SUN JOURNAL • March 2, 2024
Maine is the only state in the lower 48 that still has the Arctic charr. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife took “extraordinary steps” to preserve, not just the charr, but also the wild brook trout in Big Wadleigh Pond. In 2012, 100 charr and 300 native brook trout were captured and moved to Mountain Springs Trout Farm in Frenchville. Once bucket-stocked rainbow smelts were eliminated from Big Wadleigh Pond and the captured species were successfully raised and spawned by the Frenchville hatchery, they were systematically restocked back into the reclaimed pond. ~ V. Paul Reynolds