A perspective on Appalachian Brown Trout

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE:

A perspective on Appalachian Brown Trout

Expanding as far north as the Canadian province Newfoundland and as far south as north Alabama, the Appalachian Mountain range is filled with endless blue lines and mountains full of wisdom. While the range is vast and mighty, the focus of this article will be on the southern range and all its beauty. In sections of the Appalachian Mountain streams lives a wild and elusive predator; an apex fish eager to attack a fly. While most would venture to say the native brook trout, a key indicator species for the health of cold-water river systems, that’s not what this article is about. This article is about the elusive wild brown trout, the apex piscivore that resides in the jungle streams of the Appalachian range. This is a perspective on Appalachian brown trout.

By TREVOR JOHANNES

First, I think understanding the history of brown trout in America should be explored. Brown trout were introduced to America in the late 1800s and early 1900s after overfishing, logging and other factors reduced the native brook trout habitat. To combat this issue Fred Mather proposed an idea that would change the history of brown trout fishing in America. An agreement between Fred Mathers, a fish biologist from New York, and Lucius von Behr, a culturist from Germany, led to the introduction of brown trout to America soil. With a landscape changed from anthropogenic influences, a more resilient trout species was introduced to appease the decisions of our past.

A shipment of roughly 80,000 fertilized brown trout eggs in exchange for whitefish eggs would create the most sought-after cold-water species in America. No one truly knows the origins of these eggs, but history has said these eggs came from the Black Forest of Baden-Wurtemberg, Germany. A place that still holds the ancestral traits of these fish today.

On April 11, 1984, in Michigan’s Baldwin River the first stocking event took place, where 9,700 fry were released into the river. The results were proven to be a success and were considered an invasive species to the waterway. Due to brown trout’s adaptive qualities, they were able to thrive and, hence, continued practices of stocking occurred throughout the eastern United States.

“A more resilient trout species was introduced to appease the decisions of our past”

The following year brown trout eggs from Scotland arrived in America and were released to the same three hatcheries. For the next five years they were released across suitable habitats where they continued to thrive. These two strains thrived within the river, creating naturally reproducing trout.

The two strains that were introduced into the river systems of the United States are believed to have created the “American brown trout” that we fish for today.

Where the rhododendron grow

When most people think of wild brown trout their mind wanders to the cowboy, treasure-and-gem states, rightfully so, but there is a place where these browns exist in the southeast. The southernmost regions of the Appalachian Mountains hold Wild brown trout. Due to higher elevations, lush rhododendron, and thick canopy cover these streams can thrive year-round. This article is going to focus on the southern region of the Appalachian Mountains and where my home waters are.

Throughout the Appalachian range there are stretches of river that hold elusive, depth dwelling brown trout, that can reach impressive sizes. Some of these trout can easily exceed 20 inches. Though knowledgeable and rare, these fish live all throughout the Appalachian range. These fish fight hard, giving even the most experienced angler a run for their money. While most wild browns range from 10 to 15 inches in length, the lush forests and cascading waterfalls make it worth your while.

Cascading waterfalls into deep plunge pools, rhododendrons edging the river and slot canyons are just the start of what hidden secrets these waters hold. Most of these rivers have good access points and do not receive a great deal of fishing pressure. The exception to this is the Davidson River, which gets a great deal of pressure.

Within the Davidson, there are holdover fish, wild browns, and stocked trout that live in these areas. A Holdover fish is a fish that was stocked the previous year and stayed in the river. If you want to find the wild brown trout, you’ll need to go above the hatchery. Over time these fish will adapt to their environment and become quite knowledgeable on flies. Holdover trout and stocked trout have their place but let’s focus on the wild browns that live throughout the Appalachian region.

Bootleggers and fly rods

Weary and weathered, these fish dwell in deep pockets and ambush points that make them hard to target. When targeting these fish, start by fishing the deep pools and ambush points. Look for overhanging cover or fallen down logs where these fish can ambush prey.

“Look for changes in the river like seams, ledges, undercut banks and boulders”

Brown trout are lazy and will look for holding water where they exert the least amount of energy. These rivers run cold and clear, which can make the fish spooky. Look for changes in the river like seams, ledges, undercut banks and boulders. Rainy or cloudy days will increase your chances of connecting with these fish.

