Those streams you plan on fishing this spring are not always as dormant as they seem. When it comes to brook trout fishing, Maine's streams hold an abundance of fishing opportunities. But, what is happening to their underwater world when the ground cover is holds more than two feet of snow, and the ice is over six inches thick?

I like to look at a stream as I do any other living organism. Each stream has its own character. Some streams have rough edges; other streams are smooth and silky. While hiking through the winter wonderland, I try to envision the stream in its younger years. Was it a roaring maverick or a shy newt?

Most streams in Maine are well aged. They are mature streams that have taken various paths before now. The organisms that live inside of them are also mature. They have adapted to various climate, water and environmental changes. With the advent of winter, stream temperatures drop and that effect the underwater world. Some organisms slow down or become dormant. Others, like beavers, will hold in their dens leaving the bulk of their work till spring. On occasion, the river otter will make visits to the beaver’s hut and at times cohabit with the beaver. Brook Trout are also less active, tending to congregate were stream flows are slow and where water temperatures are the highest. Sunny shallow banks create a warm wintering area but food is scarce.

Many nymphs are in their dormant stage and are waiting for the passing of winter to begin their metamorphose. They will create the Damsel, May and Dragon Flies of spring. But there are also dangers; dangers are lurking in the waters to come.

Many streams are affected by various forms of pesticides and fertilizer every year. These compounds are used to grow vegetables, protect trees and keep lawn grubs at bay. They can also wreak havoc with stream organisms. Check the warning labels on the products you use. You'll be surprised at what information the squinting eye can provide.

Winter freezes time. Contaminants near the banks are held in a death lock. They are literally frozen in snow and ice. And, if the stream organisms are lucky, they will be washed away with the heavy water flows of spring. But, washed to where? Will they have an affect further down stream?

I love looking at the winter stream, and I have been known to stop and gaze at its ravine as I enter the great woods of Maine. The stream is a living organism that is dynamic by itself. It will move and run away if you watch it long enough. It will grow legs and end up on the opposite side of a pasture. If only our time's eye where long enough for us to truly understand the multifaceted dynamics of the stream.

When I was a child, there was a brook not too far from my house. I learned to fish on the banks of that brook. My uncle would bring me from spring hole to spring hole, in hopes of igniting the stream’s excitement. He had seen the brook's full glory as a child, but somehow it's glory always eluded me; the fishing was slow. But, I still loved to fish it.

As I grew older, my love for fishing and the underwater environment grew. I started to understand things that were previously hidden from my eyesight. I couldn't see these things in my younger years. But, my mind's eye grew with time. I always remembered that brook. It was puzzling for me. It had teamed with life during my uncle’s childhood and practically stood still during mine. What could it be?

Time passed, I became a Master Plumber at the tender age of twenty-three. I changed water mains, ran sewer lines and plumbed homes. One of my responsibilities involved running water mains to homes where wells had become contaminated by a local landfill. The aquifer was poisoned and contained carcinogens and other harmful pollutants.

I began to reflect on the scope of that job. The wells were located on the same side of town as the brook. Was that brook affected by the same contaminants? I scoured a map of the city and searched for the roots of my childhood brook. It started in a small pasture adjacent to local farms. From there it pushed north away from its outlet. It zigged and zagged. And, finally, made its pass by the landfill that contaminated so many wells.

My thoughts reverted to when I was a child sitting on the banks of that brook with my uncle. The fishing was slow and we pushed further up stream to seek new holes. But, the further upstream we would go, the worse the fishing would become. Our efforts seemed useless. Today, I can see the reason. Our walk up stream brought us closer and closer to the land fill.

Today, I try to be aware of my actions. The paint cans that must be dried before bringing for disposal are also leaching contaminants into the air. I wonder what is affected by those contaminants? The batteries, the mercury switches, the plastics, all have an effect on our environment. Could they be posing a threat to under ground aquifers, the air we breath, and birds?

When I studied in Ireland during the eighties, Perrier had closed some of its wells in northern France. The wells where leaching arsenic from the underground rock beds. Could the same be happening today in Maine? Only future scientific research will hold the truth.

So, as we wait for spring to arrive and our favorite springs holes to open up, let's try to remember the effect we have on the brooks we are planning to fish. You may be surprised at what your mind's eye can provided when properly focused and properly aged.

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