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[Narration] A wise old trout fisherman once said that
trout unlike men cannot live except where beauty dwells, so that any man that who would
catch a trout finds himself surrounded by beauty.
No one would have guessed several years ago that rainbow trout could ever be caught in
Texas, summer waters were much too warm for trout.
But a trout fishery has existed in a short section of the Guadalupe River near New Braunfels
since 1966.
A side benefit in the building a reservoir solved the warm water problem.
Canyon dam rises more than 220 feet above the stream bed, but instead of the traditional
flood gate and spillway arrangement, release of water from 150 feet below the surface is
through the tailrace.
This water stays from fifty to sixty degrees year round.
But cold water isn�t the only requirement.
The stream bed must have sufficient gradient and irregular bottoms to create riffles and
white water.
Such action along the Guadalupe River, adds eight to twelve parts per million of dissolved
oxygen, quite adequate for trout.
For the next eleven miles, the water remains cool year round, with a low of forty-nine
degrees in February to a high of sixty-eight in July.
Enough larval aquatic insects, crustaceans, small fish, and plant life exists to provide
a well-balanced trout diet.
With this information, Parks and Wildlife Department biologists stock the shipment of
three thousand Rainbows in April, 1966.
In the next three years, thirty thousand fish, from six to eight inches long, were stocked.
These fish were purchased from a trout farm in Missouri by Lonestar Brewery in San Antonio.
For statistical purposes, each shipment had a different fin clip for identification.
A certain percentage had spaghetti straps installed.
Fishermen, who catch tagged fish, are urged to turn in information on their catch.
Since biological studies have proven that a trout fishery is feasible, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service has agreed to provide ten thousand trout each year for stocking.
These trout are raised in the Federal Fish Hatchery in Mescalero, New Mexico and brought
in by truck.
The fish are released in areas that are open to the public.
But, like other wildlife species, the newly stocked trout will migrate up or down stream
to any area they prefer.
With cat-like heartiness, the trout suffer no apparent ill effects from the drop.
One western state does most of its stocking from an airplane.
Access to the river is a problem, since most of the land is under private ownership and
is not open to fishermen.
However, fishermen may freely enter on U.S. Corp of Engineers property below the dam and
along highway rights of way.
Some landowners charge nominal fees for use of fishing camps, which have picnic facilities
and access to the river.
The streambed, of course, belongs to the State of Texas, and is open to the public for float
or wade fishing.
If you�ve never fished the river before, it�s best to ask directions at local cafes,
service stations, and tackle shops.
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[narrator] Trout mature in about three years.
In spring, the female deposits her eggs in a nest, which she fanned along the gravel
bottom.
After fertilization, the eggs are covered until they hatch.
Biologists do not know if the Rainbow will spawn and reproduce in the Guadalupe.
If they do, then Texas fishermen will get a bonus.
Other states have found that the normal spawn is not enough to fill the demands of fishermen.
These states stock yearly with hatchery fish to supplement regular spawn.
If the Guadalupe Rainbows do not spawn, the river will still be a quality put and take
trout fishery.
Many other states operate similar trout fisheries, since they provide high quality, outdoor recreation
at a reasonable cost.
Rainbow fry are relatively easy and inexpensive to produce under hatchery conditions.
Just because the trout were raised in a hatchery, don�t expect them to be tame or dumb.
Once on the hook, they put up as much fight as those born in the wild.
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[narrator] Texas fishermen accustomed to fishing for
bass, crappie, or catfish have to change their styles a little to catch trout.
With trout, a small landing net is a necessity.
In these days of complex living, crowded cities, and urban sprawl, man needs time like never
before to get away from it all�to think his thoughts and place his actions in perspective.
The wise old fisherman, who was a Michigan Supreme Court Justice and popular novelist�when
he was not chasing trout, was right.
The basic needs of trout are found only where there is natural beauty.
As long as this beauty survives along the Guadalupe, so will the trout.
Man, himself, can survive without beauty�or Rainbow Trout, either.
But isn�t it better that we don�t have to?
-o-
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Guadalupe Rainbows Transcription