If you’re a fly fisherman or -woman, chances are that you love trout. Sure, there are fanatics who prefer salt- or warmwater species (which I love, as well), but trout are at the center of the sport’s past and present. The future is what is really in question. A new report from Trout unlimited takes stock of our current situation in a comprehensive way:
This report details the status and trends within 28 separate species and subspecies of trout and char that are native to the U.S. Trout naturally occur in 38 of the 50 United States. Not included in this report are grayling, whitefish or the ocean-going steelhead and salmon, which will be described in a future report. Alaska will also be treated in a later report.
Of 28 native trout species and subspecies, three are extinct and six are listed as threatened or endangered. Excluding the extinct trout, 52 percent (13 of 25) occupy less than 25 percent of their historical habitat and are at high risk from at least one major threat. Nearly all native trout — 92 percent — face some level of risk.
If you care about trout, clean water, climate change, or any of the myriad issues that affect our coldwater fisheries, download and read this report. By educating yourself, you can help to participate in discovering a new way forward. . . .
Click here to learn more and to download the report.
The best way to create awareness about a problem is to start talking about it. I am glad that TU is trying something new…can’t say this enough either, if you see something say something.