What Critter Are You?

What Critter Are You?

Have you ever messed around with one of those silly sites on Facebook? You know; the ones that tell you who your soulmate is and what your friends will do when you die, stuff like that. Yes you have. Don’t lie. You know you can find out all kinds of important stuff on those sites. I fiddled around one not long ago. It was something like what animal are you. I got a tiger or a grizzly bear or something; I don’t really remember. It doesn’t make any difference; but it got me thinking. I do that one occasion actually I’ve been doing it quite often. I started contemplating what organism out there in the real world is closest to my feelings.

I came up with a Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Now I want you to know right now that we aren’t talking about those flabby, mushy, yellow fleshed things that come off the fish trucks. You know the ones that regurgitate corn or spit out a gob of play dough when you catch them. Nope, definitely not those. I hate those slimy things. I’m talking about real brook trout; the ones that were here before the forests were first ravaged, before numerous streams could no longer support any aquatic life. Yes, the real natives of Appalachia. The hardy survivors. Sadly, not the thrivers. Sometimes all we can do is just hold on.

The species has weathered a lot of turmoil. Just think back to what they have endured over a very short time in the grand scheme of things. Let’s just go back 200 years. Just think about it thousands and thousands of acres devoid of trees so humans could build cities. The trees were all gone; so what shaded the cold waters that they needed to survive? Nothing. But, they managed to hold on. Can you imagine what they thought (if fish can think) when dams full of logs were sent downstream to the mills? Imagine the impact to the streambed with millions of board feet of timber crashing downstream. Just think after they made it through that and things calmed down for a little while; the rains came. Yes, nothing on the mountain to hold anything back. Imagine the sediment clogging your gills for days and days. But, still some survived. Many did not.

They had to leave the larger waters and head into smaller, cooler tributaries when the larger, now scoured streams became too warm for survival. They could no longer grow to their normal size since they were now isolated in smaller, less fertile waters. The food was no longer available in these nearly sterile environments. It was now just a struggle to be lucky enough for a morsel of food to drift by. But, they managed to hold on. Then the orange water comes isolating them even more. They move farther and farther up the tributaries just to survive; often confined to just several hundred yards of stream. They have no choice and there is no way out. There’s nowhere for them to go.

Yes, I can definitely relate to the poor old Brook Trout.; except for the lack of food situation. I can always produce food unlike them. But, here we both are; making the best out of a bad situation and holding on. For how long? Who knows?

This is my April 2017 article for Two-Lane Livin (c)2017 High Virginia Outdoors ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

STRUGGLES

WV Brook Trout

Its tough out there in the real world and getting tougher everyday. Nobody will deny that this is a hard place to make a living. Living is a lot different than existing.

Before I go any farther; all of these photos were taken on October 2, 2014 in the upper-Roaring Creek watershed on the Rich Mountain Battlefield property in Randolph County, WV.

The first photo is one of two brook trout present at the culvert in photo number 2. I could see 2 brook trout, about 6 creek chubs and a few black-nosed dace present. This is the smallest of the 2 trout.

Photo 2

I know that this culvert isn't much of an obstacle and it is more so due to the drought that we are in. The rains we are going to get on Friday should make it passable for the spawning trout. but, still it is an obstacle. It does, however produce some current and mixing of oxygen in the water. The fish were all nosed up to it, before I spooked them.

The next photo, #3 is another culvert farther upstream. There were 2 small trout present there, also. They were probably 5 inches long and darted underneath the mini-waterfall.

Photo #3

If these fish could ever get upstream through this culvert, well they wouldn't have much to look forward to, as shown in Photo #4.

Photo #4

Who was it that once said that life is hard; harder if you're stupid? Yep, the poor little brook trout has a tough existence and it is made tougher by idiots. Think About It.

The trout in this watershed really do have a hard time existing, but exist they do. Many of the headwater tributaries are isolated due to acid-mine drainage. Somehow, the trout continue to survive. They don't flourish but they do manage to hold on; about like the rest of us around here.

