BROOK TROUT: INTERESTING INFORMATION

This beautiful gamefish is distinguished by red spots with blue aureoles on the sides, dark wavy lines on the back and dorsal fin, pink or reddish lower fins edged with white on the leading edge, and teeth on the head of the vomer. During spawning times males often have orange on the belly and black on the lower sides. In it’s native range, there are brilliantly colored races with cadmium-colored sides and belly. The body is about five times as long as it is deep. The caudal fin is only slightly forked or square, thus the name "squaretail" is often applied. All fins are softrayed with the dorsal fin having 10 rays and the anal fin having 9 rays. Teeth are well developed. The average "brookie" is much smaller than other popular trouts found in the local area. The brook trout is native to the northeast section of the United States and has been introduced to waters throughout the rest of the country.

In the eastern United States the brook trout has figured prominately in the development of fly fishing as it was the species that was sought after before the introduction of brook trout. Despite it’s dwindling habitat, the brook trout is still regarded as the principle gamefish in many parts of New England and management programs are designed to favor it over other trouts.

LIFE HISTORY

Brook trout spawn from September in the northern most part of it’s range to early December in it’s southern reaches. Egg production is largely determined by the size of the female and may vary from 100 in a six inch female to 1,200 in a 14 inch female. As with salmon, this char constructs a redd in gravel in the fall, but it’s stream-spawning habitat requirements are more specific in that it prefers cold, spring fed water and will enter small brooks. In lakes the requirements are not as rigid, as it will spawn over bark, twigs and other material along shore or in deeper water. Incubation depends on water temperature which at 35 degrees would require 144 days, while at 55 degrees would take 35 days. These are only estimates as stream temperatures are seldom consistent and all eggs do not hatch at once, but sometimes continue to hatch over a period of a week. The ability to successfully spawn in lakes has become it’s undoing in that these bodies of water have become overpopulated.

Large brook trout occur in the same bodies of water where they existed millions of years ago, with very few exceptions. Unlike the brook and rainbow trout which have thrived in many parts of the world through man’s distribution, the squaretail is not as adaptable. Good brook trout water has definite chemical and physical properties, and perhaps a few characteristics with respect to size, associated species and food supply.

In the eastern United States, Maine still provides some relatively inaccessible brook trout fishing on such streams as the Allegash, Spencer, Kennebago, Moose and upper Kennebec rivers. Official records from around the turn of the century indicate that quite a few squaretails approached world record size ( 9 to 11 pounds) were caught in the Rangely Lakes and Moosehead, but today a 2 or 3 pound brook trout is considered a good catch and a 5 pounder is almost unheard of. Elsewhere in the United States, brook trout become progressively smaller as one moves south. The general size of a native brook trout is typically between 7 and 10 inches.

Several factors conspire against the widespread success of the brook trout population. The brook trout require cold water as the lethal limit is about 77 degrees, which is less than any other trout. Although acclimated fish can survive for short periods in temperatures into the low eighties, they are never really abundant in waters where temperatures rise to above 68 degrees for any prolonged period. There preferred range in between 57 and 60 degrees. In rivers with a mixed trout population, the brookie is most often found in the headwater section and around cold tributary streams. Sea run brook trout, also known as salters, seldom exceed weights of four pounds.

DOMESTIC VERSUS WILD STRAINS

The diminishing numbers of brook trout along with poorer angling results were, in part, responsible for the development of fish hatcheries. Since the time trout hatcheries have been erected they have been utilized to supplement the wild trout populations. The trout that stock these present day hatcheries are domestic strains that are many generations removed from the original wild strains that made up the early hatchery fish. The development of the domestic strains of brook trout was necessary because wild trout were not readily adaptable to the unnatural environment of the hatchery. The wild strains did not readily adapt to man’s substitute for their natural diet. The stresses placed on wild trout by overcrowding, exposure to diseases, lack of cover and poor chemical conditions were decimating factors in which they were unable to cope. In order to economically and efficiently raise trout in hatcheries, it was necessary to domesticate some of the best wild strains. This was a simple case of survival for the fish as well as the hatchery programs.

ANGLING METHODS

Brook trout are caught with live bait, spinning lures and by trolling and even plugs. However they are preeminently a fly caster’s quarry. Brook trout feed on insects, crustaceans, mollusks and fish. They occasionally forage on leeches and shrews and other mammals. One would expect that the larger trout would have a terrific appetite but this is not always the case as these trout often show a preference for insects such as stoneflies, mayflies, caddisflies and terrestrials such as ants, beetles and grasshoppers. These are important items in the squaretail’s diet. The largest of the brook trout are generally caught on spoons and spinners because these are preferred weapons of local fishermen. As a general rule, the fly fisherman will try to match the hatch but at time a wet fly or nymph will do the job nicely. Brookies often will show a preference for the extremes in flies such as the Black Gnat, Royal Coachman, Silver Doctor Parmachenee Belle and Montreal. Productive streamers include the Black Ghost, the Light Tiger, the Dark Tiger, Supervisor, Mickey Finn and Nine-Three.

FOOD VALUE

The flesh of the brook trout is of excellent flavor. It varies in color from white in a newly released hatchery fish to a bright orange in wild populations. The fish may be panfried, baked, broiled, grilled, poached, made into chowder and smoked. It is highly sought after.