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NC delayed harvest trout
- Thread starter lampern
- Start date
Same around here. Everybody often calls any wild fish native, but the specks are the only true natives.
I guess the reason many of us differentiate and call them different things is that native southern Appalachian brook trout are absolutely not the same as generic northern brook trout. They are genetically different, and also visually different, two totally different fish. The cutoff between the two is the New River drainage. A native speck and a stocked brook trout are absolute night and day difference, almost no resemblance in either appearance, habitat, or behavior.
These are native southern Appalachian strain specks:
And this is a non-native brook trout. They aren't the same, or anywhere near it:
deermaster13
Senior Member
Yeah my buddies in Maggie and daddy's ole friend in Clyde called them specs. Anything stream "hatched" I were called wild. I catch several "wild" in Cherokee but they usually are around 7 inches of less. Definitely tell the difference in them. The only specs I've had the privilege to catch were in Catalochee and a few in Cades cove. Very nice pics to explain hillbilly.
And, that's why we call the natives specks or mountain trout, and the doughbelly strain brook trout. Even wild northern strain ones don't look the same as the specks.
Resica
Senior Member
Your top picture looks exactly like native Brookies up north, especially towards the fall with breeding colors. Brookies, speckled trout, whatever you want to call them, look different at different times of the year and different waters have different colors of trout. I'm speaking of native trout, not stocked fish. Your bottom picture looks like a stocked trout. A southern native brook trout and a northern native brook trout are identical in appearance.
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We'll agree to disagree. I've seen plenty of both. There are streams around here with wild northern strain brooks that were stocked in the 1930s and 40s, and have been reproducing in the streams ever since. They look similar, but you can still tell the difference. And the genetics are a good bit different.
Resica
Senior Member
Not talking about wild, talking about native.
Resica
Senior Member
My native Chars look like your first 2 photos.
Resica
Senior Member
That would be great!. When I go fishing up at camp next time I'll get some pics. I tend to only fish for natives and wild browns. I have little interest in stocked fish. Off the top of my head the only non natives I like are wild browns and our ring necked pheasants when we had them!!
If I ever get up that way, I'm looking you up for a day of fishing.
Geffellz18
Senior Member
I almost certain there’s a gravitational pull on you that physically bounds you from crossing over the mason dixon!
His waters are just outta reach…
Seriously though, I truly need to get in these hills and try to hand a Speck/Brookie-whatever you want to call them. One of the prettiest there is IMO!
If you ever get up around the Smokies, give me a holler. I'll put you on some.I almost certain there’s a gravitational pull on you that physically bounds you from crossing over the mason dixon!
His waters are just outta reach…
Seriously though, I truly need to get in these hills and try to hand a Speck/Brookie-whatever you want to call them. One of the prettiest there is IMO!
Resica
Senior Member
There are so many native trout streams up here, if I fished everyday for 50 years, I'd never hit them all.
About the same around here.
Resica
Senior Member
Love it Steve!!
Geffellz18
Senior Member
Would be an honor-Seriously!
