Formerly called blueback trout (and Sunapee trout in New
Hampshire and Vermont), these fish are now collectively referred to as Arctic char. Self-sustaining native Arctic char are now extant in no more than 12 waters in the continental United States—all of which are in Maine. Two of these have recently suffered introductions of invasive baitfish, forcing costly reclamation efforts to restore the fisheries and preserve the unique genetics.
There are several other viable—albeit introduced—populations of Arctic char in Maine as well. A few more waters are rumored to have char, with no record of them ever having been stocked. Of the roughly 20 waters where native Arctic char still exist, have been introduced, or have been documented as having a presence, no more than 10 are places where you could reasonably expect to encounter one while fishing. The rest are long shots at best.
According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, there are 14 lakes and ponds in the state that contain Arctic char. This encompasses nearly 10,000 acres of water. Twelve are considered relic—or native. Two are the result of introductions involving fish trapped from Floods Pond. Nine are classified as Principal Fisheries, meaning that an angler has a reasonable chance of catching an Arctic char there. There are no plans for the further expansion of char.
Green Lake near Acadia National Park is a unique case. It has what is classified as a native Arctic char population. It is also one of just four native landlocked salmon lakes in Maine—and the only one where char and landlocked salmon historically overlapped. Green
Lake is a native rainbow smelt water as well. Smelt introductions have been responsible for the demise of Arctic char populations in other waters. The char in Green Lake are smaller than those found in other waters. This makes some question if they are not in fact dwarf Arctic char, which would make them arguably the rarest salmonids in the continental United States.
Big Reed Pond, in the northern part of the state, is ground zero for native char in Maine. The Nature Conservancy owns the land around this jewel of a pond,
Big Reed Pond. Bob Mallard
which also includes an equally rare stand of virgin, old-growth mixed forest. Unfortunately, Big Reed Pond was one of the two waters that recently succumbed to an introduction of invasive smelts. As part of a multi-agency effort that included The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, along with support from local sporting camps, guides, and anglers, workers were able to trap char from the pond, isolate them in a hatchery, hatch and rear enough fish to use as seed stock, reclaim the pond, and successfully restore this invaluable population of rare fish, all while keeping the genetics intact.
One of the most intriguing things about Arctic char is that these rare and beautiful fish are found within a few short hours of Boston and only an hour’s flight from
Bradford Camps’ Outback Camp on Big Reed Pond. Bob Mallard
New York City. That this remnant of the Ice Age has survived this long is actually quite amazing. Equally astounding is where some of these char populations are found. Bald Mountain Pond in Somerset County is just over an hour north of the state capital in Augusta. Floods Pond is located on the outskirts of bustling Bangor. The former is open to fishing, the latter is closed to protect a public water supply.
Most of the remaining Arctic char waters are located in the northern part of the state. Almost all of them are found off a network of unmarked—and often unmaintained—dirt roads. Most are also outside the power grid. This means that gas, food, conventional lodging, and general supplies are often an hour or more away, and subject to business hours that are conducive to profitable commerce in rural areas. As is the case with regard to Maine’s remote brook trout ponds, this can create something of a problem for the traveling angler.
Fortunately, there are a few traditional sporting camps that are located on, or near, char waters. This gives those seeking to fulfill a bucket list item (catching a rare and beautiful Arctic char) a place to base out of. These businesses offer lodging, food, guides, rental boats, and fly-in service, allowing the angler to focus on fishing rather than logistics. One sporting camp even maintains an outpost cabin on Big Reed Pond, which is now open to catch-and-release angling, and once again putting up wild native Arctic char to anglers willing to put in their time.
Fall arctic char from Big Reed Pond. Bradford Camps
If you think you can just show up at an Arctic char lake and catch fish, you are wrong. Arctic char are deepwater fish that come near the surface only at certain times of year: spring and fall. They can, however, be targeted with sinking lines at other times of year. Fishing for Arctic char is not a numbers game. It is a chance to catch a rare fish in a remote setting. It is a chance to do something that most fly fishers have never done, and never will do. It is a chance to do something truly special—hold a rare and beautiful remnant of the Ice Age in your hand for a fleeting moment.
After years of working to provide the level of protection due these rare fish, there have been several major breakthroughs. First was the so-called Heritage Char legislation. This prohibits the use of live bait on any native char water.
Trapped fall char. Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
It also prohibits stocking—with a provision for restoration stocking. Wisely, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife removed bait of any sort from all but one native char water. They also extended the no-live-bait restriction to the tributaries of these waters. But we could still do more—like a statewide catch-and-release regulation. This would seem prudent when you consider what is at stake.
BOB MALLARD has fly fished for over 35 years. He is a blogger, writer, and author; and has owned and operated Kennebec River Outfitters in Madison, Maine since 2001. His writing has been featured in newspapers, magazines, and books at the local, regional, and national levels. He has appeared on radio and television. Look for his upcoming books from Stonefly Press, 25 Best Towns: Fly Fishing for Trout (winter 2014) and 50 Best Places: Fly Fishing for Brook Trout (summer 2015). Bob is also a staff fly designer for Catch Fly Fishing. He can be reached at www.kennebecriveroutfitters.com, www.bobmallard.com, [email protected], or 207-474-2500.
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