Fooled by the brookies

[FarmerDave]

pcray1231 wrote:

1. Access to suitable water temps in late summer.
2. PH
3. Access to suitable breeding sites (gravel).

These two are all that's required...

See what you get for editing so much?

 

[Chaz]

PAgeologist wrote:
We did an assessment of a stream in Jefferson County impacted by mine drainage. We did macros and electrofishing surveys upstream and downstream of several known mine discharges.

The results were suprising. Upstream - abundance of insects, no fish, and good water quality. Downstream of the mine drainage - not much for insect life, poor water quality (moderate pH but high in aluminum and iron), but we found numerous native brookies and a wild brown and no other fish. Not sure what these fish were doing here and what they were eating. I couldnt believe that trout are able to live in that water.

Studies in SEPA by Mike and others indicate that the trout in AMD streams eat mostly terrestrials These include any bug that falls in the water, but especially aphids, the small millipedes that we see especially after rainfall, hoppers, crickets, inch worms and other stuff. If there are other fish present, trout are cannibals so they will eat their young, but you probably know that.
The brookies will take brown trout flies, and the browns will take the brookies flies. That's kinda weird.

 

[k-bob]

brookies may be the only fish in an acidic stream because BT cant handle the acidity, and baitfish, whose mouths are too small for terrestrials, can't handle the poor supply of aquatic bugs.