Power plant modifications are gradually progressing with the hopes of greatly relieving the acid deposition situation once and for all to the great benefit of many a trout fishery. And don’t forget the tremendous restorations made through liming sand or rotating drum limestone pulverization treatments at big-name trout fisheries the likes of the Blackwater and Cranberry rivers and Shavers Fork.

Fisheries Chief Mike Shingleton doesn’t believe that any new catch- and-release areas will be proposed for this year. He may be as perplexed as the next manager at the fairly recent and strong opposition that thwarted an additional catch-and-release area for the upper Shavers Fork of the Cheat River in Randolph County.

Somewhat astounding is the near universal practice of catch-and-release for bass fishing, while the recent tagging study confirms that it is in fact the exception for trout! Go figure, and there seems to be a definite “class” struggle between the perceived elitists fly-fishing and bait-fishing trout anglers. Liking to use whatever works to catch the most fish at the time is what it’s all about. Furthermore, there are too few of us anglers to be dividing and conquering ourselves.

At times, there may also be a bit of a rift between resident and out-of-state anglers. If it’s any consolation, the trout-tagging study reveals that Mountaineers caught 90 percent of the stocked trout. The true sportsman will welcome visiting anglers and maybe even lend a hand or a piece of advice. Many of us don’t get to visit the other states as much as we would like and would hope that a similar welcome wagon awaits us.

Astoundingly, anglers from nine different states caught the remaining 10 percent of our state’s tagged trout! We can take pride in that kind of tourist attraction that our trout fishery creates.

Before moving on to the hatchery situation and some trout-fishing tips, the native brook trout fishery should be further addressed. This delicate resource is a product of many of the state’s feeder streams. It needs to be handled with care -- catch-and-release fishing is a necessity.

Brook trout are the only truly native trout species in West Virginia. This species reside mostly in the higher elevation and national forest counties of the state’s eastern front. For example, this would include counties such as Greenbrier, Monroe, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph, Tucker and Webster.

There is an unwritten rule about finding and seeking your own brook trout streams as opposed to asking where they are. It’s kind of like you should always be helpful, but you don’t have to reveal your favorite hole or brookie stream.

For at least a lead, however, some of the tributaries of Shavers Fork, Dry Fork, Gandy Creek and the North Fork of South Branch in those referenced counties should get you started in the right direction. Seneca Creek, which mouths at the famous “Rocks” of the same name in Pendleton County, harbors not only brookies but also a self-sustaining rainbow trout population.

For another fair warning, Seneca’s small-stream wild trout can be as spooky as they get. For some trouting tips in general, we need to look no farther than that recent trout-tagging study again. Let’s ice that cake with a little tale.