I finally finally caught a greenback cutthroat trout! Well, that is what today's foremost researchers and experts in the field of trout taxonomy call the species of fish that I caught on Sunday, April 28th 2013. After many hours researching the fish itself, many more hours spent looking into where, if anywhere, these fish might be found, and surprisingly few hours spent actually getting to the specific location, I finally was able to catch, photograph and safely release one of these nearly mythical fish. I have to give much of the credit for this personal achievement to this series of assignments; thank you. 
      The way that I was finally able to nail down the location of this last remaining population of greenbacks was actually by way of reading forums used by the local dirt bike community. I ran across some brief discussion on some of the conservation websites about some proposed trail closures in order to protect the section of Bear Creek that is thought to be home to the last greenbacks. I was able to find more specific info on where these closures were happening by reading the complaints on the local dirt bike forums. Once I had a reasonable Idea of where this stream was and what specific section the fish were reputed to inhabit it was time to actually attempt to go there and catch one.
     I set out on sunday morning with a friend of mine and just started driving toward the general area with little more than a few street names and a general vicinity in mind, and a gazetteer in hand. We decided that it would be a good idea to call a few different sources in the area and just inquire about the stream, the fish, and any other information that might be helpful in our quest. I spoke with two different employees of fly fishing shops in the area, one had a vague idea of where the stream was located that ended up being inaccurate, and the other claimed to have absolutely no idea what we were talking about. 
     After driving around the general area for some time attempting to follow the vague suggestions given to us by the fly shop employee, we finally reached the suggested destination only to discover that we were in an entirely different drainage than the one we were looking to be in. We resorted to the trusty gazetteer, the old faithful source that we should have stuck with the entire time, within another twenty or thirty minutes of driving we were in the drainage that contained the minute trickle of water that was apparently known as Bear Creek. My dismay at seeing that the long sought after Bear Creek was hardly more than the type of trickle that would grace a curb after a mild spring rain was palpable. 

          I can't trace the fire of my passion for trout back to its exact origin; It has blazed and it has dwindled at various times through the years, but for a long while now there has smoldered at least some small ember, always capable of roaring into an inferno again. This fiery passion has been the impetus for many of the more consequential decisions of my life to this point. As I backtrack down the twisted path of my own life, it becomes more and more apparent what a huge influence my interest in trout has exerted on my course. It seems as though nearly all of the decisions that have given rise to my current position in life were in some way affected by my interest in the natural world, an interest that I attribute back to my earliest memories of enjoying the outdoors and specifically the fascination, connection, and wonderment that I felt when I first learned how to fish. 
          One of my most vivid and earliest memories of feeling the fire of passion burn me from the inside happened when I was pretty young. It was a nippy autumn morning when my dad woke me up early and announced that we were going to go for a walk. I was mildly confused by the spontaneity of the situation and also by the fact that the weather seemed to me to be less than ideal for a walk. The details of the situation that are lasting in my memory are not of the logistics or the circumstances, the details that fuel my passion are the aesthetic details; specifically, the way that it became so obvious that I could smell color as we ventured down the old dirt road amongst the changing leaves of aspen and willow. Another source of color that I seemed to perceive deeper and more significantly than just with my vision were the rich hues that the spawning trout were displaying at that time of the year. To this day, when I detect certain distinct autumn sensations, I am jolted sharply back to that morning. 
         Some years later, My dad took me on my first backpacking trip, not far from the location of that brisk fall morning that I so fondly remember. Again the aesthetic details are what remain in my mind from that trip, and the aesthetic details are what provide the fuel for my fiery passion around protecting natural areas. I remember the circles dotting the small beaver ponds, signaling the commencement of the fish's final meal of the day, distorting the reflection of the sun setting behind Mt. Evans. When I attempt to look into myself, search my motives, and discover the source of my worldview I am pleasantly surprised to discover a plethora of these organically aesthetic snapshots. 

