COURTESY OF JAMES PROSEK

FORMERLY KNOWN AS BLUEBACK TROUT, BLUEBACK CHAR, SUNAPEE TROUT,

SUNAPEE GOLDEN TROUT, SUNAPEE CHAR, SILVER TROUT, AMERICAN SAIBLING AND

QUEBEC RED TROUT, THESE FISH ARE NOW COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO AS “ARCTIC CHAR”

ORIGINALLY BELIEVED TO BE A FORM OF ARCTIC CHAR, “SILVER TROUT” ARE NOW KNOWN TO HAVE EVOLVED FROM BROOK TROUT. PRESENT

IN JUST TWO LAKES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, THEY WERE LAST SEEN IN THE LATE 1930’S

The formal name for Arctic char is Salvelinus alpinus

There are three subspecies of Salvelinus alpinus: S. a. oquassa,

S. a. taranetzi and S. a. erythrinus

Those found in Maine are known as S. a. oquassa, named after Lake Oquassa,

now known as Mooselookmeguntic Lake

ARCTIC CHAR ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO BROOK TROUT AND LAKE TROUT.

THEY RESEMBLE BOTH SPECIES AND CAN LIVE FOR 15 OR MORE YEARS.

JUVENILE ARCTIC CHAR FEED PREDOMINANTLY ON PLANKTON. AS THEY MATURE THEIR DIET INCLUDES MINNOWS, SNAILS, INVERTEBRATES AND INSECTS. MOST ADULTS FEED PRIMARILY,

BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY, ON MINNOWS.

ARCTIC CHAR ART…

BROOK TROUT VERSUS ARCTIC CHAR

COURTESY OF JOSEPH TOMELLERI

SILVER TROUT WERE ERRONEOUSLY BELIEVED TO BE A FORM OF ARCTIC CHAR

NOTED AS “BLUEBACK TROUT”

COURTESY OF MATT PATTERSON

NOTED AS “SUNAPEE COLDEN TROUT”

NOTE SAYS CAUGHT FROM “RANGELEY STREAM”…

NATIVE RANGE…

ARCTIC CHAR ARE NATIVE TO NEW ENGLAND, CANADA, ALASKA

AND EUROPE.

THOSE FOUND IN NEW ENGLAND WERE THE SOUTHERNMOST POPULATIONS OF ARCTIC

CHAR IN THE WORLD, AND PURPORTED TO BE THE OLDEST STRAINS IN NORTH AMERICA.

ONCE FOUND IN MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND VERMONT, ARCTIC CHAR

ARE NOW EXTANT IN MAINE ONLY.

THE ARCTIC CHAR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND VERMONT SUCCUMBED TO EXPLOITATION

AND THE STATE-SPONSORED INTRODUCTION OF LAKE TROUT, LANDLOCKED SALMON

AND SMELTS.

CURRENT ARCTIC CHAR DISTRIBUTION IN NORTH AMERICA

MAINE’S NATIVE CHAR…

ARCTIC CHAR WERE THE PRIMARY FORAGE FOR THE LEGENDARY GIANT “HUMPBACK” BROOK TROUT FOUND IN THE RANGELEY

REGION OF MAINE. THEY WERE LAST SEEN IN THE EARLY 1900’S.

MAINE’S ARCTIC CHAR ARE ADFLUVIAL, RARELY IF EVER ENTERING MOVING WATER.

THOSE THAT INHABITED RANGELEY HOWEVER ARE REPORTED TO HAVE SPAWNED IN

RIVERS AND STREAMS.

ARCTIC CHAR ARE A DEEP-WATER FISH, ONLY ENTERING SHALLOW WATER IN THE SPRING AND FALL TO FEED AND SPAWN

RESPECTIVELY. THEY UTILIZE ROCKY SHOALS FOR SPAWNING AND DO NOT MAKE REDDS.

THERE ARE JUST TWELVE POPULATIONS OF NATIVE ARCTIC CHAR REMAINING IN

THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES, ALL OF WHICH ARE IN MAINE.

MAINE’S NATIVE ARCTIC CHAR WATERS RANGE FROM 64 ACRES TO 3,100 ACRES. IN TOTAL THEY REPRESENT JUST UNDER

8,900 ACRES OF WATER.

MAINE’S NATIVE ARCTIC CHAR WATERS RUN FROM 52 TO 170 FEET DEEP, WITH EIGHT OVER 90 FEET — FIVE OF WHICH

ARE OVER 100 FEET DEEP.

NONNATIVES…

THERE ARE SEVERAL INTRODUCED POPULATIONS OF ARCTIC CHAR. TWO

ARE IN MAINE, THE OTHERS ARE IN COLORADO AND IDAHO.

