Title: Squaretails, Biology and Management of Maine’s Brook Trout

Author: Forrest Bonney

Copyright Date: 2007

Price: $10 at http://www10.informe.org/webshop_ifw/index.php?p=1859&c=12&storeID=2

ISBN-13: 978-0-9794363-0-7

Maine anglers and those who travel to the Pine Tree State in pursuit of trout have long been aware of the value of the brook trout fishery it provides.  Not until recently, however, has the unique worth of Maine’s wild and native brook trout populations been widely exposed.

Forrest Bonney’s new book, Squaretails, Biology and Management of Maine’s Brook Trout, comes at the heels of the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, a collaborative project evaluating brook trout populations throughout their native range in the United States.  Preliminary results from the Joint Venture are showing that Maine represents the last stronghold for native brook trout, containing more brookies in their historic range than any other state.  A heightened focus on brook trout in Maine sets a perfect stage for Squaretails, where Bonney attempts to provide a compilation of brook trout history, biology, and current status in the state from the perspective of both angler and fisheries manager.  

The history of fisheries management is rooted in the attempt to reverse declines in popular fisheries and maintain fishing quality over time.  While most people can easily relate to this concept, further understanding of the practice of fish management is often lacking.  Bonney attempts to bridge this gap in understanding between biologists and the public by describing in detail the research and data collection practices undergone in the fisheries field and why biologists do certain things.

In the book, Bonney, who has been a fisheries biologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for 34 years, illustrates perhaps the best case yet for responsible stewardship of Maine’s brook trout resources.  He describes the long history and current status of brook trout fishing in Maine, including historical accounts of trophy squaretails caught in the state, and changes in the fishery over time resulting from the decline of brook trout populations in many waters. 

Forrest Bonney not only thoroughly describes the biology of brook trout in Squaretails; he also documents a fairly complete history of research and management practices that relate to brook trout in the state of Maine.  He explains the current threats to brook trout populations, as well as the future research needs to allow for proper stewardship of this valuable resource well into the future. 

Mark McCollough provides captivating cover art and other illustrations, and Ethan Nadeau and others provide excellent photography and illustrations, adding a valuable artistic element to the book.    

Squaretails is the most complete resource on Maine brook trout currently available and is a must read for Maine anglers and brook trout enthusiasts everywhere.  This book, as well as a more technical version of the same content are published by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and can be purchased at http://www10.informe.org/webshop_ifw/index.php?p=1859&c=12&storeID=2 . 

A while back, I had the opportunity to see some cool pictures of tiger trout caught in Vermont by Maine resident Sean McAuley.  McAuley did what very few fishermen have the opportunity to do: he caught multiple tiger trout that occurred naturally in the wild.  He also took some great pictures of the fish and gave me the opportunity to post them here.

The tiger trout (Salmo trutta x Salvelinus fontinalis) is a sterile hybrid cross between brown trout and brook trout, and is very rarely seen in the wild.  Instead of looking like a typical hybrid with some coloration characteristics from each of its parents, the tiger trout looks completely unique.  It doesn’t just have the distinguishing spots and parr marks that other trout have.  True to its name, the tiger trout has extensive vermiculations along its sides that somewhat resemble the stripes of a tiger.   

It is believed that the cross between the two trout species results when a male brook trout fertilizes the eggs of a female brown trout.  While they spawn around the same time, brook trout and brown trout usually segregate during spawning, and do not share the same type of microhabitat for laying their eggs.  It is believed that brook trout typically tend to seek groundwater inputs for spawning while brown trout simply target suitable gravel.  Research has shown that brown trout and brook trout spawning redds seldom overlap, but in some cases they do spawn together, and tiger trout are documented in the wild from time to time. 

One of the reasons that the tiger trout is so rare is that the two species forming this hybrid are each in a separete genus, and have different numbers of chromosomes.  In other words, they aren’t as closely related as many other species that hybridize.  Brook trout have 84 chromosomes, while brown trout have 80. 

Tiger trout have become a popular tool for fisheries managers in a number of states, where they are bred and raised in hatcheries and stocked in lakes or reservoirs to provide a unique sportfishing opportunity.  Fish culturists have been successful in breeding tiger trout by heat shocking brown trout eggs, which adds an extra set of chromosomes and greatly increases survival rates.  Survival rates from fertilization in the wild are very low.

Because it is so rare in the wild, hybridization between native brook trout and introduced brown trout has not often been discussed as a threat to brook trout populations, while competition and predation by brown trout are believed to pose a more significant threat to native fish.  The tiger trout is truly a unique fish, only found in rare instances where brown trout and brook trout coexist, and I envy anyone fortunate enough to have the opportunity to land one!