When targeting these fish think like Kelly Galloup, “Hunt, don’t hope”.

Make your casts count. Examine the water, make a gameplan and execute. Most times these fish are lying in prime locations. With that in mind there are multiple ways to effectively target these fish.

Streamer and nymph fishing

We will break this down into two sections: Streamers and nymphing. While sulfur, march browns, caddis, yellow sally, stonefly and other hatches take place throughout the year using streamers and nymphing will be most effective.

When targeting these fish, anything from a 3-6 weight rod will work. For streamers I would suggest a 5-6 weight 9.0’ rod that allows you to throw streamers. When using streamers on these rivers, less is more. Rarely will I throw a streamer bigger than 4 inches in length.

For nymphing a rod longer in length will allow you to high-stick. While nymphing, most will use a longer rod to get more reach, I prefer a 9’ or 9’6” rod due to the tight quarters some of these rivers produce.

Using nymphs with tungsten beads are extremely important to get your flies down quickly. This is essential because these fish will hold in deep holes during the day for safety. Your flies need to get down.

Timing

Although these fish can be targeted year-round, there are more optimal times during the year to catch these fish. Spring and fall are going to be your best bet for more consistent hook ups. During the spring, waters start to warm up and spring showers show up. This is the perfect time to use streamers to target these fish.

With water temperatures on the rise the trout’s metabolism begins to speed up. Top that with stained water from the rain and it’s a streamer junkies paradise! Look for prime holding waters, behind logs and off of seams. Imitating baitfish and crayfish will yield the best results.

Nymphing is also an effective approach in the spring because that is when the majority of insect hatches take place. Bugs also feel when the water temperatures are rising, and this encourages bugs to take to the sky. This is an opportunity to trick one of these browns with emerger patterns or the dry fly.

“Native brook trout have been pushed to the headwaters and higher elevations”

As the year progresses you can target these fish in the summer, but they will go to the deepest holes and only feed during low light. If you do want to target them, do it in the morning or evening to avoid over stressing fish. I suggest targeting other species at this time until the fall rolls around.

Fly fishing for the wild browns in the fall makes them more predictable. Fall is when brown trout spawn and the best time of year to catch the biggest brown in the river. Their movements become more predictable as they work their way upriver to their spawning ground.

I want to note that fishing for trout while they are on their redds is considered unethical and if you want the future of your fisheries to thrive, I suggest you don’t fish on redds. It can be used to locate fish but never fish directly on a redd. Fish will hold below these redds and pick off eggs. This is my favorite time to fish BIG streamers. The males get big kypes and become extremely aggressive and will attack anything in range.

Fish deep pools as big browns stage and get ready to spawn. Lastly, you can target these fish in winter, but it is a different game. You will want to downsize everything and have slow long drifts in areas with slow current. Fish are predictably “on location”, but their feeding habits slow down substantially.

Separation of estates

Lastly, I want to address the presence of native Appalachian brook trout in these waters. Appalachian brook trout, a member of the char family, require extremely cold and well oxygenated waters to thrive. With that being said, their populations have been dwindling due to anthropogenic practices and it has pushed them to a smaller home range over the years.

Native brook trout have been pushed to the headwaters and higher elevations in order to survive the changes to the watershed. In a normal water system brown trout will outcompete brook trout but within these river systems there are natural occurring barriers, such as waterfalls, that help to separate these two and give them both a chance at thriving. Furthermore, brook trout have moved to the headwaters where their needs can be met.

Within the mountains there are big waterfalls and plunge pools that help to separate the brown and brook trout so they can live in the same watershed independently. Both species are important to the landscape, and both can share these waters.

In conclusion, there are hundreds of river miles throughout the Appalachian range that hold wild brown trout. A region of the east that will stay untouched and wild. These trout are truly wild and live in a breathtaking area. With thick rhododendron throughout, moss invested trees, roaring waterfalls, you truly feel like you’re in a jungle, coining these trout, “Jungle Trout”.

Go explore some of Appalachia’s most beautiful rivers and see why these fish hold a special place in my heart. Lastly, be a good steward to your land and water so beautiful places like this continue to thrive and continue to stay…wild.