Read about Jack Duffy’s record brown trout catch.

Tom Remington

Once again Mother Nature has proven she is resilient and fiesty. There is a strain of brook trout that is native to only the southeastern portion of the state of Minnesota in their cold running brooks and streams. Back in the 1840s, these brook trout were pretty much eliminated by over fishing and destruction of habitat.

During the early 1900s, biologists began stocking these same brooks and streams with a strain of east coast United States brook trout. Stocking programs combined with bettering of trout habitat has brought trout levels up to what is believed to be healthy. Scientists also concluded that by introducing the eastern brook trout into the waters of southeastern Minnesota, it would destroy any of the native trout that might have been left.

But wait! A scientist named Loren Miller from the University of Minnesota has done some genetic fingerprinting and has determined that the native brook trout have come back strong and in many cases has depleted the eastern brook trout populations.

This genetic strain of brook trout found to be native to this region of Minnesota is strong and resilient. In this case, Mother Nature prevailed.

Tom Remington