Brookie: The little fish that could

Last week, I visited the areas around the Leelanau Peninsula and Traverse City of that state up north. While I'm sure Woody Hayes may have taken some exception to my travels, he couldn't have helped but to enjoy the people and sites as long as I steered clear of that stadium in Ann Arbor. The purpose of the trip was to explore the area, including the incredible wineries and sites along Grand Traverse Bay. Like Ohio, it really is impressive how aggressively the businesses are working to try to make the area feel less "2020" and a little more "2019." One of the area's hidden jewels is the Boardman River, which flows through the heart of Traverse City. The salmon and steelhead were making their annual run into the northern streams and the Boardman gets its share — just not the legendary numbers seen in the Pere Marquette or Manistee. That didn't stop anglers from trying their luck along urban banks up to the weir found just north of Front Street. While many enjoy that type of fishing, I've always preferred the more isolated upstream stretches that hold the brook trout population. Birthed in the Mahan Swamp and tributaries around Kalkaska, the Boardman travels a little over 28 miles to Boardman Lake and then continues on to spill into Grand Traverse Bay. It isn't big water, especially when compared to some of the western rivers I've visited. Averaging just 25 feet wide in those upper runs, casting a fly line may seem like a simple task. I guess if casting distance is what caught fish it would be easy, but the correct choice of fly, nymph or streamer and its accurate placement far outweighs muscling a toss across the creek. Overhanging vegetation also forces the angler to use the roll cast, which also limits casting range. Then there's the chore of wading a stream that flows quickly over a rather slippery stone and gravel bottom. Experience has taught me that fishing the Boardman (or any stream for that matter) is best done from the vertical. I've struggled with that skill more than once. Even so, it's certainly an enjoyable walk in the water. This area of the Boardman is brook trout water. A native to Michigan, it's also the state fish. It inhabits spring-fed streams and uses undercut banks, rocks and submerged logs as favorite hiding spots. Larger fish will stalk deeper pools, invading shallower water to feed. These voracious eaters will gorge upon aquatic and terrestrial insects, worms, crustaceans and other fish —including small brook trout. Spawning season runs from October through November. The females create a spawning bed, called a redd, in the oxygen-rich gravelly riffle areas. Often laying as many as 5,000 eggs, they'll cover them with small pebbles by sweeping their tail over the area. It's critical that the eggs stay silt-free and highly oxygenated to survive. If everything goes well, they'll hatch in three to four months. They'll then need nearly two and a half years to mature, but they rarely live much longer than six years. Stream-living brook trout aren't big fish, with most not growing beyond 9 inches. On the other hand, those that inhabit Lake Michigan and other cold-water Great Lakes are known to reach 25 inches and over 10 pounds. The brookie is also an indicator species, requiring cold, clean water to thrive. It also has a low tolerance to pollutants and human disturbance. Declines in population suggests deteriorating habitat and water quality. Decreasing numbers in much of its native range are raising the concerns of fisheries biologist. One interesting fact is that the brook trout isn't really a trout, but is actually one of the chars, which includes lake trout, bull trout, Dolly Varden and the Arctic char. Common names around its native range include eastern brook trout, brookie, speckled trout, brook char, squaretail and mud trout. There's also an anadromous strain found in Maine dubbed "coasters" or "salters." Anadromous fish are born in fresh water and move into the ocean, then return to spawn in freshwater. Besides Michigan, eight other states have named the little trout their state fish: New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. While this lovely fish merits this notoriety, it isn't all roses. At one time, stocking brook trout into rivers and streams outside its native range became popular. Encouraged by the American Acclimatization Society, the fish was stocked in Western trout-friendly streams. Europe, Argentina and New Zealand also introduced the fish. Today, they aren't so popular in some of those artificially established areas. The Rocky Mountain region has seen a decline in cutthroat trout populations due to brookie competition. Some areas have begun eradication efforts, while others have removed all limits on them. The Lamar River range has even declared a mandatory kill law for any brook trout caught by an angler. If we step back 10,000 years, brook trout would have been found in much of Ohio's Lake Erie watershed. This genetically distinct population is the only trout native to Ohio's inland waters. By the 19th century, logging, land clearing, agriculture and industrialization caused more siltation and warming of waters than the trout could stand, leaving only two stream systems holding populations. In recent years, the Ohio Division of Wildlife has been evaluating streams in northeast Ohio and have found several that may hold promise of a return of Buckeye brookies. Streams had to be meet strict criteria, including temperatures that stay below 68 degrees throughout the summer. Those tributaries were stocked with enough brook trout to develop a self-sustaining population. For the three years following, seine and electrofishing surveys were used to evaluate success. These indicated that the reintroduction of brook trout in 10 northeast Ohio streams has been successful, but the little fish remains a threatened native of Ohio. Like most species, habitat is everything. "A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise." — Aldo Leopold Along the Way Water trails promote public use of waterways and create educational, recreational and environmentally rewarding opportunities for paddlers and others. These trails support tourism and encourage conservation and stewardship. Ohio's diverse system of water trails includes the Blanchard, Cuyahoga, Great Miami, Kokosing, Mahoning, Maumee and Olentangy rivers, passing through a variety of surroundings including natural, rural, suburban and urban areas. The Tuscarawas River in eastern Ohio has been designated as the state's 15th official water trail. The 112.5-mile Tuscarawas River Water Trail offers paddlers the opportunity to explore an additional 112 miles of waterway once it joins the Muskingum River Water Trail in the city of Coshocton. Step Outside • Today and Sunday: Annual 3D Deer Event to get you ready for hunting season. It's time to bring out the bow and sharpen your skills. Registration opens at 8 a.m. Contact: Harold Spence, 419-423-9861. • Sunday: 75-Bird Trap Shoot. Traps open at 11 a.m., program begins at 12:30 p.m. UCOA, 6943 Marion Township 243, Findlay. Public welcome. • Sept. 26: Rifle and Pistol Match, public welcome, 1 p.m., Mount Blanchard Gun Club, 21655 Delaware Township 186. Centerfire and rimfire handguns and rifles permitted. Events will be shot at 10 yards for handguns, 100 yards for scoped and open sight rifles. Contact: Woody Wodrich, 419-334-1436. Abrams is a retired wildlife officer supervisor for the state Division of Wildlife in Findlay. He can be reached at P.O. Box 413, Mount Blanchard, OH 45867-0413 or via email at jimsfieldnotes@aol.com.