(intense music)
- All right, here we go, we got a gold one on!
Yes! Nice one, Tim!
Little closer, little closer.
(water splashing)
Oh! I missed it, I missed it.
(music ends dramatically)
(film reel clicking)
(upbeat tribal style music)
(stone cracking)
- [Coyote] West Virginia is famous
for its wild and wonderful beauty.
The scenic peaks and valleys from a bird's eye view
are absolutely breathtaking,
but the beauty doesn't end with the landscapes.
This state is home to a plethora of stunning animals.
Many of which appear to have been selectively colored
from an imagination inspired by a box of brilliant crayons.
Today we are visiting the Smoke Hole Resort,
this landmark destination
is the perfect place for a fun family adventure.
And while they offer a variety of exciting attractions,
including some of the state's most iconic caverns,
we have shown up for the gold.
What's going on Coyote Pack?!
This location is home
to a unique color morph of the rainbow trout,
know as the golden rainbow trout.
Now with any luck,
we're going to be able to catch one
and get it up close for the cameras.
So if you guys are ready,
let's go fishing for gold.
Once again we have brought in the wildlife expertise
of Tim Brust.
You may remember our last fishing endeavor,
where we landed an ancient fish species known as the bowfin.
With Tim is the rod and real man,
and me as the nimble net ninja,
our strategy was a success.
The only thing that's different today
is Tim will be fly fishing,
an art form that requires patience and precision.
Now in this body of water,
we have five different trout species.
Of course it is the golden rainbow trout that we're after,
but there are also regular rainbow trout,
the native brook trout,
tiger trout,
and brown trout.
So any fish that we catch,
we're definitely going to take a look at,
but it is the gold ones that we are after.
Tim, how you feeling?
You gonna get a gold one on first cast?
- For sure.
- I like his confidence.
Let's catch ourselves some gold.
Now what's pretty cool about these golden rainbow trout
is that they are
created through something known as selective breeding,
and they first came onto the scene in 1949.
There were actually 10,000 fish that were gifted
from the state of California to the state of West Virginia,
and one of those fish that survived
had this unique golden color to it.
This fish, the researchers took a unique liking to him,
they started calling it Little Camouflage.
It was kind of ironic because, as a golden colored fish,
it wasn't technically camouflaged within the environment.
What ended up happening is this fish grew older,
they separated it from the rest of the fish
and nurtured it a bit,
eventually they were able to determine that it was a female.
They took eggs from that fish
and then began to start selectively breeding with those eggs
to create this golden strain of trout.
(intense drums) Oh, we got a fish,
we got a fish.
What is it? What is it?
Is it a gold one?
- Nope. - No?
All right, reel it in.
I'll continue that history lesson in a second.
(music intensifies)
Got it.
Yes!
Wow!
Look at that fish!
That is a monster rainbow!
Holy cow, that is a big fish.
Okay here we go.
Wow this fish might almost not even fit
inside of this container.
Coming up and over, here we go.
There we go, okay.
Now we can only hold on to the fish
for just a couple seconds,
rainbow trout are incredibly delicate,
but look at that brilliant coloration
that runs down the length of the body.
Now if you were to catch rainbow trout
of this size in the wild,
it would be considered a true trophy.
In this trophy pond here,
they do grow a little bit bigger
than you would typically see in the wild,
but the rainbow trout is not a native species
here in West Virginia.
Remember, only the brook trout is native
when it comes to the trout family,
but you can find these fish in the rivers here,
introduced by Department of Natural Resources.
So it is the rainbow trout where the golden rainbow
originates its original genetic line from.
Absolutely stunning.
Great first catch Tim! - Yeah.
- I would say we're hot on our track
to catching one of the goldies.
Okay, I'm gonna let this fish back down into the pond.
Ready?
Got an okay shot?
All right then.
There she goes.
Tim, you ready for some more fishing?
- Yeah. - Here we go.
Now, before we caught that fish,
I was starting to tell you
the history of these golden beauties.
