new fly guy throughout the range. To the hard-core brookie angler, the search for small streams is known as “blue lining” since topographic maps show all streams as thin blue lines. In this article, part one of a two-part series, I explain how to locate potential streams based on information freely available and easily obtainable—we will set up your “Trout Command Center.” In part two, we look at how to do the map analysis needed to determine potential winners and avoid losers before driving to any particular stream. There is more information available now than ever before—there are no secrets. The first, and most important reason for abandoning traditional silence, stems from the need to identify wild trout habitat to protect it from uncaring or ignorant development. In areas where mining is or was prevalent, there are many examples where acid runoff destroyed a watershed. The North Branch of the Potomac in Maryland and West Virginia is the classic example of a river sterilized by acid until remediation started in 1994. While many of the feeder streams remain devoid of trout, the West Virginia and Maryland fisheries services recovered the main stem through aggressive liming to mitigate the acid continuously oozing into a reborn, but still threatened, river. A more recent example was the effort to protect a small trout stream just outside the Washington, DC beltway called the Paint Branch. The conservation organization, Eyes of Paint Branch (eopb.org), was formed in 1994 to preserve the ecosystem that allowed trout to exist. As a result of its efforts to raise awareness and restoration activities, the stream, so far, has been protected from the surrounding intense development associated with its proximity to a ma jor metropolitan suburb. The primary source of conservation motivated wild trout information on the East Coast is the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV—www.easternbrooktrout.
org). This organization has a broad partnership spanning state, federal, conservation and academic organizations with the noble goal of protecting and enhancing brook trout populations along the eastern seaboard. While the EBJTV focuses its efforts on brookies, there are plenty of brown trout in the same or surrounding waters that benefit as well. The data EBJTV collected allows anglers to identify, at the top level, key areas likely to have vibrant wild trout populations.
Once totally devoid of life, the North Branch of the Potomac is now a top fishing destination offering brown, brook and rainbow trout. With equal dedication, the various state fisheries services are highly motivated to inform the public. These agencies understand providing a robust fishing experience is critical to license sales to generate the associated revenue for outdoor related projects and activities. Tennessee makes the proud point that the Appalachian mountain range in the eastern part of the state has 625 miles of streams supporting natural reproduction of trout while the great Smoky Mountain National Park contains an additional 220 miles of wild trout water. Virginia is even more aggressive and happily advertises it contains over 2300 miles of wild trout streams. Many of the fisheries agencies are on board with the latest internet technology and supply interactive maps allowing users to click their way through
www.southerntrout.com | March 2014 | Southern Trout | 49