(c) 2014 High Virginia Outdoors Photos (c) 2014 High Virginia Images ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

TU Fingerling Stocking-Little Kanawha River

Mountaineer Chapter of Trout Unlimited

BCTU and MCTU will be stocking fingerlings in the Headwaters of the Little Kanawha River on September 24th at 10:00 AM. We will be meeting at the Arlington Community building on Rt 20 Near Fiddlers Mill (about 15 miles South of Buckhannon on Rt 20). Due to the remote and rugged nature of this watershed we will need as many able bodied individuals as possible to get the fish properly spread out. Participants should bring a backpack (if you have one). If you have been interested in participating in a stocking, this is a good one to go to as it is an absolutely beautiful canyon.

Good News From Cheat Mountain

News Release: August 15, 2011

Hoy Murphy, Public Information Officer (304) 957-9365 hoy.r.murphy@wv.gov

Contact:

Steve Brown, Wildlife Resources Section Walter.S.Brown@wv.gov 304-637-2045

Stream Restoration Program Restores Access for Brook Trout

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and its partners have completed a major project to restore spawning access for brook trout in Beaver Creek of the Shavers Fork River above Cheat Bridge in Randolph County. “For the first time in 25 years, brook trout in the Shavers Fork mainstem can move upstream into Beaver Creek to their critical tributary spawning areas,” DNR Director Frank Jezioro said

Unique in West Virginia, Shavers Fork is a historic, high-elevation, big-river brook trout fishery. For more than a century, the river and its watershed have been impacted by activities such as logging and railroad construction that have reduced brook trout habitat and populations. Recently developed species restoration plans have prioritized both habitat restoration and removal of fish passage barriers between the mainstem and the brook trout’s spawning tributaries.
The DNR Wildlife Resources Section has expanded its highly successful Acid Stream Restoration Program to include physical habitat restoration as well as stream liming, in which limestone pellets are added to streams to neutralize acid rain and mine drainage. Director Jezioro said “New grant funding for stream restoration became available to us through congressional appropriations and the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture. This has allowed us to tackle additional habitat problems such as fish passage restoration.”
To build the Beaver Creek project, biologists worked with key partners at West Virginia University’s Natural Resources Analysis Center and others, assembling a team of experts with unique expertise and skills. The team included DNR biologists, WVU research scientists, stream restoration experts from Canaan Valley Institute, and railroad construction specialists from TrakSpec Railroad Corporation, based in Hurricane, W.Va. Because the project site is located on a remote section of railroad, all construction material such as logs and rocks and heavy equipment had to be transported to the site by rail. TrakSpec’s expertise and equipment was critical.
In the end, the team built a new, fish-friendly section of stream and a sophisticated complex of culverts, the centerpiece of which is a partially-buried 10-foot culvert containing a simulated stream channel. The project also doubled the flood capacity of the Beaver Creek culverts.
Midway through the project, a major design change was required to meet a mandatory construction deadline and to provide a design that could be more readily used for additional streams.
“The most impressive thing for me was the way the team pivoted to an entirely new design and pulled together to build such a high-quality project,” DNR Program Manager Steve Brown said. He added, “Major thanks go to the guys at CONTECH Construction Products who located a 10-foot culvert for us in a matter of hours and had it on site in three days. I also want to thank State Rail Director Cindy Butler and the State Rail Authority, which owns the rail, for their help throughout the effort.”
Looking to the future, Director Jezioro observed that the project is a good model for future transportation culvert replacements because it complies with all current and proposed Corps of Engineers requirements for fish passage through culverts.

**DNR**

Anticipation

The October sun melts a touch of frost. Water drips from the asters and goldenrods. Geese honk overhead, heading to a distant cornfield. A squirrel runs amongst the limbs of a tall hickory, searching for a meal. There is a crispness in the morning air. The hillsides are covered with hues of red, orange and gold. That smell is in the air. The smell of autumn.