As with many substantial stories, investigation into the greenback's history tends to provide the investigator with more questions than answers. It is this seemingly endless quest of discovering and subsequently attempting to answer these questions that has resulted in the fascinating story that I have been familiarizing myself with recently. I have decided to add to my experience of learning about this mysterious fish by attempting to actually catch and hold one. The experience will serve as more of a personal adventure in pursuit of fulfilling a dream, than any sort of confirmation of the fish's existence or lack thereof. Because this fish is so precariously endangered according to popular belief in the field, information regarding the exact location of the one known remaining population of pure greenback cutthroat trout is not easy to find. Even if I am able to discover the exact location, actually gaining access to the location might prove to be quite a challenge in its own right. All that I know right at this point is that the population exists in a small section of Bear Creek which is located west of Colorado Springs. The general idea is to document the whole process of locating, accessing, and catching what is probably the most endangered and simultaneously high profile trout species in Colorado and possibly in the world. I think that what will be interesting about my account from a human interest perspective will be the inside look at how conservation efforts actually materialize. The audience will be afforded a perspective on how this type of environmental protection appears from the lens of the subject that the protection is designed to protect against. Along with this unique perspective, it is possible that this experience will provide some opportunity for suspenseful writing. Although an account of my personal quest to catch and release a pure greenback is going to be the platform of my next piece of writing, another creative nonfiction take on the greenback story sounds even more interesting to me. I think it would be fascinating to do a little "gunkholing" into the lives of the main people involved in the greenback story. I would love to know why it is that people like Jessica Metcalf and Robert Behnke have dedicated huge chunks of their lives to this one little fish? What makes these people tick and why? After all, if it were not for them and their associates we would just be happily enjoying the apparently identical hybrid species that inhabit many lakes and streams of this state; fully believing them to be our beloved greenbacks. 

The goal that I had in mind for my research project was to provide credible information organized in a way that would lead the reader to conclude that the likelihood, or even possibility ,of a truly indigenous population of greenback cutthroat existing today to be zero. This was and is a very ambitious goal. In all actuality I never really thought that I could or would use information that is already out there to come to different conclusions than the professionals that devote huge amounts of time and energy to the study of this fish. I suppose that at best what I achieved was to bring into question the technical or scientific definition of "indigenous" in relation to the greenback cutthroat trout. The definition, according to Merriam-Webster online, is as follows "produced, growing, living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment." If we follow this trail of semantics we next must call into question the word "natural," and that is not a trail I am interested in going down when it comes to researching the state fish of Colorado. So again I am back at the initial hypothesis that the greenback probably does exist in this one small section of stream outside of Colorado Springs, regardless of weather or not it is the exact fish that existed in this state before the arrival of westerners. I feel that even though my paper did trend in the direction of semantic scrutiny ultimately, I was still able to learn a good amount about a subject that I already knew about, and also to raise some intriguing questions pertaining to the history of this species. At the very least I related an interesting story that I am confident is not unique only to the greenback. The real meat of my argument is really that human intervention, weather it's considered natural or not, is irreversible. This might seem an obvious argument when one looks around at all the evidence of lasting environmental impact from humans, but the way that we continue to interact with our environment so carelessly seems to suggest that we don't believe that we are responsible for the changes that we affect. 

