Saturday morning, Will and Martin trekked into the Shenandoah National Park in search of the elusive Native Trout. After gaining permission from a few landowners, they were able to drive mountain roads to get to the head of the mountain stream at daybreak. Will and Martin fished their way downstream for several hours, catching a total of 20 native brook trout. The biggest one being around six or seven inches. All the fish were very healthy and their color of the phenomenal. Fishing these wild trout is almost like a spot and stalk deer hunt. But if you can see them, they have already seen you and they're gone!
In the mid-90's, this region suffered a tragic flood. Mudslides took out mountains as if they were molehills, filling the mountain streams with red clay and unhealthy debris. Soon after the flood, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries concluded native brook, brown and rainbow trout populations had been depleted from the mudslides down to the reservoir. Because of the lack of limestone on the eastern side of the Blueridge Mountains, pH levels are too imbalanced for these fish to thrive. Fortunately, numbers are on the increase and we really hope it continues.
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