I can remember the smell from decades past. The aroma of a new box of shotgun shells, Hoppes No. 9 and 3 in 1 oil. The shells had to be Peter’s True Blues, 2 ¾ inch number 5 shot, they probably just smelled better. I would carefully load them into my hunting jacket, always more than were actually needed. A black plastic trash bag was always placed into the game pouch. Yes, we actually sat on the ground. Even when it was wet. Carry along chairs and seat cushions hadn’t been invented.

Saturday has arrived, I am sitting under a huge beech tree in the morning darkness. Nodding off, fighting the effects of a restless, nearly sleepless night I await the mornings light. The shooting starts in the east as sunrise approaches. I can hear a rustling in the leaves behind me. Shortly thereafter, my first bushy tail on the season is placed in my game pouch. Squirrel season has officially opened.

Shotgun fire was heard in the hills around town during the entire month of October. The hills are silent now. The hickory and beech patches we were drawn to in youth are long gone. They have been replaced by impenetrable blackberry thickets. The memories of days spent stalking squirrels will always remain.

October has many things to offer the outdoors person. It is the perfect time for mountain biking, camping and hiking. Hunting seasons are opening and fish are gearing up for a final feeding frenzy, prior to cold water conditions. I caught my two largest smallmouths of 2007 on October 30th. The WVDNR will be stocking selected streams and ponds with trout between Oct. 12 and the 22nd. They usually put in a good number of larger brood trout at this time. They make perfect fillets for the grill. Bass and musky are on the feed at this time. The normally low water conditions make finding fish concentrations a little easier.

Squirrel season opens on October 9. Archery season for bear and deer comes in on the 16th, along with ruffed grouse and raccoon hunting season. Trappers should be finished with preseason preparations and awaiting opening day. The traditional fall turkey hunting counties will be open from Oct. 23 through Nov. 20. Other counties have different season lengths, be sure to check the current WVDNR Regulations Summary or go to http://www.wvdnr.gov/.

Most importantly, a squirrel season will be held for youths no older than fourteen, on October 2nd. Take someone out and start creating new lifetime memories. Get outside and enjoy the early fall days. Don’t get stuck in the I’M A GONNA rut. I’M A GONNAS never happen. Autumn is truly a season of anticipation.

This Article First Appeared In Two-Lane Livin
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Roaring Creek Project-2009

The date is July 10, 1861.Smoke drifts across the Roaring Creek Flats of western Virginia, it hangs like fog in the valley below.  On June 16, Confederate troops; numbering 1300, began building fortifications on the western slope of Rich Mountain which would become Camp Garnett. The troops surely utilized the abundant resources offered by Roaring Creek and its tributaries during their encampment. On this night, a comet passes overhead and is taken; by the soldiers, as an ominous sign. They were right: More than eighty will die - tomorrow.

One hundred and forty-eight years later, we can only speculate about the quality of the fishery present in the Roaring Creek Watershed at that time. We know two things: the fishery does not have the quality of 1861, and it can be improved upon now. Roaring Creek has fought its own battles over the years, it is a survivor. There is hope for recovery. Numerous tributaries of Roaring Creek have populations of brook trout which are isolated, due to water quality issues. Two streams are severely impacted by acid-mine drainage, effectively eliminating downstream life.

On July 25, 2009; representatives from the National Mine Land Reclamation Center, DEP and members of the Mountaineer Chapter of Trout Unlimited converged upon the Roaring Creek Watershed. The goal for the day was collecting low water flow data to compare with data collected from the April 18th monitoring workday. Selected sites were electro-fished to determine if fish were actually present in the watershed. Data collected includes: pH, dissolved oxygen content, conductivity, temperature and presence of metals. A flow-meter is used to determine the volume of water flowing at each site. The information from this data will be used to design a passive treatment system to improve the quality of the watershed.

