Life List Challenges
I'd like to set up some pages dedicated to various life list challenges. And it occurs to me that there are any number of ways to divy things up. Most (that I can think of) involve taxonomy or geography, or some combination of the two. California's Heritage Trout Challenge and Wyoming's Cutt-Slam are already well established.
bmooremountaineer has already suggested a char challenge. I'd be curious to know what others people think we should promote, or how to go about it.
Somehow, in my mind, there need to be a limited number. Too many just get's too confusing. But there needs to be room for people to discuss, modify, change--for them to grown in some organic manner. Any thoughts?
For the folks on the east
For the folks on the east coast, I have my own personal challenge - the Appalachian Brook Trout Challenge. I am attempting to catch a brook trout in every state in their Appalachian home range.
So far I have NY, PA, MD, WV, VA, TN, NC.
I had plans last year to pick up GA and SC but couldn't coordinate a date with my travel partner. I stopped by a KY brook trout C&R stream (the population is not verified) earlier this year but didn't have time to fish. I also need to hit the New England states. Ohio also has re-established a few populations but I'm not sure they are open for angling.
Chris
Prety Cool
Appalachian Brook Trout Challenge, great idea!
I would think that a complete
I would think that a complete cutthroat challege would be a must. At least 11 of 12 of the verified extant subspecies. I am not sure about the Paiute though (close in its native range and the refuge populations are very tough to access). Or maybe include the Alvord or what is left of it too for 13.
A Pacific Salmon slam would be good too. This one can be tough but is doable. Five species.
A rainbow trout challenge: All redbands/ rainbows: Coastal rainbow, columbia basin redband, great basin redbands (all 7), McCloud Redband, Eagle Lake Rainbow, Kern River Rainbow, Little Kern Golden and California Golden Trout. I think that the taxonomy is still to tricky on the rainbow like trout of mexico to include them.
The Arctic Char trifecta would be good. All three North American subspecies of Arctic Char. Very hard and expensive to do though...
For an international one an Oncorhynchus challenge, which would include ALL members of that genus. Most are in the USA or Canada, some in Mexico and a few in Asia (Japan).
I am not sure if we want to get into a state by state challenge, things will get out of control fast, I do like the idea of the Appalachian challenge for brookies. A brook trout challenge with the Aurora trout would be cool to though. These fish are found in Ontario and are basically brookies with no body markings. Way cool looking fish.
Taking the challenge out of challenge?
I think that for a challenge to be a challenge, it has to be inclusive. So if you're going to have a western cutt challenge, it would include the Paiute. If someone can go to a magazine and find a listing of the streams and then simply have to get out of their car, its not very challenging.
I think the trout of Mexico would be included as well taxonomy is a fickle thing, so you go with what you know, when you know it. Currently they're Oncorhynchus Mykiss I believe.
Char challenge? Take a good look at the once native streams of Ca. and explore a couple of tribs. Maybe the experts our wrong, maybe there are still Bull Trout in Ca. waiting to be discovered.
I once had a young fellow, barely out of his teens, if that, 19 maybe, contact me regarding HTC trout. His goal was to catch each trout native to the US. To make that claim, one can't simply leave out a species because it's difficult.
Remant Bull Trout left in McCloud Basin
Jim,
Unfortunately the experts are correct. The southern most end of Bull Trout that was found in CA is extinct. I went on a expedition with two other students from OSU back in 1994 and searched 9 tributaries (both above and below McCloud Res.) that had historical records of successful Bull Trout spawning. All we found were Rainbows, Browns, and Brookies. The two dams so radically disrupted the life history pattern of the McCloud Bull Trout (Shasta Dam blocked salmon there fore main food source - smolts taken out - Then McCloud dam blocked access to 75% of suitable spawning habitat below the first falls). Add the introduction of Brown Trout and Brook trout and their doom was sealed back in the late 1970's. Have hope. I am working with USGS and USFWS to develop a plan and project to re-establish a token Bull trout population in the McCloud Basin with an interior fluvial population from OR. Decades away but I hope will happen in our lifetime.
I think I first heard of the
I think I first heard of the "Southern Slam" (Rio Grand cutty, Apache and Gila Trout) on Dave's site. I think Gary posted his completion of the Washington State "Salmonid Slam." Michael Carl (EcoAngler) coined the phrase "Redband Roundup" for his trip to the interior basins of Oregon. I like all of those. One thing a buddy of mine is doing to complete his California Heritage Trout Challenge is to catch his 6 natives in stillwater. He's been doing lots of research and has been in contact with biologists from the Fish & Game departments verifying locations. I told him he may have to simply be wearing his waders and float tube held around his waist for some of the natives. One thing I did make an effort to do was to try to catch certain species in particular native waters, not just the easiest to access. Genetic purity played a big role, but so did the novelty of certain locations. I think it would be cool to catch as many namesake fish from their namesake waters as possible. There are several in California alone. One could fish the McCloud, Kern and Little Kern Rivers, as well as Eagle Lake for namesake trout. I guess Golden Trout Creek could work as well. One could fish for Yellowstone Cutties in, you guessed it, the Yellowstone River. Where else could one go? Do the Colorado or Rio Grande Rivers still support their namesake trout? I know, not the greatest idea, but it would still get one into some pretty remote and rugged areas I would guess.
Brook Trout Challenge
Okay what do you guys think of this one - the Brook Trout Challenge
Catch and photograph one of each of the following:
Southern Brook Trout - Brook from the southern part of their range
Northern Brook Trout - Brook from the northern part of their range
Coaster Brook Trout - A Great Lakes lacustrine life history brook trout
Aurora Trout - An Aurora Trout from Ontario - this is a brookie subspecies which lacks vermications
Sea-run Brook Trout - An anadromous brookie. There are still a few spots in the lower 48 where these can be caught, but they are best targeted in Canada.
I would think that this should keep most east coasters busy for a while...
I just heard that the
I just heard that the Federation of Fly Fishers does a Cutthroat Challenge similar to the cuttslam, any of you done this? I'm not a member so it is a no for me...
WOW!
The California Heritage Trout Challenge has really created some cool spin offs! I don't know of anyone achieving this FFF challenge, but in looking at it, seems they have some really specific criteria in angling ethics in order to qualify. No problem with that.