Deer lake Brook trout

[bluegrouse bill]

I talked with a state fisheries biologist and since the Kokanee are doing so poorly at Deer the lake owners assosiation asked permission to start stocking Brook trout. The state said they could because there is no outlet where they can swim out of the lake and into federally funded Bull trout restoration areas. When I was at Deer last week the fish truck was pumping fingerlings into the lake & I think that might've been the first stocking of Brookies. But I know for sure that some of the net pens in the channel are going to be growing Brook trout from now on. Another interesting thing Bill (the biologist) told me was he can dump 10,000 kokanee into Deer & they cannot find them a month later. He said they just vanish & he only found 2 adults when he electro shocked the lake 2 years back. It's pretty obvious the Mackinaw & Smallmouth are eating the fingerling Kokanee as fast as they stock them. I remember back in the late 80's my family used to catch a lot of 18-20 inch Kokanee at Deer but it looks like those days are gone forever now... But on tIhe bright side I'm a big fan of Brook Trout (tasty)