Seven sites were electro-fished; brook trout were collected at 4 locations. One site proved to be too deep and wide for effective sampling, one unidentified, fleeing fish was seen at this location. Fish collected at 3 sites included a healthy mixture of black-nosed dace, mottled sculpin and brook trout. One location had brook trout only in its lower section and was possibly impacted by in-stream obstructions. The other two streams are known to have trout populations in the 1970s and are possible candidates for limestone sand treatment in their headwaters.

Late-afternoon storm clouds rolled in from the south as the four groups finished the day’s fish and data collection. The only attacks came from angry yellow jackets and “sewer bombs” in downtown Coalton. The day was a huge success; we have documented proof that the watershed of Roaring Creek is not dead. With the help of dedicated individuals, the watershed can recover and become productive once again.

A Deer Fly Float Trip

Fly Fishing - Small Stream Brook Trout

The clear-cut bakes, in the afternoon sun. Jewelweed wilts. A doe arises from her bed. She is thirsty and heads toward her favorite water source; a spot where water drips from a rock outcropping. She doesn’t have her pair of fawns to worry about. They were consumed by coyotes shortly after birth. She carefully moves downhill, through a blackberry thicket. Stopping near the edge of the logging road, she allows a trio of four-wheelers to pass. They disappear, she hurries across the road, nearing the sound of a swift flowing stream. She doesn’t water here, the water smells odd and has an acrid taste. She crosses the hemlock- shaded shallows. Deer flies swarm around her, she makes her way across the water. One fly is stunned by her flicking tail. The fly lands on its back and begins a downstream journey.

The northward flow takes her through swift, boulder strewn rapids. She emerges from the hurried current and swirls into a deeply shaded pool. She can see a patch of blue sky, as it peeks through the hemlock canopy. Onward she bobs, through a series of pools and rapids. Floating in the cool water, bobbing and swirling, she has by now been on her journey for a mile downstream. Riding the swift flow, she shoots between two huge rocks and glides into a long deep pool. The depth of the pool is nearly 10 feet deep, even at the summer’s low flow. She floats onward , seeing nothing except the shimmer on the water and an occasional water strider. She is stuck in a small mat of hemlock needles. The water’s velocity picks up; she starts into swifter water. The gradient is less now, her last quarter of a mile is through gently flowing riffles. The stream is getting wider and slightly warmer. She passes the legs of a Great Blue Heron, a muskrat sits on the muddy bank. The water course is changing directions, flowage is hitting her from the east, as she is being carried to the north. Slurp! She is consumed by a baby smallmouth .

Why was the journey of our fly so lengthy? The fly’s travels were in Roaring Creek, a tributary of the Tygart River, in Randolph County, WV. Roaring Creek is dead. Downstream from Coalton, aquatic life is nonexistent. I can remember, stories from old-timer’s of the past; they were “old-timer’s”, in the 1960’s. Stories of 16-inch native brook trout and meals of crayfish from the Roaring Creek waters. The water that once provided sustenance is no longer a producer of anything, except acid mine drainage to the Tygart River.



The Roaring Creek drainage area is the western slope, on the northern end of Rich Mountain, Randolph County, West Virginia. This area is also home of the Rich Mountain Battlefield civil war site. Native brook trout are present in some of the tributaries and some sections of Roaring Creek, above the community of Coalton. The lower section, downstream of Coalton, has the appearance of a quality trout stream. The only thing lacking is water quality. The fact that trout are present in the upper sections; leaves hope that Roaring Creek is not a lost cause. The stream could be a poster child for reclamation. The WVDEP,CVI, WVDNR and Trout Unlimited, could combine their efforts to bring back a waterway that has been in its grave for a century. What an accomplishment and story that would be. Deer flies wouldn’t have a extensive journey, prior to consumption either.

This article first appeared in Tale of the Pool. The newsletter for the WV Chapter of Trout Unlimited, in 2008.