Nebraskaland

OCTOBER 2015 • NEBRASKAland 57 MAP BY TRISHA SCHLAKE, NGPC GIS APPLICATIONS DEVELOPER MAP MAP MAP MAP MAP MAP MAP BY T BY T BY T BY T BY T BY T BY TRISH RISH RISH RISH RISH RISH RISHA SC A SC A SC A SC A SC A SC A SCHLAK HLAK HLAK HLAK HLAK HLAK HLAK , E, N E, N E, N E N E N E N E NGPC GPC GPC GPC GPC GPC GPC GIS GIS GIS GIS GIS GIS GIS APPL APPL APPL APPL APPL APPL APPLICAT ICAT ICAT ICAT ICAT ICAT ICATIONS IONS IONS IONS IONS IONS IONS DEV DEV DEV DEV DEV DEV DEVELOP ELOP ELOP ELOP ELOP ELOP ELOPER ER ER ER ER ER ER Larabee Creek e y k k Rushville ERIDAN Pine Ridge brookies look best in the fall when they take on vibrant colors for the spawn. and brookies he'd been landing. Instead, it was a hybrid between those two species known as tiger trout, a rare catch in Nebraska. Johnson, at the urging of a friend, applied for a Master Angler Award. His application caught the eye of fisheries biologist Daryl Bauer, who would later determine the 12-ounce fish to be a state record. Bauer said the Commission has not yet stocked tiger trout in Nebraska's streams. Rather, they're occurring naturally. As an indicator that brooks and browns are hybridizing outside of Soldier Creek, Johnson's catch was eclipsed in April 2015 by a 13½-inch, 14-ounce specimen Tim Engelland of Gering caught from West Hat Creek in Sioux County. Tiger trout in other parts of the nation have grown to be several pounds, so neither of Nebraska's state record fish of recent years is considered to be large by national standards. Anglers can be impressed, though, that such a species is making its presence known on its own in the Cornhusker State. The Commission is cueing on the success of those fish and has begun raising tiger trout in its hatchery system. They'll be given some time to grow before being released in Nebraska's streams, providing another draw for anglers. You can bet the state record will again be broken in years to come. On the Hunt Regardless of size, the trout streams of the Pine Ridge are a unique part of Nebraska's diverse angling scene and offer a chance at fish species not readily found in other locations. In a land known for its unique topography and the presence of charismatic creatures such as bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer and pronghorn, it seems only fitting that species familiar to the mountains of the West also exist below the water's surface. As hunting season gears up, you can bet there will be a set of outdoorsmen who walk the streams of northwestern Nebraska seeking to bag a trophy. The prized bag of which they will boast through stories and photos, however, will possess the colorful scales of the eye-catching trout rather than hefty antlers and horns of the region's likewise alluring big game species. ■

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