What happend to Brookies in the Hooch tailwater?

[Richard]

Bill,

Is DNR no longer stocking Brookies in the Hooch? I just realized the other day I haven't caught one in about 3 years. If so, why was it discontinued? Who do we complain to to get them back?

I sure do miss them. The last one I caught was about 3 years ago near Settles- a beautiful 19" one, my best ever.

Thanks

[phlyster]

I heard they only stock a few brookies once every two years. But, I duno!

[dredger]

The state quit raising them because it was too difficult. They are tougher to hatch and they require high quality cold water for the raceways to grow them, something Buford no longer has.

Check the archive here on the board. I think there is information on this topic.

As much as I love Brookies, we'll get more tight lines per tax dollar with the Browns and Rainbows.

[phlyster]

Don't some of the mountain hatcheries have brookies?

[Bill Couch]

Richard,
Dredger is correct. You will get more bang for you buck with rainbows and browns.

We kept brooks here for years, and stocked some, including our broodstock. You probably caught one on our brood fish. Brook trout need colder water to hatch than we have. To be successful, we needed to send them to Burton SFH where water temperatures were only acceptable once every two or three years. They were frustrating. We could barely keep a broodstock from year to year, much less produce enough to make it worth while.

The decision to drop brook trout was made about two years ago. I didn't make the decision, but will accept complaints. Unfortunatly we'll need to make major program changes to accommodate them in the future.

Bill

[Richard]

Bill,

Thanks for the info. It's just ashamed to me that water conditions have gotten so bad that we can't even stock our only true native anymore.

I just got inspired over the weekend in N. Ga. when I caught 2 brookies of a life time in one day- one just under 8", and the other exactly 8". It got me to thinking that I hadn't seen them on the lower Hooch in a while.

Thanks

[phlyster]

Hey Richard, please E-mail me and tell me about where you caught them! I already know all the brookie streams, and I won't tell! I am most curious! I always release brookies, and all wild fish!

wowills@mindspring.com

Thanx a bunches!
phly

[The Professor]

Richard,
Realize that until Buford Dam was constructed, there were NO trout in the Hooch. The Brookie is native to Georgia, but barely, in just a few streams up in the mountains. Most are still there, barely accessible except by "Xtreme" hiking, etc. They were never big or plentiful. The kind of fish that we saw on the Hooch was really no more native than the Browns or Rainbows.

[Richard]

Phylster,

It's no secret, I was on Tuckaluge Creek in Rabun County, a very well known Brookie stream. I think I just had some kind of good karma that day. The biggest Brookie I had ever caught previously might have gone 4". I'll probably never catch a native that big again, much less 2 on the same day. I will tell you I hiked in a fair ways from where the road ends before I even caught any. Most were about 3-4", which is typical.

Professor,

I know, I just think they're the most beautiful of all the trout. It's just disappointing that more habitat isn't availiable for them, even on an artificial trout stream like the lower Hooch.

[Owl]

Richard , you weren't there on Friday and Sat . were ya ? Can you get my hat if ya go back !!!!! http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/smile.gif


Owl

[Richard]

Owl,

I was there on a Sunday. I parked at the wildlife opening and hiked upstream. Where do you think you lost it? I'm up there fairly often. Describe it and I'll keep a lookout for it next time I go back- but that will probably be a few weeks. Bubba will probably find it by then.

I'm almost afraid to go back now, I'll never catch Brookies like that again. That was probably my lifetime's allotment- but they are still there.