THE QUEST TO CATCH MAINE'S RAREST FISH || For Wild's Sake: The Rare Trout Chronicles | Episode 2

Agree with the State doing what they said they were going to do. Start breeding more now.

They don't look like they have a blue back.

Thanks for this video. Maine should take a lesson from Lake Sunapee in NH where I live. Sunapee also had an indigenous population of arctic char that were so abundant that the shoals they spawned over each fall turned golden with the color of the fish stacked up. Through overfishing to supply NYC restaurants a hundred years ago and the introduction of lake trout and Atlantic salmon, the remaining population of native char were eventually consumed or cross-bred out of existence. A needless and tragic result from lack of foresight and natural resource management.

This video is much bigger than just fishing. Thank you for sharing!!

bogus regs. protect our wilds. plenty of places to fish for stocked fish

You've misspelled Char--- one 'r' only please!!--AG

The interwebs is so odd as are the dumb you tube algorithms the make my 'suggestions'. Tight Loops makes world class outdoors photo journalism/adventure/advocacy content, I buy all kinds of fly fishing gear, watch all kinds of fly fishing content, send money to environmental causes, and you tube thinks I want to watch all kinds of violent idiotic bullshit. I'm glad I found this outfit and subscribed so I can find it again. We are doomed, but we gotta try.

"The experience is what people remember." WHAT A BUNCH OF CROCK!!!! If you had caught no fish, you would be disappointed, if not, devastated. There would be no video. No telling of your story. Fishers go to catch fish. Not reminisce about the one that got away. Trying to justify all the money spent, time taken off work, and expectations dashed.

think it would eat black chicken to make black char

I've hunted and fished my whole life and the one thing I've realized is if you want something messed up get the government involved. You have to remember it about the money for them not really what is the best way to manage this resource.

Wonderful video, I think you guys should go after aurora trout.

Such an underrated channel!

If anyone is going to catch ‘em. You know it’s going to be Amy. She’s like a fish magnet.

I love it, everyone talks about how great this video is and it is BUT nobody talks about how they RUN their mouth about the name of the pond. You guys are not fisherman, YOU'RE WORSE! Upon easing regs, you blast it out for everyone to fish! Just awful!!!

You guys are incredible. Always just perfect films. I wish the PNW would consider utilizing these strategies to save its fisheries.

Maine native and the only fish I haven't caught in these waters are blueback, lake trout and muskie, great and deeply appreciate the video and hope the best for the blueback population!

Nice 🍭

I don’t like the concept of loving something to death. Thanks for bringing this fishery problem to light and for naming names.

Great series in so many ways. Thanks for sharing your world.

I’m hooked 🤩 Great story . The task seemed impossible, certainly wouldn’t happen in my next of the woods ! Loving the content, 1st class 👌Atb Tony 🇮🇪🇮🇪

Thank you for providing all these that are so special and recalled my respossibility of protecting the wild.

Beautiful story. Thank you from Australia. We are very familiar with non-native species invasion, the carp in particular.

You can only find native Blueback in Maine (Arctic Charr) And to go with that, Maine's trout fishery is truly spectacular! 695 Trout ponds and lakes account for 90% of native brook trout ponds and lakes in the US

It's incomprehensible that after sterilizing the lake, calling in the military to help and, against all odds, managing to reestablish an endangered fish population, that then whole thing was just tossed out. I have to imagine lobbyists of some kind were heavily involved. Fishing tackle companies, resort companies (perhaps planning a resort near the lake), maybe even a planned community around a golf course advertising as a "survival" redoubt with current global destabilization and climate change in mind.

Plans call for dumping lethargic rainbow trout on a regular schedule, boat rental concessions, a major supermarket just outside the planned community. All of which of course will require a major highway.
Motel 6 and Walmart won't be far behind.

I thought Maine's rarest fish was the Susan Collins Not Lying Smallmouth Bass

I was born and raised in Maine and have had the great fortune of visiting many of Maines hidden gems. I especially heart felt the comment by the guide that said just being on the water is all that is needed.
Being in the element is priceless, it is difficult to understand the rational of
the Maine government to put these areas and fish at risk. Seems they are oblivious to lessons learned. Great film Thank You

Please loose the music you don't need it and some of us can't hear what you are informing us through it.
Best of luck to the Mainers who are struggling with the restoration of the Blue Backs. In the late 70's
four of us struck out from Frost Pond Camps in search of Blue Backs and found some in Wembly pond
maybe 4 or 5 miles due South of the Maine/Canadian boarder. It was the second full week of June and
I think we lucked out because the fish were no more than 2feet down and came to a slowly retrieved "Woods
Special" streamer.
Thank you for the film.
Peter b

a beautiful fish.....a real char.....a landlocked jewel.....a canary in the coalmine,,,,,an important indicater species,,

Beautiful fish! Amy rockin the nose jewelry? Not

Just getting caught up 👍
Awesome series 👏
Thanks for the great effort you put into this

What set up did you use for catching them? what weight of rod and sinking rate of fly line?

