native trout

	native trout

	I can trace my fly fishing roots back to long days spent prowling those cold streams tumbling off the Appalachian mountains. It was there I learned my love for mountains, wild places, and small streams; it was there I learned my love for beautiful, native trout. These fish are never large, an eight incher is a trophy, but that's not what this game is about. To me, these fish represent life striving against considerable odds, against the gradual destruction of their riparian habitat by cattle, slow poising from siltation, erosion, mine tailings and the introduction of foreign species. They represent all that is pure and good and left in the world into which man has imposed himself. And for a precious few seconds, I can connect with that, be part of that.

	Long ago, I made it my personal quest to catch every species of native trout in North America, in their native habitat. This is, some will say, and impossible dream, and I would not argue. But whether I do, or I don't, this quest has and will take me to some of the most beautiful places a person can visit, those cold, clear, pure headwater streams far away from the nearest road. You won't find any angler's access signs here, the path your likely to follow won't be from fishermen, but from deer.

	Perhaps, one day, I will fulfill my dream, perhaps not. This page is a collection of information that I have collected over the years about the current state of certain trout populations, locations, stories, and other myriad pieces of information related to native trout. I welcome your thoughts and comments, and if your looking for more information to fulfill your personal search, I would refer you to Robert Behnke's bible, Trout and Salmon of North America, probably the best book I've ever bought. Tight lines!



		The Current Status of Gila and Apache Trout
		Correspondence with Scott Gurtin, native trout specialist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department concerning the current status of Apache and Gila Trout, as well as general information on different species and locations.

		Bull Trout and Dolly Varden in Washington State
		Bull trout and dolly varden are the only native char found in Washington State, and as a result, are an area of fascination for me. The best data on this subject is the WDFW Fish/Shellfishing web page, which contains management plans and fact sheets on these fascination species.

		In Search of Shangri-La
		Exploration of a Northern Cascades headwater stream in hopes of finding the fabled "Waterfall of Big Cutthroat".