SPORTSMANSHIP

Before setting out for a lake trout, consider this: it's an extremely fragile species, as are many other members of the Salmonidae family. Lake trout fishing has been deteriorating quickly partly due to the fishing pressures exerted on it and partly to a number of human errors. At one time lake trout were a viable commercial resource. The Great Lakes, for example, boasted yearly catches in excess of 7.5 million pounds. Today, this fishery is all but extinct as a result of the parasitic lamprey, pollution, and over-harvesting. In fact, most inland lakes don't produce more than 0.5 pounds per acre per year. Few fisheries show as low a yield as this species.

Fishery biologists are constantly trying to meet the demands of this fishery. Restocking efforts are increasing on both sides of the border. Even hybrids, such as the splake—a cross between brook and lake trout, are being introduced to make up for the dwindling resource.

Humans have manipulated the trout species so much that one wonders where it will all end. You hear stories of fishermen actually following hatchery trucks to fish the pools where they are released. Why don't these so-called anglers buy them right off the truck and stop boasting of how they matched wits against a great game fish?

If the lake trout were more like the crappie or the yellow perch, it could probably withstand these pressures. But its biology is such that it contributes to its own tenuous position in the aquatic environment. It grows very slowly, reaching spawning maturity at six to eight years old. Too many immature lake trout kills by angling may mean drastic depletion of future stocks. When they do reach breeding time, the lake trout's spawning requirements are stringent. In cases where water is fluctuated for power or other human needs, lake trout are forced to spawn in areas dangerous to the survival of their eggs. And the fish is vulnerable to nitrogen narcosis, a condition similar to the one experienced by divers. When lake trout are taken in very deep water and forced to the surface with rod and reel, they are exposed to changing pressures that can create internal problems. Expanding gases in its air sac are created by rapid decompression during its forced ascent to the surface and, in this bloated state, it will be unable to descend until these gases are expelled. You will notice this problem when your released trout appears to be having difficulty descending. Gentle playing of the fish can in most cases eliminate this undesirable side effect and allow you to release it. Leave a fish in the water if you're releasing it and remove the hook gently with the aid of locking surgical forceps.

These words of caution are not meant to discourage you from fishing for lake trout. By no means! It's a thrill that all of us should experience at some time. But that experience should be based on an understanding of the precarious, as well as challenging, nature of the species.

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