Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Brook trout picture on the pond today

I coaxed up some of the brookies I planted last fall with a hookless kastmater spoon today to see how they were doing. I was a little concerned with all the snow we have had and my lack of ability to remove it.

I just love the markings on these fish don't you? To me it's either a pumpkinseed or brook trout that are the two most beautiful species in North American.

I agree Cecil but would have to put the California Golden (Onchorhychus aquabonita) right in there with the Brookies.

Yeah that would be cool. Do you know if they are available anywhere in the country even in California? I do know California passed a law back in the 30's that prohibited the eggs or fish to be transported out of the state. I wonder if that is still the case.

Here's another pic I may have posted here a few years ago. This fish first came up into the hole and stock his head almost completely out of the water and clacking his jaws back and forth as if to say "Hey where the food!" My dog I had at the time freaked and nearly knocked down the shanty trying to get out. I then went into the house (the dog was relieved to get out of there) and threw some pellets into the hole. The fish came back up and started eating the pellets so I snapped this picture.

Brook trout are always beautiful, I especially like the silver on their fins.

I found this pic of a male with big shoulders from the pond a few years ago. He was dark as it was late in the spawn. I love the males that get this conformation in the fall.

I hadn't heard of that law. I searched hard for a source but quit searching for them in 2003. You know somewhere somebody has a pond with some fish they transported from a spring. I thought about catching some wild fish & trying to transport them. Even had a couple of guys tell me where to find them in streams relatively close to roads.

What are the trout at the Cabelas pond that they call golden trout?

West Va. golden trout.
IIRC a WV fish farmer noticed a yellow trout in amoungst his rainbows. He removed it & bred it untill he had a reproducing golden trout. It is a natural occuring color variation of rainbows as is blue rainbows.

Funny story about the dog Cecil!

If you found some I can't even imagine the red tape to transport them. It wouldn't be possible in my state. My state strictly forbids any trout or trout eggs from west of the continental divide due to potential disease issues. We weren't even allowed to get eggs from Trout Lodge in Washington state, which are as clean as they get until the state decided to do it. I guess now it's O.K.

Are golden rainbows or as some people call them palomino trout, actually albino rainbow trout? They sure look it... Anyone know?

According to the PA.fish commission the golden rainbow trout originated from the 1954 west va. golden rainbow trout, but the palomino trout was a cross of golden rainbow trout and regular rainbow trout. It is not as gold in color.

Here's a Palomino:




From my understanding the red gill cover and stripe comes out when the WVGT is crossed back with a normal rainbow.

I have always understood it to be as Adirondack Pond states, but I have always had a PA fishing license too so go figure. One thing is for certain, those Palominos are a hoot to chase around the creeks if you find them. I also learned a great deal about catching stream trout by watching them react to my offerings as I fished. You can see them follow and see how they look over the lure/bait each cast, and adjust to what they do. I was on a creek once at a large hole with two decent Paliminos in it, myself and another guy on the other bank were fishing the hole as they stationed mainly on his side of the creek. I used a chartruese rooster tail and got them to follow several times but no hits. The other guy chided that I wouldn't get them to bite because they were pressured too much. I dipped my spinner in some vanilla extract I carry in my trout vest and I caught one on the next cast. The other guy was amused, and then shocked as I dipped my spinner again and caught the other one on the next cast. He asked what I did and I told him I spit on my lure, that's the trick, then I moved to the next hole upstream leaving him to fish alone. The girls didn't think so much of me then, but I walked the creeks around here and worked them fish like a hoover. I still smoke 50-75 or so hatchery trout every year, I just like busting brush and wading fast water, it makes me feel like a kid again.

Joe, your getting careless now, you gave us your trout secret now the whole world will know.
Vanilla extract ? I'll have to try that on these adirondack brookies.
Or maybe your just pulling our leg!

Just clever misdirection. The secret is actually tabasco sauce.

Theo, the way all the streams are locked up in ice and snow the trout could use a little hot sauce.

Here's a Brookie I caught last summer in the stream that runs thru my property. I believe that they are Heritage trout , because I can find no record of this small stream ever being stocked. Apparently they adapted well to the acid rain problem we had, but now that has been reduced and some lakes and ponds are starting to improve.

The Palomino trout originated in PA. It was simply a cross btw a WV golden & a normal rainbow. It was much more pale in color on the sides of the fish.
Here's what the PA Fish & Boat Comm. has to say about it:

Wow! That is a pretty brookie! I need to start taking more photos of the fish I catch...

That is so COOL Adirondack...ponds are one thing, having a stream running thru one's property with NATIVE brookies is quite another. Awesome.

Can you post some pics of said stream so I can daydream?

TJ

TJ, thank you for your kind words, when I found this property 7 years ago the stream and waterfall sealed the deal.( I got approval from Mrs. boss). the realty co. didn't even know there was a waterfall on the property, and I didn't tell them.
The majority of the water for my pond comes from the stream, I have gravity flow pipes from above the waterfall 300 ft. to the pond.

this is the stream above the waterfall in the spring.

this is below the waterfall

Here's the waterfall in october.

