Brookies are the prettiest trout there are I think. Getting hard to find around here as the trend has been to kill them off and replace with native cutthroat. I’d rather catch the brookies.

Nice brookies, yum

The most memorable meal of my life was steelhead with chanterelles with butter on top. Cooked over a campfire.

Any of those brookies hatchery fish?

I can’t speak for MI, but in NY of the remaining 400 Brook Trout lakes and ponds in the Adirondacks that have not been contaminated with trash fish, there are only around 10 lakes with self sustaining Heritage strain Brook trout. Biologist claim Brook trout do best in a mono culture. Most of the remote ponds and lakes I fish are stocked from the air with heritage strain hatchery fish when they are around 4” long. Fishery biologists are working on reclaiming another 35 lakes that they think can become self sustaining again.
I can say, the Brook trout fishery in the Adirondack lakes and ponds is steadily improving, with the recent state record at 6 lbs 1 oz.. We consistently catch Brook trout 12”-20”. But remember the Brook trout life span is only 4-6 years on avg..

This is what they look like before going into the smoker

Alaska has quite a few stocked lakes. Usually stocked with rainbows. Not much flavor to them.

None of mine are, all wild fish.

Hope you guys have a good recipe. I'd eat trout if I was starving and be glad to have it. Have never eaten any fixed that was worth eating.
BUT id rather have some bluegill than every trout that swims. OR even better the belly steak off a 20 lb flat head. That is some gourmet eating...

By your comment you have never eaten Brook trout, which is actually a Char.

Yes I could tell those are wild native Brook trout. We still have many wild native Brook trout in some of our rivers and brooks.

They don't have the colors of wild brookies ...so I'd say stockies

Brookies are my favorite in the cold water cricks