On October 10, the Rapid City program of PHWFF headed out to Center Lake, in Custer, South Dakota, in search of some tiger trout.
Tiger trout are a cross between a brown trout and a brook trout, and since they are sterile, they dedicate all of their energy to feeding.
According to the Rapid City Journal , the state record tiger trout was caught out of Center Lake in 2015, weighing in at 3.225 pounds, crushing the previous record of 1.2 pounds caught in April 2012.
Despite their life cycle only concentrating on food, they are not an easy trout to catch.
The weather couldn’t have been better, sunny and about 60 degrees, and none of the dreaded “W” word. Participants used a stimulator, with a dropper underneath which is normal for the lake.
“These fishing outings are where the participants get the chance to take the knowledge they have gained from the volunteers and put it in action,” Rapid City Program Lead Joshua Osterbur said. “They get a chance to see what the flies they tie do in the water versus the trout.”
Only a couple of tiger trout were caught, but the participants enjoyed catching some splakes and brook trout.
Splakes are a cross between a male brook trout and a female lake trout.
The splakes are stocked in Center Lake by South Dakota’s Game, Fish, and Parks and are a blast to catch.
Osterbur would like to thank every single participant and volunteer involved with the Rapid City program.
“Without them, experiences like this would not be possible.”
To learn more about the Rapid City Program, please visit www.projecthealingwaters.org