Underwater Brook Trout Filming Help

Hey Guys,

I had no idea where to put this so, I'm leaving it here. I'm doing a thesis at Niagara college with Trout Unlimited, and we're working to do some rehabilitation on a stream network on Brook Trout Habitat. Right now we're doing thermal analysis from loggers until we do our geomorphic survey in the spring. In the mean we're also trying to get get some under water film of the Brookies. I've seen them, members of TU, and my advisor have all seem them. Like most small stream Trout, these guys are exceptionally spooky. If anyone had some advice on how we could approach filming these guys. We have two GoPros.

Once trout season is open, in a perfect world id just fish for them. That's not really an option as our goal is purely rehabilitation, and there doesn't need to be any more pressure on these guys.

Thanks Everyone!

They will be emaciated at this time of year, making for poor pics and clips.

To get them out of the woodwork, you could bring them food. Worms, insects. But that may be against the regs, so make sure to check.

I'd put the go pro on a long stick and slowly approach them from behind with the go pro in the water... Or you could rig something up so the go pro is stationary in the water and just leave it filming and wait for the trout to return to their lie, then just pull it back out with fishing line or some thing. That will be quite a challenge but sounds pretty neat, good luck.

Use the wifi feature on your gopro. Set it up in the right spot and tie it down to something, and then connect to your phone and wait in the bush until you see something and then start recording. Sounds easier that it will be lol

Probably have a better chance at dunking the camera into the native tank at Ripleys.

All I have think of is setting up a camera in Spring at the base of a waterfall or a riffle at the top of a pool and hope for the best. Perhaps coaxing the fish into showing their faces by throwing them some food. Once they're spooked I don't think there would be much of a chance to film them. I know guys up north that would hang road kill over their favourite hole and fatten the fish up with maggots that fell from the rotting carcass, would need warmer temps for that though. Interested to see what you can come up with.

Huronfly said:

I'd put the go pro on a long stick and slowly approach them from behind with the go pro in the water... Or you could rig something up so the go pro is stationary in the water and just leave it filming and wait for the trout to return to their lie, then just pull it back out with fishing line or some thing. That will be quite a challenge but sounds pretty neat, good luck.

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Yeah I think I'm going to rig up a steak to attach my GoPro on that I can put on the stream bottom in a suitable location and just wait haha crossing my fingers, prettt big shot in the dark wether or not anything will decide to swim by haha

troutddicted said:

Probably have a better chance at dunking the camera into the native tank at Ripleys.

All I have think of is setting up a camera in Spring at the base of a waterfall or a riffle at the top of a pool and hope for the best. Perhaps coaxing the fish into showing their faces by throwing them some food. Once they're spooked I don't think there would be much of a chance to film them. I know guys up north that would hang road kill over their favourite hole and fatten the fish up with maggots that fell from the rotting carcass, would need warmer temps for that though. Interested to see what you can come up with.

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Haha yeah no kidding,

Yeah I'm going try my luck with setting up the camera in those locations and wait it out!

That's an interesting tactic to fatten those fish up, im not sure TUC would be on board with that hahah

grayer said:

Use the wifi feature on your gopro. Set it up in the right spot and tie it down to something, and then connect to your phone and wait in the bush until you see something and then start recording. Sounds easier that it will be lol

Click to expand...

Unfortunately the wifi feature doesn't work when it's submerged. Having an antenna sticking out of the water might get it going but that would take some modification to the gopro.

I got one for Christmas and it could work or at least allow you to drop the camera in some harder to reach locations without disturbing the river.

Or drift it down river on reverse to slow it down with the camera facing down. Might allow you to at least find that sweet spot to put the camera.

Hey guys,

Just wanted to thank you guys for your suggestions!

I went out back in January, and went out yesterday. I didn't think I got any film back in January, but I looked again and I actually got very brief film of a group of Brookies hiding from my camera! So success, got some on film!

The Trout Unlimited chapter in this area is involved in the project so this will help push for preservation of some significant areas in the headwaters, and restoration in some down stream sections where temps are too high for these guys.

Yesterday I got some film of some small browns too but they weren't big enough to predate the Brookies, and hopefully are able to co-exist without out competing them. Another person who was out with me got a phone video of a Brookie who had his head under a leaf and thought he was hidden.

I'll post a still image of the Brookies.

Thanks again guys.

Here's the 3 Brook trout that we're hiding from me back in January

Where the water is always clear, where it's always running fast, where it never freezes...where the wild woods are so thick that mosquitoes can attack you in the middle of the day.

Trout bite best when the season is closed! Plus no mozzies, ticks, fire ants.

^ Kidding

Nice pic.

Very cool swany, keep us updated if you get more pics.