How to Preserve Native Trout Species, with Ted Williams

The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

James Hathaway

Bass, Fishing, Bonefish, Wilderness, Flyfishing, Trout, How To, Steelhead, Bluegill, Fly, Orvis, Sports, Salmon, Panfish, Education, Rosenbauer

4.8 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 8 April 2024

⏱️ 95 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The use of the natural toxin rotenone to remove invasive, non-native species of trout to protect native species is a controversial topic. Does it really work? What does the poison do to the insect, mammal, and bird populations? Ted Williams [52:36], a proponent of these tactics in selected waters, discusses where reclaiming populations has been successful and also places where it would not make sense. Ted is one of the foremost environmental writers of our time and is never afraid to stick his neck out, so you may agree with what he says or you may not, but you’ll learn some important biology in the process.

In the Fly Box this week, we have a host of interesting questions and some great tips from listeners, including:

A plug for Trout Unlimited’s “Trout in the Classroom” projects
What is your favorite rod for small streams, what size flies do you use, and where do I find the biggest trout in small streams?
Can I use nymphs in small streams? They have not worked for me.
How do you test water temperature? Do you need to suspend the thermometer deep in the water?
How can I catch walleye on my fly rod?
At what water temperature should I fish for bass?
How long do you stick with one fly before changing it, and what do you look for in new water?
Have you found any difference between painted and unpainted flies on streamers?
I want to do some writing about fly fishing. How do you handle criticism when you do this?
What is the best practice for tipping guides?
Do you recommend studs for rubber-soled waders, and how often can you remove them and then put them back?
On cloudy days I can’t see as much with my polarized glasses? What should I do?
How long does it take for trout to get back into their normal positions after a flood?
Should you present streamers differently in the early season than you would later in the spring?
The dry fly on my dry/dropper rig keeps twisting. What can I do to avoid this?
How do you get your fly to fish in deep water running along the bottom?
I keep breaking my tippet where it connects to my tippet ring even though I am using a lighter tippet to my flies. What can I do?

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hi and welcome to the Orvis fly fishing podcast this is your host Tom Rosenbauer and my
0:15.4	guest this week is the great Ted Williams Ted is one of the best environmental writers of our times and the topic is a controversial one.
0:28.0	It's one we've visited before and we're visiting it from a different perspective.
0:34.0	That's the idea of removing invasive species,
0:40.0	often brown and rainbow trout from a stream to reestablish native trout
0:46.7	populations or give the native trout populations a better a better chance to survive.
0:54.4	And I have mixed feelings about this as I'm sure a lot of you do.
1:00.5	But Ted is going to tell us about places where this practice has been really successful and why we shouldn't be terribly concerned about the use of
1:10.8	Rotenone poison to remove those invasive species.
1:15.4	And I think he has a lot of good points.
1:18.2	And it's an interesting conversation
1:21.1	no matter where you stand on this practice. I think I think you'll be educated and illuminated in the podcast.
1:30.4	But first we're going to do the flybox and if you have a question for the flybox or if you have a comment or if you would like to share a tip with other podcast listeners you can reach me at podcast at Orvis.com. You can either just type
1:49.0	your question in your email or you can attach a voice file and perhaps I'll read it on the air.
1:55.0	And the first one is an email from Pat from Vermont.
1:58.0	I have a quick plug for a program and a question for you.
2:01.0	First of all, thanks for all you do for the sport. I've learned a ton and I'm excited to keep learning. My plug is for a Trout Unlimited program. We all know Trout Unlimited, but one of the programs a sponsor nationwide is called Trout in the Classroom.
2:15.0	This program allows schools to raise brook trout from eggs in their classroom
2:20.0	and release them into the wild.
2:21.0	The program works in partnership with each state's
2:23.8	fish and game to get the eggs and to release the fish into appropriate waters.
2:28.6	This is a fantastic way to both inspire the next generation of anglers and conservationists.
	...

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