NUMEROUS OTHER ARCTIC CHAR INTRODUCTIONS, INCLUDING AT LEAST FIVE IN MAINE, THIRTEEN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND

WATERS IN MASSACHUSETTS AND NEW YORK, FAILED TO TAKE HOLD.

ARCTIC CHAR RANGE IN THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES

NOTE THE OMMISSION OF THE COLORADO POPULATION…

ARCTIC CHAR RANGE (CONTINUED…)

AND A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT LOOK…

ARCTIC CHAR RANGE (CONTINUED…)

AND ADDING NY & NJ CREATES EVEN MORE CONFUSION…

WHILE MOST INTRODUCED POPULATIONS OF ARTCIC CHAR ORIGINATED FROM STOCK OBTAINED FROM FLOODS POND IN MAINE, THE POPULATION IN IDAHO IS REPORTED

TO HAVE ORIGINATED FROM NOW LOCALLY EXTINCT SUNAPEE LAKE STOCK.

NATIVE WATERS…

BALD MOUNTAIN POND

BIG REED POND

BLACK POND

DEBOULLIE LAKE

FLOODS POND

GARDNER LAKE

GREEN LAKE

PENOBSCOT LAKE

PUSHINEER POND (MIDDLE RIGHT)

RAINBOW LAKE

WADLEIGH POND

WASSATAQUOIK LAKE

LANDMARKS…

FLOODS POND RESEARCH STATION

RAINBOW LAKE TRAILHEAD SIGN

WASSATAQUOIK LAKETRAILHEAD SIGN

BIG REED POND OUTBACK CAMP

DEBOULLE PONDS AND TRAILS MAP

BLACK POND TRAILHEAD SIGN

THE FISH…

IN THE INTEREST OF SCIENCE…(COURTESY OF MAINE DEPARTMENT OF INLAND FISHERS & WILDLIFE )

DOES IT GET ANY PRETTIER THAN THIS?

ARCTIC CHAR AND SMELTS DON’T MIX…

RESTORATION WORK IN PROCESS

IN THE INTEREST OF FISHING…

COURTESY BRADFORD CAMPS, MUNSUNGAN LAKE MAINE

MAINE RECORD ARCTIC CHAR – 25.4”, 5.2 LBS (PUSHINEER POND, 2008)

MY FIRST NATIVE ARCTIC CHAR – SPRING 2015

BREAKING ALL THE RULES: CAUGHT ON A DRY FLY IN LATE JUNE

ARCTIC CHAR “FROM AWAY”…

DILLON RESERVIOR – DILLON, COLORADO

NOTE THE RADICALLY VARYING COLORATIONS…

PICTURE COURTESY OF ALPINE FISHING ADVENTURES, FRISCO COLORADO

STATUS…

ABUNDANCE:

TWO OF MAINE’S NATIVE ARCTIC CHAR WATERS HAVE WHAT MDIFW CALLS A “LOW” ABUNDANCE OF FISH, THREE ARE “MODERATE”, FOUR ARE “HIGH”, TWO ARE UNKNOWN DUE TO RECENT RECLAMATIONS AND ONE HAS GONE FROM “MODERATE” TO “LOW” DUE TO AN INVASIVE SMELT INTRODUCTION.

MAINE CONTINUES TO LOSE NATIVE ARCTIC CHAR POPULATIONS TO INVASIVE FISH INTRODUCTIONS.

• TWO ARCTIC CHAR WATERS HAVE BEEN RECLAIMED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS DUE TO INVASIVE SMELT INTRODUCTIONS. SUCCESS IS NOT GUARANTEED, AND ONLY IN ONE CASE HAS NATURAL REPRODUCTION BEEN CONFIRMED POST RECLAMATION.

• ONE ARCTIC CHAR WATER HAS SUFFERED AN INTRODUCTION OF INVASIVE LANDLOCKED SALMON. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE FISH WILL TAKE HOLD.

• A THIRD ARCTIC CHAR WATER HAS SUFFERED AN INVASIVE SMELT INTRODUCTION. IT IS BELIEVED TO BE TOO BIG TO RECLAIM.

(CONTINUED)…

• FOUR OF THE TWELVE REMAINING NATIVE ARCTIC CHAR WATERS HAVE YET TO BE ADDED TO THE “STATE HERITAGE FISH” LIST, LEAVING THEM VULNERABLE TO STOCKING AND LIVE BAIT.

