The rest of each of these four appendages is red to orange. In fall, the male's flanks turn bright red to orange, depending on genetics. Brookies require clean, cool water to survive. They are an indicator species that has emphatically illustrated how badly water quality has deteriorated in central and southern Maine. Today, stocked browns and landlocks thrive where brookies no longer can tolerate the deteriorated water quality so often a direct result of shorefront development.
Maine is the last bastion of strong brook-trout populations in the Northeast.
Even in the Maritime Provinces, brookies are losing the battle. Those of us who have come to love and respect this indicator species hate to kill them anymore, although a few brookies do wind up in the frying pan. Without a doubt, this char is one of the world's finest eating foods, which cries for the flinty dryness of a real French Chablis to complement the delicate flavor. Here in the St. John Valley, the score stands at Spring 2, Winter 4. We had two days of bright sun, four days with snow flurries or snow, and other days sort of in-between.