Michigan was Lake Trout, Grayling (gone by about 1900) and Brook Trout. I
believe before 1900 brown trout were introduced. Rainbows may have been
added that long ago along with steelheads (lake running rainbows). The
welland canal let in the sea lamprey which finished off the over fished lake
trout. It also let in the alewife which with no lake trout to eat them had
massive die offs in the 1960's littering great lakes beaches. Then Coho an
Chinook salmon were stocked to eat the alewifes. We also have carp like
everyone else. A few other fish that have been added, smelt, pink salmon,
Atlantic salmon. Some that didn't take Cutthroat trout, European whitefish,
American eels and gambusia. We even have weatherfish in one river. Then
from ship ballast round and tubenose gobies, ruffe and European flounder.
We have one of the most scrambled ecosystems in the world. No fisherman in
this state would believe that those trout and salmon don't belong here.
Last year-in-our native fish display-in-Outdoorsman (a large hunting and
fishing show) I had several people ask if walleye ate round gobies, I said
probably they return with why would we want to get rid of them then.
Remember steel head can be two foot long fish or bigger these guys are not
interested in 8 inch brookies. Personally brook trout with a fly rod is
what interest me. I practic catch lease on brook trout and eat all the
browns and rainbow I catch. The Steelheaders and the Trout Unlimited people
are a political force maintaining clean rivers here. The DNR will not ignore
these groups. People like us interested in what everyone else calls bait are
politically non existent NANFA maybe has 10 people in Michigan. Years ago I
went to a native orchid talk, the speaker said there will never be enough
people interested in these plant. If you want to save orchids join Trout
Unlimited , every time they save a trout stream they save orchid habitat. I
will be talking on native fishes to a Trout unlimited chapter next week.
Bob
Red Run (the Ghost River of Roal Oak) - because 70 years ago it was buried
in a concret tube and my tolet flushes into it.
A tributary of the Clinton River, Michigan
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