Bangor fisherman catches arctic char. Here’s why they’re special.
Maine anglers love to share their fishing stories.
Paul Cook of Bangor – some of you may remember Lubec’s great man from his days playing basketball at the University of Maine – was among the first to respond to our request for fabulous photos of Pisces.
In today’s offering, Cook features one of the state’s rarest game species, Arctic char, which is also sometimes referred to as blueback trout.
“Elusive blueback trout at around 90 feet. Released safely. Piscataquis County. 13 inches. The first I ever caught,” Cook said of his catch.
Frank Frost, the regional fisheries supervisor in the Ashland office of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, is the state’s man of choice for arctic char.
“This is a rare fish in the state of Maine, but where they do exist they are in healthy numbers,” said Frost, who explained that the species can only be found in 14 of our lakes and ponds. .
“They are scattered far and wide, mostly in the interior highlands, in western and northern Maine,” Frost said, noting that there are five or six bodies of water in County alone. Piscataquis who retain the char.
Frost said Maine sits at the southern limit of the fish’s range and is the only place in the lower 48 states that is home to a native population of arctic char. Fish are much more abundant in Quebec, northern Canada and the Arctic.
Even so, they are not often at the top of the target species list for Maine anglers. Char hang around in cold, deep water.
Often, anglers who fish in these kinds of lakes are more likely to tackle brook trout and encounter trout.
“Most of the char captured are accidentally caught by people fishing for brook trout,” said Frost. “There are very few people who target char.”
He said anglers in other parts of the country, looking to check off species on their bucket list, are among those targeting char.
And don’t worry, if you catch a char while fishing for brook trout, it will probably be obvious.
“When people catch a char, it’s almost obvious it’s a char and not a brook trout,” Frost said. “If you had two side by side, you would definitely see the difference.”
He explained that brook trout have telltale worm-like markings on the back, while these marks are weak or nonexistent on arctic char.
Fortunately, the natural dynamics in place in the 14 lakes and ponds that are home to Arctic char, and the habits of Maine anglers, mean there is plenty for those who might want to pursue them.
“There is currently such a high catch and release ethic among anglers across the state that there is no worry about people catching them, handling them, catching them. mortality or keep them, ”Frost said.
Arctic char reproduce and thrive as long as they have suitable cold water habitat. In fact, they have developed the ability to transform into various distinct populations based on their location and environment.
In a lake in Iceland, there are four different forms of arctic char, each living independently and thriving after adapting to a particular type of habitat.
Thanks to Paul Cook for submitting photos and Frank Frost for his expertise on this lesser-known Maine game fish.
If you have a fabulous fish photo to share, send it to [email protected] and tell us, “I consent to BDN using my photo”. If you are unable to view the photo or video mentioned in this story, please visit bangordailynews.com.