Low Water Ethics

The issue of the day facing trout anglers in West Virginia is the serious lack of rain. It’s only the first week of July and water levels are already more typical of what you’d see in August or September of a severe drought year. The question is, is it ethical to fish for trout under such conditions?

We all know that a trout’s optimum water temperature range tops out at about 70 degrees…while that can vary based on several other factors, it’s as good a general rule of thumb as you’ll find. In these low, clear conditions with hot days and not much nighttime cooling, a great many of our trout waters are already at or near that critical mark. The good news is, within most streams there are “thermal refuges”—springs, tributary inflows, etc.—where trout can go to beat the heat, at least for awhile.

But if water temperatures in general in a particular stream are over 70 degrees, should we be fishing for those trout, even if we intend to release them? Most research I’ve read indicates that trout become extremely stressed if they have to fight against an angler under such conditions. The lack of oxygen in the water makes it tough for them to “breathe” and can cause serious lactic acid buildup in their musculature.

Think about running a long distance on blacktop on a 90 degree day under sunny skies while carrying a heavy backpack. Your breathing can become very labored and you’re likely to cramp up and otherwise encounter muscle stiffness and pain. While we humans can recover fairly quickly from that sort of exertion, trout aren’t so lucky.

Unfortunately, we in the Mountain State don’t have many options when conditions get like this. The spring-infused Elk Springs Catch & Release section of the Elk River tends to maintain favorable temperatures even in low conditions, and we have a couple of stocked in-state tailwaters on the North Branch of the Potomac and the Gauley River below Summersville Dam that can provide trout-friendly temperatures and decent numbers of summer holdovers. Those willing to travel across state lines can find refuge in the Savage & Yough tailwaters in Maryland or one of the many Pennsylvania spring creeks.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of most low-water fishing situations, anyway. The return on the effort in most places just isn’t worth it. The exception, of course, is the Elk, where the trout (especially the wild population) are really “on their game,” to borrow a phrase from my good friend and Elk River guide Dave Breitmeier. It is technical trout fishing at its best, with the added benefit that the fish have been de-sensitized to our presence to the point where they’re not nearly as spooky as typical skinny-water fish. Small flies, gossamer tippet, and brown trout up to 20” or better that might refuse a #32 black midge in favor of a #32 olive put all our skills as flyfishermen to the test.

One of my favorite Elk River summertime patterns is a brace of nymphs fished in the faster chutes and pocket water: a #14-16 beadhead pheasant tail on the point trailing a #18-28 chironomid pupa tied with nothing more than a red glass bead and red thread (a fly to which I’m greatly indebted to my TU brothers Tim Coffman and Shawn Modesitt for turning me on to). Of course, you can always pick up some fish on terrestrials, but I enjoy the challenge of fishing to selective trout and trying to match their chosen entrée. To again plagiarize Dave Breitmeier, fishing the Elk under conditions like this will make you a better fisherman.

Outside of the Elk and those other few spring-fed or tailwater streams, it’s my opinion that most WV trout should be left alone during low water, high temperature conditions. Let them find those thermal refuges and wait it out until the rains finally come again. After all, if we truly want what’s best for the resource, we need to be willing to make some sacrifices for the overall health of the fishery.