The Future of British Brown Trout

In a startling piece over at Hatch Magazine, Chris Hunt details a new study that claims brown trout could disappear from Britain by 2080.

At the heart of the study is a model, compiled by scientists, that uses temperature data from the past five years to predict what future temperatures will be. According to this model, “the average daytime water temperature in most British streams will climb above 19.5 degrees Celsius (about 68 degrees Fahrenheit) in just 55 years.”

As most anglers are aware, that 68-degrees threshold is when many restrictions are placed on rivers here in the United States. As water temperatures climb past 68 degrees, the amount of dissolved oxygen declines. Since oxygen is rather important for a trout’s survival, the warmer the water, the more stress a fish will experience, even if it’s not caught-and-released.

“The goal of the British study is to provide guidance on climate management in the country—sort of a cautionary tale if climate change continues on its present course,” Hunt writes.

Hunt also takes time to explore the value and meaning brown trout hold for so many anglers, and not just those in Britain. You’ll also learn about the intricacies involved in projecting water temperatures 55 years into the future.

Read Chris Hunt’s story here.