• ONE NATIVE ARCTIC CHAR WATER IS BEING ACTIVELY STOCKED WITH NONNATIVE LAKE TROUT, THE SAME SPECIES BLAMED FOR THEIR DEMISE IN SUNAPEE LAKE.

• ALL NATIVE ARCTIC CHAR WATERS EXCEPT FLOODS POND WHICH IS CLOSED TO FISHING AND THE TWO RECENTLY RECLAMED WATERS ARE OPEN TO THE HARVEST OF CHAR.

• BAIT IS ALLOWED ON FIVE OF THE TWELVE NATIVE ARCTIC CHAR WATERS, INLCUDING LIVE BAIT (MINNOWS) ON ONE.

THREATS…

MAINE’S NATIVE ARCTIC CHAR FACE MANY THREATS. THESE THREATS COME

FROM WITHIN THE ANGLING COMMUNITY, STATE GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE LANDOWNERS AND MOTHER NATURE. THEY INCLUDE BUT

ARE NOT LIMITED TO…

• INVASIVE FISH INTRODUCTIONS SUCH AS SMELTS AND LANDLOCKED SALMON.

• STOCKING OF LANDLOCKED SALMON, LAKE TROUT AND BROOK TROUT.

• ANGLER EXPLOITATION AND LIVE BAIT (MINNOWS).

• ROAD AND BOAT LAUNCH BUILDING.

• CLIMATE CHANGE.

• A LACK OF POPULATION DATA.

CONSERVATION…

WE KNOW DANGEROUSLY LITTLE ABOUT MAINE’S NATIVE ARCTIC CHAR. ABUNDANCE

MEASUREMENTS ARE BASED MORE ON BIOLOGIST OPINION THAN ACTUAL DATA AND METRICS. MEASURES SHOULD BE TAKEN TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND PROTECT THESE

RARE FISH INCLUDING…

• INCLUSION OF ALL ARCTIC CHAR WATERS ON THE STATE HERITAGE FISH LIST.

• MORE DETERRENTS TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE FISH, BOTH GAMEFISH AND BAITFISH.

• DISCONTINUATION OF ALL STOCKING ON ARCTIC CHAR WATERS AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES.

• ARTIFICIAL LURES ONLY AND CATCH-AND-RELEASE ON ALL ARCTIC CHAR WATERS.

• FORMAL POPULATION STUDIES AND SCIENCE-BASED METRICS.

SHOULD ANY RARE ARCTIC CHAR END UP LIKE THIS?

MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF MAINE’S ARCTIC CHAR…

…IF NOT THE RAREST SALMONID EAST OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, WHAT?

…IF NOT US, WHO?

…IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

RUMORS OF ARCTIC CHAR IN FOLEY POND NORTHWEST OF MOOSEHEAD LAKE PERSIST, INCLUDING TWO INSTANCES WHERE MDIFW BELIEVED THEY HAD

CAPTURED CHAR DURING ROUTINE SURVEYS. THERE ARE NO RECORDS OF CHAR BEING STOCKED IN THE

POND OR ANY OF ITS TRIBUTARIES. THIS MEANS THAT THERE MAY BE AN UNDOCUMENTED REMNANT NATIVE POPULATION, PROVING ONCE AGAIN HOW LITTLE WE KNOW ABOUT THESE RARE AND FASCINATING FISH.

BOB MALLARD BIO

FORMER FLY SHOP OWNER

REGISTERED MAINE FISHING GUIDEFLY FISHING, OUTDOOR AND CONSERVATION WRITER

FLY FISHING FIELD EDITOR AND PUBLISHERNATIVE FISH ADVOCATE

FLY DESIGNER

WRITING FEATURED IN

ANGLING TRADE

EASTERN FLY FISHINGFLY FISH AMERICA

FLY FISHERMANFLY FISHING & TYING JOURNAL

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MAINE OFFICE OF TOURISMNORTHWOODS SPORTING JOURNAL

ON THE FLYORVISNEWS

OUTDOOR LIFER.L. WINSTON BLOG

SO MUCH WATERSOUTHERN TROUTTENKARA ANGLER

THE MAINE SPORTSMAN

FLIES AND PHOTOS FEATURED IN

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BOOKS BY BOB MALLARD – NOW AVAILABLE

BOOKS CONTRIBUTED TO…

• 50 BEST TAILWATERS TO FLY FISH (GUNN)• 25 BEST NATIONAL PARKS TO FLY FISH (GUNN) • MAINE SPORTING CAMPS (SMITH)

BOOKS COMING SOON…

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AUTHOR

COLUMNIST

PUBLISHER & NORTHEAST REGIONAL EDITOR

BUSINESS AFFILIATIONS

BOB MALLARD

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