To sum it up,
what started as an experiment
with Little Camouflage in the 1950s,
became a success story by the 1960s,
and this selectively bred golden fish
was officially dubbed the centennial golden trout,
and was revealed to the public
to celebrate West Virginia's Centennial in 1963.
That year, and every year since,
the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
has stocked golden rainbow trout
in rivers throughout the state.
This golden anomaly is exclusive to West Virginia,
making it quite the attraction
to anglers across the country.
So now that you know a bit of the history,
I bet you want to see one of these fish up close.
Perfect timing,
because Tim just got a bite on the line.
All right, here we go, we got a gold one on!
Yes! Nice one, Tim!
Bring it in slow.
Don't get in the rocks, don't get in the rocks.
Yes, yes, yes, yes!
Little closer, little closer.
(water splashing)
Oh! I missed it, I missed it.
Got it! Yes! (laughs)
Look at that fish!
Have you ever seen a fish that beautiful?
My goodness.
Nicely done, Tim!
All right, let's get the hook out.
Okay. (water splashing)
(sigh of relief) We've got a golden trout.
Here, I'm gonna hand you the net,
and let's get the fish gently into...
Don't lose you, don't lose it.
Okay.
Fish is inside the plastic container.
Look at this.
Okay, so can you see it okay from right there?
All right, we're gonna have to be very gentle,
we can only hold on to it for a couple of seconds.
Look how beautiful that animal is.
Now, it's really important to note,
that this is not the same golden trout
that you can find in the cold waters of the Sierra Nevada's,
this is a fish you can only find here in West Virginia.
This is the golden rainbow trout,
and as we said earlier, this is a specific color morph,
it's taken over half a century
to perfect the design of this fish.
Now, as compared to other rainbow trout,
they behave exactly the same way.
Apex predators, highly tuned at hunting,
lateral line that runs down the length of the body
that allows them to really hone in on their environment,
sensing vibrations,
knowing if a predator or any prey items are coming close.
When it comes to being male or female,
this is without question a male.
Look at that big hooked jaw.
Now when they reach sexual maturity,
that jaw begins to develop that hook, it's called a kype,
and it gives these fish such a distinct, gnarly look,
but nothing is more stunning than that gold-ish coloration.
Now, when you look at the front end of the fish,
see those big eyes?
They have incredible eyesight,
honing in on any potential prey item.
These fish specialize in eating small little invertebrates,
they'll even go after small baby crayfish as well,
specializing in things like freshwater shrimp.
Well I can tell at this point
that the fish is about ready to get back into the water.
Again,
you can only hold on to these animals for a couple seconds,
let me hold it up one more time so we can get a good look.
There it is,
West Virginia's very own golden rainbow trout,
an unbelievable creature.
And remember,
if you want to catch one of these fish for yourselves,
come to the Smoke Hole Resort,
I guarantee you with just a little bit of patience,
you will land yourself a golden beauty.
I'm Coyote Peterson,
be brave,
stay wild,
we'll see you on the next location.
All right, let's let this fish back into the trout pond,
we're gonna call it a day.
Every spring,
the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
stocks 25,000 golden rainbow trout
at set locations across the state.
So as long as you have a proper fishing license,
you're welcome to cast a fly
with a hope of landing one of these golden beauties.
And while you might be lucky enough to find
and catch one in the wild,
if you're looking for a guaranteed interaction,
all you need to do is visit the Smoke Hole Resort.
For more information,
or to book your next adventurous getaway,
make sure to visit their website.
Hey, Coyote Pack,
if you love Brave Wilderness,
and want to show off your fandom,
head over to shopbravewilderness.com,
and check out the new gear we just released.
Including long sleeve tees,
water bottles,
animal figurines,
and whole bunch of new t-shirt designs.
And don't forget,
join memberships,
so you can brave alongside me and the crew
on our next wild adventure.
(twangy music)
(music fades)
(roar)
(animal howls)