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Just read Craig Mathews blog on the Blue Ribbon site http://blue-ribbon-flies.com/blog (post dated 16 Jan, 2011) and he mentioned the whitefish pop had crashed on the Madison. Can't remember the last time I caught one below Quake, although I stick with dries most of the time. Since whities are a pretty good indicator for water quality, this could be of some concern.
Regards,
Scott
... other than the whitefish being a "good indicator of water quality."Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottP
Whitefish are one of the few native salmonids we have out here, they have been around "forever", and they are a great sportfish in their own right. I often wonder why so many people seem to view them with disdain ( and that comment is not directed to you, for sure ). The little guys can provide some fun dry fly fishing during the winter when it can be difficult to find trouts, and the bigger fish can provide nonstop nymphing action in the river systems with good whitefish populations when the trout are sleeping off the cold in some deep hole or another.
I don't know this for a fact, but I do believe that whitefish also constitute an important food source for the trouts in the system - in the way of eggs, fry, and smaller whitefish, particularly for the big meat eating brown trout. The crash of a whitefish population might not have implications for the trout in the system so much for what it says about water quality, as it does for the part of the food chain that they constitute.
John
John,
Agreed; whitefish are fun in their own right and have saved many trips from being overcome by the smell of skunk (although I've had little success getting them to look up!!); they certainly kept things lively last fall on the Teton and SF Snake when the trout decided to take a siesta. It's going to be very interesting to see what data the fisheries folks come up with and how much of an impact it will have on the river ecosystem. This river's been through some tough times (whirling disease, Hebgen Dam blowout, thermal stress from that big solar collector called Ennis Lake) and has managed to bounce back; fingers are crossed.
Regards,
Scott
Speaking for Whitefish, I love catching them. They are good fighters, and are fun to catch. Right now, during the winter, is when Whitefish are spawning and the trout know this. Trout and other Whitefish target the little white to cream colored eggs and that is a good 'fly' to place under a nymph. While I have caught the vast majority of my Whitefish while nymphing (the biggest fly being a size 2 English Bait hook 'Gaff', which is a San Juan Worm variation) I have caught a few on small dries.
Larry ---sagefisher---
The decrease in whities really surprises me.Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottP
I've found the highest concentration of whitefish in the section of the Madison between Hebgen and Quake Lake. That's where I go.
Below Quake, the higher up you are the more whities I catch. You also need to fish right on the bottom. I caught a lot of whities last year, on some days more whities than trout, but I was direct line nymphing without a strike indicator. They will be in the faster water.
Craig also says there were few if any Epeorus in the river 15 years ago and now it one of the dominant hatches! --warmer water!!