Thats what I mean! Thanks everyone.
Thanks for all the remarkable reports. It is helpful to the whole angling community. Once again I am reminded there is great communication power in this web thing that is positive and valuable. Jake, remember, there are always impostures out there:) I have unstuck the Quickie post from the front page but would appreciate if you all keep sending the reports.
I have communicated both by email and conversation with our DNR fisheries Biologist, Marty Engel. The first sentence of his return email after reading your comments read like this. “We knew this would be the case”.
I will try and explain in a bit less technical terms. Marty is a sure footed goat(sorry for the goat reference Marty), confident, well respected in his discipline, and a scientist at heart. He is dedicated to our trout fisheries and we are lucky to have his skills. We both began wandering the trout streams of Western Wisconsin in the early 80’s and have compiled our knowledge with our feet wet and from slightly different perspectives. One perspective as scientific data collector and analyzer, the other perspective from angling and a clear understanding of science.
As we all try to uncover and understand the current “Catching” dilemma there is one factor that continues to stand out in my mind that we as anglers are missing. The factor is TIME and the ebbs and flows of Nature that accompanies change over time. As we go about our recreation, what’s happening now is remarkable. Few are finding fish under what would seem perfect conditions. But it is what has happened in the past must truly be considered in accessing the present. Lets take a short walk in time, this is where scientific data is invaluable.
In the 50’s the trout populations in this area were at an all time low, much, much worse than today. It is thought that a combination of weather, harvest and land use practices that contributed largely to the decline in our trout populations.
In the 60’s and 70’s this was recognized and a massive effort to correct the problems we had created was undertaken by those concerned with the degradation of our once prosperous resources.
In the 80’s there was the beginning of a rebound, an awesome rebound. Stocking of trout in most rivers, reasonably consistent weather patterns, an attention to land and resource ethic, but still trout populations were no where near what the levels that we have seen in recent times.
The 90’s are kind of getting known as the “good old days”. Documented photos of giant trout on the Rush. The Kinni’s numbers began to go off the charts with some of the highest naturally reproducing trout populations in the country. You have all heard the stories and many of you have first hand knowledge. For 20 years we have lived through the “hay days(hey days)” of trout fishing in the area. No skunks, High catch rates, Chest pounding, high fives, easy!
2000 to 2013. Many of you have angled through the best trout fishing we have seen since settlement. It has been incredible, but change has come, at least for the short term. Change is the Nature of the beast and should be expected but is hard to swallow. The change is somewhat predictable but tends to show up later in trout populations and catching because of growth rates, seasonality and unexpected natural catastrophes. This is most likely the case of what is happening in the currant. In 2012-13 the populations began to decrease. Two years of drought and poor ground water infusion probably lead to poor reproduction years. A year class or two is very weak, or not there at all. 2014 was marked by high water, after high water events. Shocking data shows that young of the year did not fare well and probably are taking a dirt nap in the Mississippi. That is 3 years of Nature and a whole pot of the trout we are used to catching. Here is one small example from 2014. In a very popular section of a river you all fish trout numbers went from 10,402 in 2012 to 3,042 in 2014. Now you will probably say that is still 3000 fish but the data was done before all of the summer flooding in 2014. Likely those numbers are far worse today. In another example, on another stream, the brown trout numbers went from 3,317 to 895 in that same span of time. I think you get my drift.
The Good News
Last years extra water recharged the ground water and filled the tanks back up. A mild 2015 winter and little to no run-off will likely have lead to a nice new young of the year class(we will only know this after the summer shocking surveys) that in 2 or 3 years will be bitting like mosquitos on a hot summer day. Keep your fingers crossed on the Nature thing. The biomass(bugs) appears to be in good shape as many of you have noted in your observations. This is a good thing. Also, quality(over 12 inches, I think)trout numbers are in good shape. These larger trout are more able to weather the adverse conditions of the past. However, because of metabolism of these larger trout they are not as likely to chase little midges and stones. Not enough calories for energy expended. Strictly from an anglers experience, I don’t see these fish getting more active until the water warms more. They tend to wallow in slower prime lies and eat what comes to them instead of chasing it down. Just an experienced observation and there always will be variables. Lastly, There are still reaches of all of the rivers that as of late last summer are holding excellent numbers of trout. Some of you I have spoken to have experienced this already this season. Realize there are a few anglers that have not posted here and have had some success catching this season. They have found some special places and most assuredly they are not giving up this information. I can tell in conversation after I have asked them, where they were? This question is usually followed by silence and then some cryptic description of some land marks and roads that are as far away from their spot as they can imagine. Well Done guys! I know right were you were! Well enough said. I am going fishing today. If I come home with a goose egg, I will still be living the real life.
