Alpine Fishing Adventures

If you’d like a few tips on how we’ve been catching Arctic char, plus an update on the current water levels at Dillon, have a listen!

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Randy Ford | Terry Wickstrom | 08.15.26 - Terry Wickstrom Outdoors Interviews   In the next segment of Terry Wickstrom Outdoors, Randy Ford joins the show to give an update for Green Mountain Reservoir.

A hard fighting char, a kick ass deckhand, and three happy customers!

I’ve got a captains helm for a desk, a chart plotter and sonar for computers and some spectacular views, so step into my office, have some coffee or a cool beverage, and let’s fish.
Today the Arctic char were pretty fired up and Tracy and Brad caught a bunch!

Jessica just caught a fish that, had we measured it, very well could’ve broken the state record by length.

But records aren’t what we’re chasing.

That smile is. 🎣❤️

Jessica kept the memory. And honestly… that’s the record worth showing off.

Spectacular views today!

Really cool Arctic Char, So silvery and bright!

None of these Arctic Char look the same, the dots across the back of this one are outstanding!

Summer is starting to wind down and this pristine Arctic char appears to be showing signs of it transition to its fall colors

We’ve been having a great summer for Arctic char, and these beautiful, unique fish have been showing up in some impressive numbers. On some days, we’re catching over a dozen Arctic char, including some nice sized fish in outstanding condition. It’s exciting to see what appears to be a slowly but surely developing Arctic char population!

But catching these fish out of deeper water comes with an important conservation consideration: barotrauma.

So, what is barotrauma?

When a fish is caught from deep water, the rapid change in pressure can cause the gases in its swim bladder and other tissues to expand. Arctic char can be particularly susceptible, and some come to the surface loaded with air and visibly bloated.

We can usually tell immediately when a fish hasn’t been able to release that air.

🐟 That’s where our release protocol comes in.

For fish showing signs of barotrauma, we keep them in the net and in the water, quickly remove the hook, and get them headed back down as fast as possible. We don’t take them out of the water for customer photos.

That photo opportunity can wait.

When a fish is bloated and struggling with the effects of the pressure change, taking it out of the water and handling it for pictures can exhaust it. It may not have the strength to overcome its buoyancy and return to the bottom.
And in the rare case, we get one that can’t make it down. We have a descender device, which is a weight that transports the fish to the bottom and then when pulled up on like a hook set, the weight releases, and the fish can then recover in the same depth it was caught at.
The good news is we rarely have to use the defender device. When we skip the photo process and get those fish back down immediately, they have been swimming right back to the bottom healthy and strong. That’s the goal every time.

Some of the larger char seem to handle the pressure change better. We’ll often see an air bubble or two released as they come up, and if the fish isn’t bloated and appears strong, then we’re happy to let our customers get that memorable photo. 📸

For us, a great day on the water isn’t just about how many fish we catch. It’s about making sure we’re leaving those fish healthy enough to be there for the next angle Here are a few photos of the larger of the 14 caught yesterday to perhaps, be caught again!

So cool that this healthy but lean 22” male Arctic Char will be showing its fiery orange and red spawning colors in just 6 weeks. And the look of pride brought to this young man’s face by this fish, is priceless.