This is just awesome. I am back and commenting again because you guys are fantastic. Your story telling is impeccably great! Like wow.

I want to say a lot but Im only going to say that at the last 1/4 of video you talk about man's regulations being a large part of the problem when it's a pond that got ruined by man's interference by illegally dumping smelts in the pond. Just seemed a tad off base to me.... Should have had more context about illegally dumping fish. It has been a big problem from at least the 70's to present. I don't think so much lately because of less people fishing and i think, better ethics. That pond can support a harvest and I would assume Bradford Camp will keep a tally on the fish that leave. Since they are the only guides that fly people in on that pond, guides, not people who own their own float plane. What I'm getting at is if the fishing starts to get a tad worse, they can change the laws any given year. I personally think they should start the Charr at one fish limit and BT at 2. They both grow really fast! We don't need food that bad and if someone wants to taste one, they can fly or hike their ass in and catch one, right? Nice video though! Im going up this fall! Might have to hike but waiting on a call from Bradfords.

Great film! Your videography, imagery and illustrations are simply masterful, but perhaps the most important part of your work is the knowledge and research that you bring to your topic. Your respect for the natural world is so very much needed today, and it's wonderful to see how you and your work reflect that respect. As a photographer, fly-fisher and conservationist, you push all my buttons! Please keep up your great work, and thank you.

Great stuff. Hope the bluebacks stick around

Wow......what an awesome trout species!!

You are great!!! Love your movies guys :)

Beautiful video, gorgeous char. Thanks for sharing this great video. Best of luck on your continuing journey. Keep the wonderful videos coming.

There are a few things I'd like to clarify in regard to the reclamation of Big Reed Pond and the subsequent regulations roll back. My intent is solely to make sure we are working with facts, as well as opinions from multiple sides. First is that while there's no reason for anyone to claim defeat, it's too early to claim victory IMHO. For the reclamation to succeed long term, recruitment will have to exceed mortality - natural and angler. I do not believe the charr population is is at the level it was pre-smelt infestation. I say that because the fish pictured, and others I have heard about, are notably larger than what used to be there. According to someone who used to guide the pond, the average was 10", 12" was a good fish, and 14" was exceptional. We are hearing reports of 20" fish. The large sizes could be a sign of low-abundance. If so, it's still growing and will eventually level off. Another concern is the long-term genetic viability of the population. In fact, one state biologist said the pond strain was likely already lost prior to reclamation. This is because by the time we acted, there were only 10ish fish that could be used for brood stock. Smelt were first reported in 1991. And while referred to as an "illegal introduction," they are as likely to have entered the system as a result of the legal use of live bait which was in place until between 1989 and 1990. In fact, a former fisheries director was quoted as saying, “The smelts in Big Reed Pond most likely got there via their use as bait, which was legal at the time.” the

Amazing videos, interacting with me😊😊😊💓💓💓

Yup those are char, I’ve seen tons of brookies in my life and never seen a burning orange belly like that… Wow, I can’t believe a harvest fishery is allowed on that rare a population, why? I’m Canadian and don’t think they would authorize that here. Maybe try breeding and stocking some in other lakes there?

Great job narrating Steve Rogers

If your guide isn't smoking a swisher sweet or black & mild wood tip... what are you even doing hiring him? lol

Why do they keep calling Arctic char blueback trout (a possible color variation of the Maine Sunapee trout and the western golden trout)?

I continue to be amazed by the quality of your work and the clarity of your message. I can't wait for the next episode!

This is a wonderful TL production!, it was so well done.
But I want to also add that the video’s ending message that ”the fisheries dept doesn’t care about the fish they only care about the fishermen” is not quite complete. The person that drove the 2010 reclamation is the same guy that subsequently relaxed the regs to allow for trolling and lures. The decision to relax the regs was based on years of post-reclamation data of fish growth and qty, compared to the available feed in the pond, it was a huge, careful, concerted effort involving aging, live netting, underwater camera work, and radio "collaring fish. The biologist spent a lot of time following up on the reclamation. The info collected showed an imbalance and a possibility that the existing population of brook trout and bb trout will become malnourished or even crash. So a thinning of the herd was recommended. This scientific adjustment was not adequately portrayed in the video. The result is that the biologist is getting a lot of knee jerk negative reaction to his science based moves to protect what we have there. He broke his back to save that pond and he succeeded, but as they say: “no good deed goes unpunished “!!!
But he has thick skin and the pond will stay healthy. Thanks all for the passion shown, its been a great ride for that body of water.

Best Fly fishing content by far just saying!

This is fucking amazing. This is the content we all need. Especially loving that its East Coast content

Sounds like you are leaving the land of the Brookies and headed out to see the cutthroat…
Maybe you will get out here to see the goldens?
Either way, film it while you can.