Inside the Outdoors
Labor day brook trout

Labor Day marked the close of trout fishing on unstocked wild trout streams.

Over the years when water conditions have cooperated, I have had some of my best wild trout action from late August into early September. The nights start to cool off and water temperatures drop, triggering an increase in feeding activity among wild trout. Additionally, as the fall spawning season approaches, wild brook and brown trout are more aggressive in their feeding activities.

Yet, probably the number one reason I make an effort to fish every Labor Day is that, without exception, I catch the most vibrantly colored brook trout of the year on this date. This year was no exception.

Brook trout are beautiful. Their bright colors combine to form a wonderfully painted piece of art. As the fall breeding season approaches, they somehow turn brighter and even more colorful. The males are especially brilliant, painted in bright reds, deep black, bright whites, and an array of other colors.

Water conditions were low this past Monday. I didn't catch as many trout as I normally do, but I did catch one seven-inch male brookie that was spectacularly colored. His fins were tipped in bright white bordered by a dark black that transitioned into a bright red that dominated his fins. On his belly was a dark black band that ran the entire length of his belly. The black transitioned into a bright orange speckled with pepper.

Traveling up his sides, the orange gave way to bright red speckles surrounded by pale halos painted on the worm-like markings that made up his patterned sides. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

For those who have never beheld a spawning colored brook trout, it may not be too late. Although unstocked wild trout streams are closed to trout fishing, many of our smaller stocked trout waters also hold populations of wild brook trout. These streams are still open to fishing through the end of February.

Around here, most brook trout spawn during late autumn. Although it is not recommended to fish over spawning trout for ethical reasons, good fishing can be found through September and the beginning of October prior to spawning activities.

Right now only a fraction of the brook trout caught are wearing their fall spawning colors, but as we approach autumn more and more trout will don their fall attire. Perhaps they don't want to be outdone by the brilliant fall foliage that canopies their cold water mountain homes.

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For several years I have been hearing about rose rosette, a viral disease that has been working its way east from the Midwest, wiping out populations of multiflora rose. The virus is spread by a mite and once it infects a rose plant, generally it kills the plant in two growing seasons.

In southern Cameron County I have begun to see rose populations that are dying from this virus. The first symptoms are reddish brown spots on rose foliage. Then, the current year's growth will be red colored, especially within several inches of the tips of the bush. The foliage will look unhealthy and twisted, as if it were sprayed with an herbicide. The next year the whole bush completely dies and will not resprout.

Multiflora rose is a state noxious weed that is extremely invasive and heavily competes with tree seedling establishment in forest understories. Once established it is uncontrollable and spreads like wildfire.

To many this disease will bring a much needed relief to their multiflora rose problems. Unfortunately, the rose rosette disease is not specific to multiflora rose and also attacks our native roses. In the same area where I saw multiflora rose infected with the disease, our native, non-invasive pasture rose was dying.

Pasture rose and swamp rose, two already scarce roses, will become even harder to encounter in our wild areas as this disease becomes more widespread.