Cheers
TIME
18 users commented in " REMARKABLE- Food For Thought "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackback10,402 in 2012 to 3,042 in 2014 and 3,317 to 895 followed by john mellencamp…Andy, are you trying to give me a stroke?
Hi Andy,
Hi Andy,
I have been out a few times and have had the same experience as everyone, but not skunked.
I went over to the rush thurs.3/12 and got one strike with one fish 13″ and that was it. Fri. on the rush I got 2 strikes and 2 fish, one 13″ and one 16″ all nice and fat, but not another single strike.
Hit the upper kinni today and fished an area I have never fished. I found a hole where I actually saw some large fish but no fish in the 7″-10″ range running with them. I did land 8 of them all over 12″. I didn’t see any other fish in any holes I fished nor did I get any other strikes other than in that one spot.
DNR DUDE may very well be right, sure sounds like it.
Kevin
Good looks like things are starting to pick up.
Bill
I thought you might like that, but I’ve seen you cast and your stroke seems to be just fine.
There are changes as you stated Andy, but this is also a time of creativity and thinking outside the box. The standard PT nymph drifted perfectly through a deep run with a small Zebra midge is not always the ticket. Regardless of fish populations sometimes we needs to move beyond what is comfortable or even what has worked in the past to open us up to new ways of doing Dances With Trout. 😉
I just came back from three days in SE Minnesota and there are plenty of fish there. Drought and high water have been as severe there as in western WI.
A dramatic change has occurred on the Kinni and Rush and I am not sure that drought is the issue. Take a look at the data for west central Wisconsin, http://www.aos.wisc.edu/~sco/clim-watch/graphics/pdsi-ts-04-l.gif, and you see that drought has been a factor over the past 15 years. Years where the fishing and the trout numbers have been good.
Something is amiss and the easy answer, drought, is not supported by either the data or fish and fishing in an adjacent area.
tworod
I would be somewhat naive to believe that something more is amiss or responsible for what we are experiencing on our local Western Wisconsin rivers today. I appreciate your comments. I tend to shy away from direct comparisons to other regions like Southeast Minnesota, or for that matter Southwestern Wisconsin because each watershed is unique in variables like rainfall, drought, stocking, land management practices, etc all come into play differently. As a trout angler/guide I am reasonably keen at following weather and its associate effects on our cold water fisheries. Many anglers use the web to find out what conditions are on any given day they plan to fish. Seasoned anglers will find water to fish when conditions are poor on their home streams. Some use both. For the last 7 years my entire income has been based off guide trips and the ability to provide what I consider “fishable water” to my clients on any given day.
As I understand it, drought(dry weather, lack of normal rainfall)eventually leads to low groundwater infusion into our streams through spring flow. I believe there is a lag effect and it is worse for the trout at certain times of the year as I understand. This data is analyzed by folks with more knowledge in hydrology than I, so my credibility to comment is limited.
However, My educated gut makes me reasonably confident that last years “perfect storm” flooding, combined with the boom in extra agriculture(land use practices) was somehow catastrophic to our trout. Land use practices are difficult to quantify, especially for the DNR. There is no clear formula that results in solid cause and effect data. We all know its there, but its difficult to prove, especially after the fact. Here is a few more words from the email Marty sent to me that I probably should have posted as well.
