Especially on the East Coast, things are so incredibly close. The places where you are miles from something are few and far between. With such a significant percentage of the country’s populating living a few hours from the major National Parks and Forests, there is a good chance that you’ll be sharing the backcountry most days you’re out and about. There is no (legal/ethical/non-sociopathic) way to guarantee you’ll be alone. Pursuing the “no-lines” might be one of them. It won’t necessarily result in trophy fish, but the fish will invariably be trophies to you. And ultimately, you’ll be walking in your own line.
That was how I ended the article “Fly Fishing the Blue Lines? Try ‘No Lining'” (link below), It explains how there is more water out there than even the maps let on. In the world of small stream trout fishing, more water means more fish. Everything I wrote still holds true. There are ways you can find more and different fish if you just put in the road and trail miles. There is something incredibly rewarding about the whole experience.
But there is also an ethical question that is worth exploring: If you find a small, remote, somehow-untouched-by-man population of native trout… should you catch them?
I’ll go ahead and give you my answer. It is yes. Go for it.
…most of the time.
Of course, there is a caveat. In fact, I’ve had this exact outlier manifest itself in my life on two occasions in recent years. Both involved brook trout, and both caused me to pause. In each instance I found literature that supported wild, reproducing brook trout populations in streams relatively close to me. Neither was in some “hot trout fishing spots” website. They weren’t even in the state fish and game regulations. Biologists and conservationists care about trout, too. And to them, these little char are simply one data point among many.
So I can say that I sat in my car, pulled off on the side of the road, thinking about if I should touch or just look. Both times just look won. I fish for and catch a lot of small brook trout in tiny creeks. I love it. But these particular tiny creeks are so special – in both quantitative and qualitative measures – that I was content just knowing that the fish are there.
A robust, consistent perspective on environmental stewardship must leave room for leaving things alone. We have so much water to fish and so many fish to pursue. One more isn’t necessary. Especially if that one more exists on a razor’s edge. If someone told me they discovered a previously unknown river that held thousands of trout per mile, I’d be in my waders immediately. A small creek that has beaten the odds, and probably not without a fight, is a different story. It is a story that I am content to read, not live; not to experience with a rod in my hand.
Want more thoughts on charting your own course and finding your own fish? Read Fly Fishing the Blue Lines? Try “No Lining.”
Thanks for posting the ethical question regarding catching fish in extremely small streams. I, too, say yes.
Westslope cutthroat trout are native to lakes and streams in the Idaho Panhandle. In many cases, they have been displaced by introduced coastal rainbow and brook trout. Moreover, hybridization with rainbows produce “cuttbows” reducing the genetic purity of the native cutthroat.
Pure strains of WCT tend to thrive above fish barriers in tiny headwater streams. These streams are usually remote and difficult to reach. That’s where you will find me. It’s one thing to observe the presence of fish in these streams but to confirm their identity you must catch one or two of them. Even then it requires genetic testing in some cases to determine hybridization. Therefore, I conduct rod and reel surveys with two objectives in mind: 1) are fish present, 2) if so, what species?
I frequently consult with fish biologists (I’m a forester) to share information regarding WCT presence and abundance. When asked about the ethics or potential harm to the fishery, they speak in unison encouraging me to continue my pursuit. They point out that these fish are a public resource and regulations allow their catch and release. In fact, they recognize that the extremely few anglers that make the effort to pursue 4-6″ fish ( those are the big ones) in rugged terrain are also the ones who keep their eyes open for regulation violators on other waters. And, we also speak-up to protect critical habitat for these important native fish.
I suspect that there are similarities between WCT and BKT in seeking refuge in small headwater streams. The difference, however, is the angling pressure in the East. I seldom see another person along these tiny streams. And, passerby s look at me in wonderment when I walk down a trail or road carrying a 6′ fly rod and they can’t see any water.
You and I know the secret of those “no lines” on our maps. Let’s not tell anyone.
Thanks for your blog.
Bill Love
No Line, Idaho
Wow, Bill – great stuff!
And the cooperation you’re fostering is excellent.
Thanks!