Hot Water

I am now in Virginia visiting with state officials and private individuals about brook trout in the Shenandoah National Park. It has been hot, which means the streams are also getting warmer. As the water warms, fish move into spring holes, deep pools, or higher in elevation. As a result, I too have had to chase them higher up (see pick).

Brookies are doing pretty well in Virginia overall. But, given Virginia's Southern location, recent dry spells coupled with rising temperatures threaten to constrict the brook trout into higher and higher streams. It is unlikely brookies will ever disappear from the Old Dominion, but it is one state where it is likely range will shrink in the future if current temperature and precipitation trends continue.

More on Virginia later, I am beat! The fish are beautiful here!