     I am going to be composing a research based paper about the notorious greenback cutthroat trout. The premise of the paper is going to be that perhaps our beloved state fish, the one that has supposedly gone from plentiful to extinct, to endangered to stable and back to extremely endangered at best,, is in fact either extinct, or was never really a distinct subspecies to begin with. The credible and scholarly information that is available about the greenback is so contradictory and changing so rapidly, in regard to historical information as well as current genetic findings, that I believe it will be possible to argue that the fish is either just a Colorado River cutthroat, or that it is in fact extinct. 
     The thesis for this paper will likely read something like 'due to a wide variety of possibilities, the likelihood that a truly distinct subspecies of cutthroat trout, indigenous only to Colorado, remains in existence is very unlikely if not downright wishful thinking.' Some of the subtopics that I will discuss to support my thesis are: 1. the contradicting studies / published works of literature that have come out within the last ten years 2. the weakness of historical identification and taxonomy of fish 3. The lack of concrete documentation about the original range of this fish 4. the general improbability of a pure population of these fish existing due primarily to interbreeding with other species 5. the question of wether the greenback was ever a truly distinct subspecies, or just populations of Colorado River cutthroats outside of their known range that came to be referred to as greenbacks. 
     I hope to be able to highlight many of the questions and contradictions that surround our state fish primarily by presenting the contradictions in research and the follies in conservation efforts. It is my intention to introduce as many examples of uncertainty around the topic as possible in combination with facts about environmental degradation and interbreeding between trout species. My hope is that if I am able to compile enough of this information, that readers will be led to their own conclusions without it being necessary for me to indicate what the logical conclusion is. 

     As a native of Colorado, one of the most intriguing fish stories that is unfolding currently is that of the state fish of Colorado, the greenback cutthroat trout. This lovely little fish was declared as the state fish in 1994 to celebrate the success of stocking efforts that were believed to have literally brought the fish back from extinction. The fish was declared extinct in the 1930s, but was later believed to be discovered in a few remote locations in the 50s. 
     After nearly 20 years as our celebrated state fish, the identity and even existence of this species is under serious scrutiny today. A study titled: "Across the Great Divide: Genetic Forensics Reveals Misidentification of Endangered Cutthroat Trout Populations," published in the journal Molecular Ecology, brought forth new information. The study was published in 2007 and presented the idea that nearly all of the "greenbacks," especially those that were the result of stocking efforts implemented to preserve the species, were actually another subspecies of cutthroat trout. 
     The fact that this idea is the result of looking at data provided in a study done by researchers from various credible institutions, and published in a widely accepted, well known, and peer reviewed scholarly journal gives the grim conclusion a certain weight that requires additional reflection and investigation. This specific study certainly deserves all of the attention it has received. My hope is that it might also serve as a platform for calling attention to the irreversible nature of fish stocking programs around the world. 
     It is my belief that diminishing biodiversity is one of the most threatening symptoms of mankind's influence on this planet. This study shows a direct correlation between human actions and shrinking biodiversity; despite our intentions of preserving it. It is not an opinion article or a piece of speculation, this source is a collection of data that produces a logical conclusion and it would be very difficult to argue against this source. I plan on using other scientific sources in addition to this one to build my case that we humans are just another inescapably involved partiin this environment; far from the stewards of it.

    One of the most emotionally charged memories from my early childhood was centered around throwing a beautiful little trout into the bushes behind me; and the frantic search that followed in an attempt to find and rescue the little guy before he gasped for his last dry breath. This unfortunate little fish, may he rest in peace, was one of the very first fish that I somewhat successfully fooled with an artificial fly as a youngster. The excitement, pride and guilt that surrounded this debacle will rest in my memory for a long long time, as I am sure many outdoorsmen will always remember their first fish, kill, summit, run, rapid... etc. 
    That day on the river, in a spot I still cherish, I was so excited to hook a fish that I accidentally yanked it right out of the water and flung it into the brush behind me, where it was swallowed up by the willows, never to swim again. In some ways it was the sacrifice of that fish that led me down a passionate path of pursuing and protecting fish and their environments. Although trout make a home in some of the most inhospitable and severe regions on earth, I learned quickly and dramatically in my first encounter with one just how delicate and fragile they are. 
    Because these fish are so very sensitive to environmental factors, in addition to their unparalleled beauty and the equal beauty of their natural environments, I find them to be one of the best critters to study as a sort of aquatic canary to give us insight into how we are affecting changes on our natural environment. It is a goal of mine to learn more about trout, more about this planet and to protect one of my favorite pastimes so that many generations to come can marvel at these beautiful fish.