The ‘Salter’ Trout Project
Sea-Run ‘Salter’ Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) by Mike Palmer, colored pencil (11” x 14”).
Sea-run, or ‘salter‘, brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) once inhabited many New England coastal streams. The Cape Cod region was famous in the 19th century for having world-class salter rivers – both the Quashnet and Childs River, as well as the nearby Mashpee River, were renowned for their fisheries. Today, there are only a handful of streams holding sea-run brook trout populations. Overfishing and habitat degradation from cranberry farming led to the declines. Through protection and ongoing restoration work, rivers like the Quashnet and Mashpee once again support healthy salter populations.
Unlike most landlocked brook trout populations throughout North America, sea-run trout are unique in that once the fish have spawned in the fall they migrate to estuaries to overwinter. There, the trout feed and grow in the relatively food-rich marine environment. They return to the rivers in spring before the seasonal arrival of ocean predators like bluefish and striped bass. The unique feeding ecology of salters make them larger compared to landlocked brook trout; this, combined with their skittish and elusive behavior, have made salters a sought-after recreational fish.
The sea-run brook trout project was inspired by local efforts to restore sea-run brook trout habitat to the Childs River, one of three major rivers flowing into Waquoit Bay. The Childs River restoration effort follows the successful restoration of the adjacent Quashnet River. Today, the Quashnet River supports an annual river herring run and a healthy sea-run brook trout population. Several years ago efforts to transplant trout from the Quashnet to the Childs River were successful, with the transplanted trout being re-captured in the Childs River in following years.
The Childs River restoration project is a large multi-organizational effort being led by the Falmouth Rod and Gun Club. Planning for the Childs River restoration work began in 2017, and the major work was completed by fall 2021. An old earthen dam, a road culvert, and two abandoned cranberry bogs were removed, replaced, and restored. A new sinuous river channel snakes along the shaded western perimeters of the open spaces that were once occupied by the cranberry bogs. Fish passage is now clear from the ocean to the upper reaches of the river valley.
The old bog surfaces were tilled to expose long dormant native plant and tree seeds. Tree stumps and trunks were placed along the river edge to provide shade and habitat for fish and aerial habitat for birds. Native saplings have been planted throughout the open spaces, with minor planting and landscape expected to continue into the coming year. Similar to the Quashnet River, stream enhancement efforts will continue for some time. As nature runs its course, native plant and animal species will return and proliferate in the upper Childs River valley.
I began exploring the Childs River area in 2018 before the excavation work began. At the time the cranberry bogs, sand pits, irrigation ponds, and pump houses still remained. I’ve watched the landscape transform as the restoration progressed. The old bog areas morphed into ponds, wetlands, and flowing river channels. As the land healed from the restoration work and nature returned, I walked the trails and observed the regrowth. I watched, poked, prodded, dug, took pictures, sketched, and started to learn about the history of the Childs River valley and the new inhabitants of the upper river valley that I was encountering, or hoped to encounter some day!
While reading up on sea-run brook trout, the seed was planted to undertake a brook trout drawing. I started gathering reference photos, visiting other successful salter restoration projects like the Red Brook River in Wareham, and working on brook trout sketches. Over the course of several sketches, the form of the fish began to take shape.
The form of the fish seems to be the hardest part – what is the overall shape and dimensions of the fish – how do you make the fish look biologically accurate, but also aesthetically pleasing? The form of the mouth and snout were challenging and there was too much debate on the positioning of the pectoral fin, but ultimately I was really happy with the finished product and enjoyed the creation process. This fish was a pure joy to draw.
The real fun for this fish came in the coloring stage! The brook trout is a stunningly beautiful fish – its speckled sides explode with color. Spawning condition fish have a deep orange-red belly fading to a molted olive-colored back, all accentuated with bright red and yellow spots along the length of the fish. The featured image of this post is an example of a hand-colored finished sea-run brook trout, though each work is an original!
