Fishing where the fish are

A habitat restoration success story

It’s no secret that I have a special fondness for brook trout, so when I saw Mark Taylor’s article in Trout magazine, about the film Little Stream, Big Magic, it got my attention.

The film opens, as Taylor notes, with this advice any fisherman will appreciate.

“If you want to know the absolute secret to catching fish,” says Dustin Wichterman, “it’s to fish where the fish are.”

Wichterman is TU’s associate director of Mid Atlantic Coldwater Habitat Restoration Program. His work on habitat restoration in West Virginia is beautifully and thoughtfully captured in the film.

Wichterman, TU and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife program have been working together, improving brook trout habitat across West Virginia to restore the heritage trophy fisheries of the state. Here’s the kicker: they are doing a lot of the work on private land.

There is no question, a lot of important work’s been done on public land and it needs to continue. But the real opportunity is working with private landowners, like the ones seen in the film.

Hopefully success will beget success and more fisherman and landowners will work together to conserve and restore streams in their area. It’s also no secret; I would love to see brook trout restoration increased here in the Valley. When I see a film like Little Stream, Big Magic, my dream seems more real. Sure, a 24-inch brook trout may be a dream, but 12 to 18 inches, maybe not. The opportunity is too good to miss.

Be sure to watch Little Stream, Big Magic.