Amazing! - I am always floored by pictures of the Northeast - the natural rock formations and exposed granite, rolling hills of mixed conifer and deciduous forests, covered bridges and clear running streams and the long running history of each village/town. When I got married back in Oct 2001 I talked my wife [after several months of fighting her idea of the Carribean] into honeymooning in New England just to drive around and explore for two weeks. We missed the foliage peak - but everything was still incredible. We left our hearts in upstate NY, VT and ME....although I am a Nebraska boy born and raised, my mind often drifts to unreal natural scenes just like this - and imagine outside your very door! It's a slice of heaven to be sure.

FYI - I wrote my first ever serious research paper my junior year in HS about Acid Rain in the Northeast in 1988. It made such an impact on me I finally fulfilled a dream and opened Eco Mow lawn maintenance last year to try and make an impact on air pollution from gas mowers, trimmers, blowers, etc. Guess what I'm trying to say is it's great to hear the impact of Acid Precipitation might be improving...if that Brookie is any indication, collective efforts might be making a difference. Never would have imagined that back in the 80's. Too cool.

Okay - off soap box.

Thanks Adirondack! Please keep us posted on how that population is faring in the future.

Tj, this winter has been tough and alot of people here wouldn't share your enthusiasm for the northeast. My oldest daughter lives near sacramento and she loves the weather, but you practically have to be a millionaire to own any acreage.(JHAP & DIED will probably disagree.) I guess every state has it's good & bad and it's what you make of it. I would love to take 6 months and tour the country, but alteast I hope to drive out to the Pond Boss convention.

The acid rain problem has improved probably because of the emission restrictions on the coal fired plants in the midwest. We have such abundant coal reserves we need to solve the pollution problems so we can use the energy. I have an automatic coal stove for the house which burns anthracite rice coal, and it burns very clean.

Tj do you have many trout streams in Nebraska, and are you planning on attending the PB convention?

P.S. how's your pond doin.

That is beautiful AP!! You're a smart/lucky man!

I'm happy to hear the progess made healing the environment - not only from a fisherman/naturalist standpoint but also as a parent. We're making some signficant strides in the Midwest learning how to convert the cellulose instead of the corn to a sort of natural gas [my crude analysis] - not ethanol, and it's exciting stuff. It's a renewable, domestic, cleaner burning fuel alternative that's got a lot of us hopeful. As my kids age [5-7 yrs] I look at this world I'm leaving them and feel the urge to continue to work hard to be a responsible steward of the planet. One of the primary reasons I started my Eco company. One blade at a time!!!

Nebraska has a blue ribbon piece of water way West - the Snake River. Also the Niobrara holds some trout and some Western streams are stocked - but most of the good water is privately owned and guarded closely - which is understandable considering its such a rare commodity.

I travel every Summer to the Boulder and Yellowstone river drainage in Montana [Big Timber and Livingston ares] for my trout fix. Catching native Cutts on dries is the only healthy addiction I have!

My ponds are hopefully doing well - just dug last Spring. Under the generous guidance of Dr. Bruce I have a 3.5 acre pond with YP, BG, and HSB stocked. This spring I am adding RES, SMB and perhaps some Female LMB. My three other ponds are really tabla rosa. They are small .2, .25 and .35 acres - I was thinking of raising SMB in one, BG/RES hybrids in another and getting them feed trained to help local Pondmeisters as our local supply is not always reliable and to my knowledge the fish aren't pellet trained. Taking the top 5% and stocking back into my main pond -and keeping them for reproduction - selling the rest. We shall see - it all sounds simple enough - but who knows how much effort the plans will demand!?

I've entertained having my last pond spot dedicated to Rainbows as a gift to my father who introduced me to fishing. However, the resources demanded by a trout pond in NE are significant [according to the esteemed Mr Baird 45 GPM well water during warm months]and I'm not sure I am prepared to dedicate at this time.

I'm literally chomping at the bit to get my feeders, aeration systems and waterfalls in place this Summer. Never has a Winter passed so slowly since I had my own water to manage. I imagine many of you can sympathize with that feeling of your "Rookie Winter".

I am definitely going to be at the conference, it's just a stone's throw from Lincoln, actually. How is your pond - what do you have going on?

Ric, I don't know about smart, but I sure am a lucky bugger.

Tj, Fishin in Montana sounds really great, someday I got to see Yellowstone.
You really have your work cut out with all those ponds, but it sure is satisfying when things come togeather, and it doesn't hurt to have expert advice and a dentist to boot.
Even though I enjoy snowmobiling I'm almost ready for spring to come also, my pond is under alot of snow & ice except for the small area open from my aerator.
I might add more Tiger trout, and have been thinking about HSB, but I'm also gonna build a cage and try to grow some larger pumpkinseeds, then bring them in next fall to a RAS in my basement.
Lots of plans, but you have to have something to shoot for!
Hope to see you at the convention.