Last year the state tried to save a buck by buying the off brand trout chow. Well, the trouts in the hatchery just turned their noses up at the generic stuff and the stocked fish were not nearly as big last year. The debate began that the smaller fish would have a greater impact on our states economy than the bucks saved feeding the trout the Great Value brand trout chow. Trout fishing brings millions of dollars to the state, particularly WNC each year.
Last week I had the privilege to take an up incoming fly fisher who is in high school to the delayed harvest section of the Green River. It was my first time on DH waters this fall. We were rewarded with big, healthy, feisty trout. I don't know for sure, but it seems that the NC Wildlife Commission was able to feed the fish the top shelf chow this year. Some times fly casters get labeled snobby, but who knew their finned quarry had such discerning palettes in their concrete holding tanks.
The fishing was really good, and I felt like I was cheating a bit catching 4 in the first 10 minutes. I gave my high school buddy some high sticking instructions, and after our 3 hours on the water, he managed to land his biggest rainbow ever. That was the coolest part of the day for sure.
Here is a big brook trout I caught. I can't call it a brookie, since this fatty comes from the northern strain of brook trout. This one looks like a bass almost, especially in the mouth. She looks like she had a healthy diet of trout chow at the Davidson River hatchery. I wonder, whats in trout chow anyway? Can you imagine what the "cheap" stuff was made of? Scary.
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