Recently I had a very unproductive morning on the water. Fish were not where they were supposed to be. In this particular river system there are a few sure-fire spots. Nothing rose and nothing spooked. If I had to guess, the brook trout dropped down into the main stem of the river to seek out smaller tributaries before the coming spawn.

The only confirmation came from a few fish in one such small tributary.

However, these fish came from a place well above where any of the transitory trout could access. Above waterfalls. Above obstructions. These fish don’t have options. They’ve been there who knows how long.  These fish were there for me because they have to be there. High water or significant drought might compel them to move somewhere else in the watershed. But it is only the most significant, maybe even traumatic, events that force these trout to move.

Loving small water and wild brook trout, there are dozens of little creeks like this that I’ve fished carefully. I’ve kept them close to my chest with similar custody.

That doesn’t mean I don’t fish them. In fact, I choose to hike up for tiny trout quite often. I play by certain rules, though. Here are three things that I consider as I do what I can to care for these fish and their streams:

Fish With Care

Small fisheries are almost always fragile fisheries. Each pool might only hold one trout. The trout in the headwaters might be small, but they stick around long enough to perpetuate the population. Redds always matter, but the spawning sites of fish in these areas are crucial. Altering the habitat, wading, and even fishing can have an impact on ecosystems that balance on a razor’s edge. Nature was designed to take a lot – but a lot has already been taken from many of our small streams.

Release With Care

Trout are incredibly resilient. They live in remote and wild places, after all. And I’m quite confident that they have incredible emotional resiliency. While I am not any sort of expert on fish cognition, it is safe to say that trout don’t experience affinity for any one place. However, fish know where they can thrive. The carrying capacity of a small pool might be the perfect place for any particular fish that swims within. Releasing it downstream just one pool might not be too detrimental, but it probably isn’t better. If a fish was making it in one place, it is probably best to release it back to that place.

Talk With Care

You might be the only person who knows. That is a real possibility. There are places I fish were I don’t see footprints in mud and where tiny brook trout are plentiful. Having a few secrets isn’t selfish. It certainly isn’t indicative of some kind of privilege. Put in the work, stumble into it, or be the recipient of a closely-guarded confidence: keep it there. The internet and your fishing buddies don’t need coordinates. Sometimes the best conservation is very, very conservative.