Be a Trout Habitat Defender

There’s nothing quite like a day on the river fly fishing. A gentle breeze, the feel of the cool, clear river flowing around you, lush vegetation on the bank, and releasing a healthy trout back to its natural habitat. And if everything is done right, you’ve earned your superhero status as a defender of a healthy trout habitat.

But what does a healthy trout habitat look like? Why is it important to trout and anglers? And how can anglers be superheroes and defend trout habitats?

Why do trout need a clean, healthy, protected habitat? Close your eyes and put yourself back on the river. Remember that epic day of fly fishing where you landed your record setter, where you first took your daughter fly fishing for the first time, or maybe it’s where you and your buddies shared laughs, a couple of beers, and fish stories. Now imagine if there were no fish. Or the fish have diseases, deformities, or reproduction issues. It sounds awful right?

Trout need diverse, clean, and healthy habitats to survive, in the water and out. From clean water to diverse structures in the river and a healthy riparian streamside area on land.

A healthy trout habitat also keeps us anglers happy and doing what we love, fly fishing. With a healthy ecosystem, in the water and on land, we can catch and release more trout and that’s a damn good reason why we should care.

So we know why it’s important, but what does a healthy trout habitat look like?

Cold clean water is key to trout survival.

Water needs to be clean, free of pollutants, well-oxygenated, and cold.

Brown trout can live in warmer conditions for a short period, up to 80 degrees, but prefer 55 to 65 degrees. Brook and rainbow trout need similar temperatures, 55 to 65 degrees to survive. In summer months, cold water can be a challenge, and that’s where deep holes, shade from trees, and undercut banks can provide a cooler place for them to rest and eat.

A healthy river should also be messy! Down trees and logs lying across the river makes for great shade and protection from predators. Overhanging vegetation and undercut banks provide shelter, shade, and cooler water. Shallow riffles, deep holes, and boulders offer a variety of currents and depths. And shallow gravel bars are perfect for redds and spawning, while deeper holes are great for keeping cool during hot summer months.

Riparian habitats give life, shelter, and protection.

The land adjacent to rivers is vital for trout survival, but also challenging. Erosion, floods, and wildfires can all affect riparian areas. But so many species depend on its good health. Birds live and nest in the trees; trout, frogs, turtles, and other wildlife use the area for food, shelter, water, and shade. 

Vegetation such as grasses, bushes, trees, and other plants help stop riverbank erosion. Erosion is inevitable, whether caused by flooding or the force of water flow over time. The bad news about erosion is it puts more silt and sediments into the water, which can hurt water quality. It also destroys valuable riverside shelter and protection for our trout friends. If erosion is kept to a minimum, then a more stable, healthy, and protective riparian habitat is maintained.

Nom, nom, nom. Feeding time. 

Although trout will eat bugs on the surface, the majority of what they eat is underwater. Macroinvertebrates are small animals with no backbone that live on the bottom of rivers and streams. Macroinvertebrates start their life at the bottom of the river, and the best rivers are messy and full of rocks, wood debris, and algae, where they’ll spend the vast majority of their life developing underwater on these structures. Only a few weeks are spent out of the water before being eaten or naturally living out their short lifespan. 

As anglers, we love these guys and often try to find a fly that best imitates them. Mayflies, midges, caddisflies, and stoneflies are all aquatic insects and are the majority of what trout eat. And the more variety and quantity of macroinvertebrates there are, the healthier the water and the happier and fatter the trout. 

Diverse, clean, cold, and messy rivers are all staples of a healthy macroinvertebrate breeding ground. And that means more fat and happy trout.

So, as anglers, what can we do to keep our rivers and riparian areas healthy?

What you can do to be a trout habitat defender.

Here are some simple products and tips to use so you can be a defender of trout habitats.

• Wear UPF clothing and use less sunscreen. Sunscreen contains harmful chemicals that often pollute our rivers after we apply. Oxybenzone and Octinoxate help keep us protected from UV light from the sun. But, it has detrimental side effects on trout. Studies are finding that it harms reproduction and, in saltwater fish, can promote bleaching.

  Trout are also sensitive to odors, and if you apply sunscreen, then touch your fly or tippet, they can smell it, and you’re less likely to catch a fish. 

  So instead of wearing sunscreen that contains odor and harmful chemicals, wear lightweight UPF clothing. It still keeps you cool and, most importantly, protects you from harmful UV rays that cause cancer.

• No more lead weights. Lead can leak into the water and is poisonous, so instead, buy tungsten or tin weights. 

• Put your tippet in the trash! Instead of tossing your used tippet on the ground, never to be seen again until a cute little woodland creature eats it and dies (awful, but true), put it in your wader pocket, use a piopod and throw it out at the nearest trash can.

  And while you’re at it, pack out all your trash and recycle what you can. Don’t leave trash on the ground and in the river. It blows my mind just how much garbage I find along my favorite rivers, let’s be better. Pack out your empty beer cans, candy wrappers, used tippet, and all other waste and dispose of it properly. Give a hoot and don’t pollute!

• Buy gear that lasts. Buying better made and quality gear will last longer, and that means less stuff and materials wasted on the cheaper gear being produced more often. You should also take care of your gear, repair it when you can instead of just replacing it. Not only is this less wasteful, but it will save you money.

• Leave restoration areas alone. If a site is marked as a restoration area, don’t go tromping through it. It’s marked off for a reason, to protect, regrow, and help reverse the loss. A stronger and better-managed habitat means healthier land, water, and fishing!

• Avoid wading through redds. Redds are spawning grounds found in shallow water, usually closer to the bank, and consist of sand, small rocks, and gravel. During spawning seasons, look down as you wade and avoid these shallow gravely sections. 

• Volunteer for a cleanup, restoration project, or donate money to organizations that are protecting trout habitats. Trout Unlimited is a non-profit organization with a mission to conserve, protect and restore North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watershed. They have numerous ways you can get involved through local chapters, volunteering, education, and donating.

• Think globally, act locally. Find your local shops, non-profits, and events that are helping keep trout habitats clean, protected, and free of invasive species. Here in Oregon, there’s the Deschutes River Conservancy, Oregon Wild, McKenzie River Trust, and SOLVE. And be sure to call or write your local politicians, make your voice heard, and fight for protecting our waterways! 

• Spread the love and the word. Social media can be an excellent platform to advocate for healthy water and responsible fly fishing. Share your stories on Instagram or Facebook about what you’re doing to be a superhero. Post photos and share stories of you using products that are more eco friendly, grip and grin the right way, updates on your homewaters and what others can do to keep them protected and healthy. Be an advocate!

  You can also use hashtags like #keepfishwet, #catchandrelease #respecttrout, #responsiblerecreation #cleanwater, or what else can you think of?

Fly fishing is a privilege, a meditation, a connection with nature, and most of all, it’s fun as hell! So, let’s keep it that way forever and keep trout habitats clean, in good structure, and sustainable. Let’s be superheroes and leave future generations the joy of fly fishing in clean, healthy, and beautiful water.