“Both weather patterns and land use will continue to drive natural reproduction and trout survival. Let’s hope for a great hatch this spring. The heavy rains last spring replenished groundwater and flow was strong all winter. With the mild winter there is a good chance we will see excellent reproduction this spring. For the next couple of years anglers will need to adjust their expectations to fewer fish but of better quality. There are areas on these rivers were natural reproduction and recruitment remained strong during 2013 and 2014”.
For now, I am patient, hoping my gut is wrong and looking for more answers to what I have seen and experienced. Time and time again with environmental issues we react with the passion that drives us to seek the truth. The truth is believed by the naive and nay sayers only after documentation. Mostly by then it is too late for those who live in the present. It is the peril of short sighted thinking.
I feel the love NorthHike:)
Given the (apparently) very sudden change, would it be possible to get going on some actual data collection?
I fully understand that what we are dealing with now are observations, not data. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would REALLY like to see some data.
Is it necessary to wait until summer to do some electro surveys?
I cannot help but think that if deer season in Wisconsin had opened to a similar result that we had when trout season opened, there would not have been a lapse of 2 days much less 2 weeks before some data collecting began to see if we, indeed, have a problem or just a temporary change.
Grouse
Grouse
I feel your anxiety. I am truly not sure what the protocol is but I can poke around and find out. The reason I asked for reports is to begin to collect that data so there is some record of what may or may not be going on. A small problem is that angling is truly an inexact science. 25 anglers with poor catching reports is probably not enough information to get the Bat Phone to ring at the commissioners office. Lets keep building a database the best we can. Oh, lets keep the deer hunter analogy’s to a minimum. More guys in blaze orange on the stream hunting trout might be the result if that northern deer herd continues to thin:)
Andy and the Herd,
I just want to echo and add to the good news section. The fish that have survived the harsh 2014 winter and then our crazy last spring are the fittest and the ones we want in the river system for years to come. And with an abundance of bugs and a mild winter this year, those fit fish are the ones who spawned, making the upcoming class years even more fit for their niche. AND these quality fish that I believe we do have some data on (I might be a little trusting of fellow anglers but I have caught and heard/saw photos of others catching more 14plus inch fish this year on the Kinni and Rush) will eventually turn into monsters as they have no competition from nearby class years as they were wiped out. AND, they will also weed out their young by feeding on those younger class years and catching 20 inch monsters on the Rush in Kinni will be the norm!!!!
On a serious note, I would also like to see some electro shocking data done this summer. Andy, with your connections and dedication to the Kinni, can you make the next Jackson Preserve volunteer event as an electroshocking event?
Andy,
I also wonder about the “perfect” storm scenario with respect to our local trout populations. In addition to drought you’ve also have a lot of development in St. Croix/Pierce Counties over the past 10-15 years. This would also negatively affect ground water levels. The 2013-2014 winter had extended periods of bitter cold. This could have had a noticeable impact if ground water infusion was limited. Add excessive spring and summer rains in 2014 with their potential for temperature spikes and you could have had a significant trout reduction “by committee” over the past 2-years.
If you go to the USGS site and access the graph from 10-1-07 to today you see that high water events occur annually. The highest CFS discharge recorded in that eight year period was in 2010 at over 4,000 CFS. Twice the height that we saw last year.
I believe you may be on to something regarding land use practices. I wonder if KRLT has any information pertaining to that given their stewardship for the watershed.
Thanks tworod
Am continuing to look at the variables.
Hyper
Shocking data will continue as usual each year by the DNR. A public relations shocking event may be a possibility.
JL
Well put, and that is the basis for the population decline thoughts. Throw in a few more “difficult to define” variables and you get 2015. 20 days into March without precipitation, and the hopes some other quirky weather pattern does not throw us a curve ball.
Hey Andy liked the article can’t argue with the logic about rivers cycling etc as it seems right but here it is a month later and was out yesterday and the two most disturbing things I saw (especially for mid-April) were 1) massive algae blooms with stressed, dying and dead fish (albeit suckers) and 2) a fine warm wet wading day with the water at and slightly above 60 degrees F … added to all this was a complete lack of aquatic vegetation just the algae which was a bright fluorescent color varying in shades of yellow to bright green ie sporting excessive nutrients from outside the stream … this was all on the Rush
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