper wood river watershed established. The DEM and Narragansett TU chapters have so many false ideologies to put in one comment, so I will just say if you have time check out the Protect RI brook trout Facebook page. Check out all their posts back to 2013 and read the comments as well and you will be able to generate a full picture of the situation. You do not need a Facebook account to view the page just google "protect ri brook trout Facebook." I guess this can be your task to quell your cabin fever. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's how I found the site.
DeleteOh and one more thing. As you have said, stocked trout do not live long. Some, however, do survive through the summer and actually pawn in the wood river and these are the trout that are causing a big problem for the natives (take up spawning habitat, feeding habitat, and thermal refuge habitat in the summer). The RIDEM falsely states that stocked trout don't survive more than a few weeks. Look at the PRIBT Facebook post "Received Wisdom" and you will see how untrue this statement is.
ReplyDeleteI'm fully aware of that, that is my main concern with my home water.
DeleteHave you tried splitting the salmon river into an upper and lower section and suggesting that the upper half be a wild trout management area and the lower half continue to be stocked like we are trying to do on the wood?
DeleteThe Salmon River is not the river I refer to as my home water, and in fact it's wild trout population is likely close to zero due to it's tendency to heat up in the summer, often up to 70 or above. Anyway, the state has already made the regulations for the upper and lower river different: TMA for the upper half (half of that is fly only), Trophy Trout Area for the lower. Works fine considering the lower river is really better smallmouth fishing than it is trout. My home water just shouldn't be being stocked based on the state's salmon management ideals.
DeleteSorry about misstating your home water!
DeleteThat's perfectly alright, I try to keep it a secret from the power bait and worm users so I rarely use it's name. If you are ever in the area I would be glad to share it with you as a lie minded conservationist.
Delete*like minded.
DeleteGood idea to keep it under wraps because I have heard stories of people in RI going to a brookie stream and keeping a bucket full of natives.
DeleteI plan on making some small stream trips out to CT this spring and summer so that sounds good. Do you have an email?
brwntroutangler@gmail.com
DeleteI'm not a fan of mixing stocked fish being put into streams with wild fish, especially streams that have brook trout. We must remember though that revenue generated by the selling of licenses might be the force that drives the stocking of trout. Anglers want to go out and catch some bigger trout and most are not happy to catch a 5 inch native. Rhode Island is faced with the problem of not having many rivers suitable for stocking trout, if they did then that might take the pressure off of the wild trout streams.
ReplyDeleteYes, that is true. Unfortunately I don't see a way around that. It's hard to make a trout stream.
DeleteYour blog is always informational and this time especially so. Even the comments between you and like minded fishing enthusiasts will help educate others regarding the problems caused by stocking native trout streams. At least I hope so. Keep trying.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the numbers who will read this that already aren't aware of this issue are few.
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