Vermiculated Wonder of the Adirondacks

Temperatures are warming, it is time to remove the ice shanty from the lake. Sportsmen are now counting down the days till April 1st when that vermiculated wonder of the Adirondacks can be sought out. Wild Adirondack Native or feisty stocked, the Adirondack Brook Trout is a wonder to behold and to fish for.

Brook Trout; C. Parnapy

I have loved Brook Trout from an early age. I have fond memories of my grandfather taking me out fishing in streams for natives. While generally smaller than the stocked variety, they were so beautiful. My grandfather, an avid outdoorsmen, loved to hunt and fish. His obsession was fishing. Although we sometimes thought that he used fishing as an excuse to get out of the house and away from grandma.

My love of Brook Trout lead me to pursue a degree in environmental studies with a focus in fisheries, and a degree in biology with a concentration in limnology. During my first internship, I spent many long hours at the 

Warren County Fish Hatchery raising Heritage strain 

Brookies, Rainbow trout and Landlocked salmon.

 

Brook Trout; J. Parnapy

Brook Trout, (Salvelinus fontinalis), are one of the easiest species to recognize. The white leading edges on the fins, worm-like vermiculation and the red spots on their sides haloed with blue. The Brook Trout, like the Lake Trout are actually a char. Brookies live in lakes and streams throughout the Adirondacks. Preferring small streams with cool temperatures, as well as lakes and ponds that are cold and well oxygenated. In the fall, Brookies will move to the spawning redds, mostly in streams or in the shallow bays within lakes on gravel beds. Females will lay between 40 to 80 eggs per pit.

Brookies feed on aquatic insects, invertebrates, salamanders, tadpoles, small mammals and other fish. Within the Adirondacks, there are native strains of Brook Trout that are unique to the body of water in which they were originally found. These strains are termed Heritage strain Brook Trout. The average size of a Heritage Brook Trout is 9 to 16 inches. They reach maturity between 2 to 3 years of age and can live for up to an average of 6 years.

When I was in college, I had the opportunity to have a cold water fish tank as a project. Within it, I had species of a typical Adirondack stream. My prize fish was a Brookie. This ravenous fish proved that sometimes you can be successful trying to bite off more than you can chew.

Brook Trout; J. Parnapy

I had spent the day out in creeks nearby my school, studying fish, macroinvertebrates and water quality. About half way through the day, I had found a large salamander. He was a find, I was greatly excited to get him back to my display tank and add him to my collection. At the end of the day, when I was back in the lab, I was sizing up the little critter to make sure that he was not of eating size for any of the fish in the tank. He seemed big enough to me......      I was wrong. As soon as I dumped the jar of water and salamander into the tank, my Brookie darted out from his hiding spot and sucked that poor little salamander up. Needless to say, he had a mouth full. I was so shocked, probably not as shocked as the salamander. My class-mates were rolling on the floor laughing at me.

With college memories years behind me, professional career underway, my husband, son and I will still take trips to the Warren County Fish Hatchery to visit the fish. My family has the same obsession with the natural world as I do.