The Wild River rises in White Mountain National Forest near Jackson ands runs north to the Androscoggin River just east of the Maine border. It?s one of the North Country?s best, if little known trout streams. The U.S. Forest Service has just completed a study of the watershed, and as correspondent Rebecca Brown reports, their results include good news for anglers.
Sound: FISH 1
BFISH 1
When Mark Prout fishes for trout, he doesn?t use artificial flies or worms like most people. He uses electric shock?and it?s pretty effective. But he?s not fishing for sport. He?s trying to get a snapshot of the trout population in the Wild River watershed.
FISH 2 MARK PROUT We?re shocking a little deeper pool with some root wads in it, a little better cover
BFISH 2 Prout is the fisheries program manager for the White Mountain National Forest. He and a technician are showing how they conducted the first fish inventory of the Wild River in 20 years.
FISH 3: UNDERNEATH SOUNDS MORE SPLASHING, BEEPING
BFISH 3
Fishery technician Jay Melot uses a device called an electroshocker. He carries it like a backpack. Attached to it is a wand with an electrode at the end. Jay puts the electrode in the water. When the electroshocker beeps, it sends an electric current through the stream. The fish are temporarily stunned. They float to the surface, are netted, identified, and released.
MARK?s CATCH Mark Prout describes his catch.
BROOK TROUT MARK describes a brook trout
B FISH 4 The inventory shows that native brook trout are holding their own in the colder sections of the watershed?s streams and rivers. The trout are breeding successfully and their numbers appear healthy. In the warmer, lower sections, rainbow trout are thriving. And the rainbows are breeding too. This is a surprise, because rainbows are not a native species here. The state Fish and Game Department stocks them every spring, but didn?t expect them to breed.
RAINBOW TROUT Mark describes a rainbow trout
BFISH 5 The Forest Service is concerned with more than just trout numbers. It also wants to improve trout habitat. Because of logging in this part of the forest, the trees are still relatively young. Few of them have died and fallen into the stream. But dead trees are important stream habitat. They slow the current and create pools and hiding places for fish. They also provide food and shelter for the insects that fish eat. Fishery technician Jay Melot explains.
JAY MELOT 1 The literature states that this type of stream should have about 100 large pieces of woody debris per mile. Our survey showed about one piece per mile.
BFISH 6 So the Forest Service cut down big trees in other parts of the forest, brought them to this stream, and laid them in the water.
MELOT 2 When water first gets near the root portion of the tree that faces upstream it creates a deep hole?it creates nice wintering habitat. 52 Then it tapers off downstream about 15 feet, and that?s where the young of the year and larger fish will be.
BFISH 7 Melot says the results of the habitat improvements are easy to measure, and good news for anglers.
MELOT 3 After a two year time after we treated a site we?ve seen rainbow populations go from three before we treated it to about 155, so a pretty incredible rise.
BFISH8 and under it, FISHLAST Brook trout in have also increased, though not so dramatically. The Forest Service says it won?t recommend any changes to stocking next year. It will continue to monitor the Wild River watershed for habitat changes and the health of the trout population.
Reporting for NHPR News, I?m Rebecca Brown in Littleton.
