Karen Talbot (1972- ) Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), 2009. Watercolor on natural white, 300 lb., acid free; 11 x 15 in. (27.94 x 38.1 cm). Framed. Unsold July 2009.

Artist's Notes. July 2009. Laguna Beach, California - Brookies, as brook trout are often called, are actually not trout at all. They are, more accurately, a char (as are lake trout) from the genus Salvelinus, and in some parts of their range they are referred to as the brook char or speckled char. I grew up familiar with these beautiful fish in the mountain streams of the Mid-Atlantic. Later, as a fly angler, I have caught brook trout across the United States, including California. While I admire the beauty of this fish every time I see one, I increasingly fear for the unintended impact of its presence in some of California's most famed fishing streams. I hope my illustrations of California brook trout will help to raise awareness regarding some of the threats posed by this stunning species.

Indiginous to eastern North America, the brook trout has now been introduced to waters throughout the continent and abroad. In California, the brook trout was introduced to state waters as early as 1871, when 5000 brook trout eggs were shipped to the California Acclimatization Society's hatchery in San Francisco. These first California brookies were released in nearby bodies of water. A year later, the California Fish Commission carried out the first documented plants of brook trout (as many as 6,000) in the North Fork of the American River, the headwaters of Alameda Creek, and the San Andreas Reservoir in San Mateo County. Beginning in the 1890s, the brook trout was systematically planted throughout the state of California for the purpose of enhancing recreational angling opportunities in the State.

Today, more than 100 years after the first introduction of the brook trout to California waters, the negative effects of introducing a non-native species greatly outweigh the recreation benefit for many. For example, the California golden trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita), is now seriously threatened, largely as a result of invasive species of fishes such as the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), the brown trout (Salmo trutta) and the brook trout. Indiginous to a tributary to the Kern River (Golden Trout Creek) and the South Fork Kern River, the native habitat of the California golden trout (as well as areas to which it has been introduced) has been invaded by non-native species that either outcompete the golden trout or directly prey on it. To add insult to injury, both the brook trout and the brown trout spawn in the fall, which gives the young fish a significant advantage over spring-spawning goldens. The end result is that the California golden trout's genetic integrity is very much in jeporardy.

Many organizations are working hard to save the California golden trout, and I suggest you check out the following sites to learn more:

• www.caltrout.org
• www.tucalifornia.org

If you are an angler in the Eastern Sierras of Califonia, you may choose to do as my husband and I do: When appropriate, enjoy brook trout for dinner knowing that you are doing your small part to help save the California golden trout! Cheers!