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Arctic Char
Arctic Char |
RON PITTARD GRAPHIC
TEXT BY GREG MCDERMID
While all species of trout, salmon, and char are
products of cool-water habitats, the Arctic char takes
it to the extreme. The northernmost-dwelling freshwater
fish on the planet, Arctic char thrive in frigid
northern waters bleak enough to turn their southern
cousins into ice cubes.
Remnant lake-dwelling populations of Arctic
char--locally called Sunapee and Quebec red trout--can
be found down the St. Lawrence corridor as far south as
Maine and New Brunswick, but the heart of char country
is the rivers and streams draining the Arctic ocean.
There, the species adopts an anadromous lifestyle that
produces spectacular flame-bodied specimens that may top
20 pounds or more.
Arctic char fresh from the ocean (above) have pale
spots, and subdued colors. Later in the summer, after
they've been in freshwater for some time, their spots
turn pink or red, and their pectoral and anal fins turn
red, with a white leading edge. The female shown below
displays the typical breeding colors of that gender.
Mature males typically turn a bright red over the lower
half of their bodies, and have more vivid colors
overall.
Fly fishers intrepid enough to seek fresh-run char on
the coast of the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and the
Ungava Peninsula will find themselves toe-to-toe with
powerful, aggressive adversaries on par with the more
celebrated salmon and steelhead of southern rivers. No
less of an authority than A. J. McLane described
fresh-run Arctic char as the strongest salmonid he had
ever encountered, just as likely to blaze upstream in an
uncontrollable rush as to turn downstream when hooked.
Arctic char are commonly confused with Dolly Varden (Salvelinus
malma), particularly in parts of Alaska where anadromous
populations of both species may exist. Both fish sport
pale pink spots, white leading-edge fins, and
outlandishly garish spawning colors. Generally, however,
char have a longer snout and larger spots on their
bodies. Arctic char may also be mistaken for brook trout
by the uninitiated, but close inspection reveals a lack
of worm-like vermiculations on the back.
The tactics for char fishing are relatively undeveloped.
Most anglers are content to throw colorful attractor
patterns, heavy with tinsel and fluorescent marabou.
While these are certainly effective in many situations,
my experience with fresh-run char near tidewater
suggests that more exacting imitations are sometimes in
order. In the ocean, char feed on a variety of baitfish
such as capelin, arctic cod, and sand lace, as well as
amphiopods and Mysis shrimp.
Char begin entering their natal streams in early summer,
in preparation for a two- to three-week spawning period
in the fall. Post-spawn adults remain in freshwater
through the winter, returning to ocean the following
spring. As a result, fish are typically available to
anglers in flowing water throughout the season.
Arctic char are a long-lived species (about 15 years)
that, like steelhead and Atlantic salmon, may embark on
several spawning runs between three- or four-year
intervals at sea.
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