As fly fishers, it’s easy to get caught up in fishing for trout. I’ve always enjoyed fishing for various species. While I’ve never gone out and specifically targeted Whitefish, I’ve never minded when I found them on the end of my line. I think Whitefish are an underrated species and should be more respected. In this article, I give the Mountain Whitefish its due.
To be clear, the title is in reference to the 1992 film, “White Men Can’t Jump,” with Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure that Whitefish can’t jump; it may be that they just choose not to. The world may never really know the answer, but I digress.
The Whitefish is an underrated fish, in my opinion. A lot of people don’t give it the respect it deserves. However, I think there’s an argument to be made that it deserves more respect than some more prized species.
A Native Species
It may come to a surprise to some people that Whitefish are native to the Western United States and Canada. The Mountain Whitefish is one of only two salmonids native to Colorado. Historically, they have been found in the Yampa and White River.
It’s often said that, “trout don’t live in ugly places.” The same can be said for the Mountain Whitefish. We have no problem chalking up a tough day of fishing to just enjoying being outside in a beautiful place. How can it be that some people would rather catch zero fish than a bunch of Whitefish?
I remember a few summers ago, my brother and I did a road trip up to Montana to fish the various rivers there. One evening, down in a beautiful canyon that we had all to ourselves, I remember standing on a rock and catching Whitefish after Whitefish. I must’ve had 20 or so drifts in a row that ended with a Whitefish in my net.
It quickly became one of the most memorable evenings of fishing that I’ve ever had. I was in a beautifully remote place, sharing the moment with only my brother, catching a lot of fish. It was kind of how the movie made fly fishing out to be.
In many respects, the Whitefish belong in these places more so than the rainbows and browns humans have placed here. I’m not advocating that we remove all the non-native trout. Rather, I say we appreciate the fact that the Mountain Whitefish has a place in the river.
An Indicator Species
The Mountain Whitefish require clean and cold water to survive. Much of the reason for their decline has to do with habitat destruction and water quality degradation. So, if you have Whitefish in your river, be thankful. That means that your water quality is very good and that’s good for all inhabitants of that river system.
All over the world, rivers are struggling to keep their quality and habitat for native and non-native fish alike. If you respect Whitefish for nothing else, respect them for the fact that they can be the first sign of the direction your river is heading.
A few years back we had some bad mudslides that slid into the Colorado River, turning it red. Fish were actually seen come up out of the water sucking air, trying their best to survive. There was some serious fish kill.
On that same stretch of river, I’ve caught several whitefish in the past couple seasons, which is a great sign of the river returning to normal.
Why the Whitefish Hate?
Suckers!
I suppose the Mountain Whitefish get the bad reputation from feeding primarily on bottom-dwelling aquatic insects, which would throw them into the sucker category. However, Whitefish have also been known to eat higher in the water column and occasional eat bugs on the surface.
Slimy and Stinky!
Yes, they can be slimy and stinky but come on, we’re fishing. Growing up, if I didn’t come back to the house with dirty pants and stinky hands it was a bad fishing day.
They Don’t Jump!
I’ve always found Whitefish to fight just as hard as trout, if not harder. Yeah, they don’t jump but that hardly makes them a less than desirable species to catch. Pike don’t jump. Redfish don’t jump. I have plenty of fun catching both of those species, despite their lack of aerial acrobatics.
Too Easy to Catch?!
Don’t most anglers go out to catch fish and come back like a whipped schoolboy when they don’t?! It’s this type of attitude that give fly anglers a bad name.
Perhaps, I’m just sentimental because the Mountain Whitefish was the first fish I caught on a fly rod. I remember how much joy that fish brought me. After a week of fishing with no luck, I was just happy to have something on the end of my line.
I guess it’s easy to be romantic about fly fishing. We want to catch a certain fish in a certain way. I believe this kind of thinking really forfeits the entire reason we go out and fish. Of course, we want to go out and catch some fish but if it ruins our day when we come up empty handed, is it really worth it? This stuff is supposed to be fun. If you’re not having fun while your fishing, maybe it’s time to pick up another hobby.
The beauty of fishing is the lack of guarantee, the optimism of what could potentially happen, and the focus it requires ensures that we can think of nothing else.
The beauty of fishing is the lack of guarantee,
the optimism of what could potentially happen,
and the focus it requires,
ensuring that we can think of nothing else.
Have you ever caught a Whitefish? If not, why not find some near you or even ask your guide next time your out West. I bet they’ve never had that request before. They might even be one of those people who despise the species, which gives you a prime opportunity to plead your case (as I’m doing here) to have more respect for a species that’s been here longer than we have.
LTF Guides is a guide service based in Western Colorado. We’ve partnered with two of the best outfitters and provide float trips on the Gunnison, Colorado, and Roaring Fork Rivers, as well as lakes and reservoirs around the Western Slope.
