(intense music) - All right, here we go,
we got a gold one on! Yes! Nice one, Tim! Little closer, little closer. (water splashing) Oh! I missed it, I missed it. (music ends dramatically) (film reel clicking) (upbeat tribal style music) (stone cracking) - [Coyote] West Virginia is famous for its wild and wonderful beauty. The scenic peaks and valleys
from a bird's eye view are absolutely breathtaking, but the beauty doesn't
end with the landscapes. This state is home to a
plethora of stunning animals. Many of which appear to have
been selectively colored from an imagination inspired
by a box of brilliant crayons. Today we are visiting
the Smoke Hole Resort, this landmark destination is the perfect place for
a fun family adventure. And while they offer a variety
of exciting attractions, including some of the
state's most iconic caverns, we have shown up for the gold. What's going on Coyote Pack?! This location is home to a unique color morph
of the rainbow trout, know as the golden rainbow trout. Now with any luck, we're going to be able to catch one and get it up close for the cameras. So if you guys are ready, let's go fishing for gold. Once again we have brought
in the wildlife expertise of Tim Brust. You may remember our
last fishing endeavor, where we landed an ancient fish
species known as the bowfin. With Tim is the rod and real man, and me as the nimble net ninja, our strategy was a success. The only thing that's different today is Tim will be fly fishing, an art form that requires
patience and precision. Now in this body of water, we have five different trout species. Of course it is the golden
rainbow trout that we're after, but there are also regular rainbow trout, the native brook trout, tiger trout, and brown trout. So any fish that we catch, we're definitely going to take a look at, but it is the gold ones that we are after. Tim, how you feeling? You gonna get a gold one on first cast? - For sure. - I like his confidence. Let's catch ourselves some gold. Now what's pretty cool about
these golden rainbow trout is that they are created through something
known as selective breeding, and they first came
onto the scene in 1949. There were actually 10,000
fish that were gifted from the state of California
to the state of West Virginia, and one of those fish that survived had this unique golden color to it. This fish, the researchers
took a unique liking to him, they started calling it Little Camouflage. It was kind of ironic because,
as a golden colored fish, it wasn't technically camouflaged
within the environment. What ended up happening
is this fish grew older, they separated it from
the rest of the fish and nurtured it a bit, eventually they were able to
determine that it was a female. They took eggs from that fish and then began to start selectively
breeding with those eggs to create this golden strain of trout. (intense drums)
Oh, we got a fish, we got a fish. What is it? What is it? Is it a gold one? - Nope.
- No? All right, reel it in. I'll continue that history
lesson in a second. (music intensifies) Got it. Yes! Wow! Look at that fish! That is a monster rainbow! Holy cow, that is a big fish. Okay here we go. Wow this fish might almost not even fit inside of this container. Coming up and over, here we go. There we go, okay. Now we can only hold on to the fish for just a couple seconds, rainbow trout are incredibly delicate, but look at that brilliant coloration that runs down the length of the body. Now if you were to catch rainbow trout of this size in the wild, it would be considered a true trophy. In this trophy pond here, they do grow a little bit bigger than you would typically see in the wild, but the rainbow trout
is not a native species here in West Virginia. Remember, only the brook trout is native when it comes to the trout family, but you can find these
fish in the rivers here, introduced by Department
of Natural Resources. So it is the rainbow trout
where the golden rainbow originates its original genetic line from. Absolutely stunning. Great first catch Tim!
- Yeah. - I would say we're hot on our track to catching one of the goldies. Okay, I'm gonna let this
fish back down into the pond. Ready? Got an okay shot? All right then. There she goes. Tim, you ready for some more fishing? - Yeah.
- Here we go. Now, before we caught that fish, I was starting to tell you the history of these golden beauties. To sum it up, what started as an experiment with Little Camouflage in the 1950s, became a success story by the 1960s, and this selectively bred golden fish was officially dubbed the
centennial golden trout, and was revealed to the public to celebrate West Virginia's
Centennial in 1963. That year, and every year since, the West Virginia Division
of Natural Resources has stocked golden rainbow trout in rivers throughout the state. This golden anomaly is
exclusive to West Virginia, making it quite the attraction to anglers across the country. So now that you know a bit of the history, I bet you want to see one
of these fish up close. Perfect timing, because Tim just got a bite on the line. All right, here we go,
we got a gold one on! Yes! Nice one, Tim! Bring it in slow. Don't get in the rocks,
don't get in the rocks. Yes, yes, yes, yes! Little closer, little closer. (water splashing) Oh! I missed it, I missed it. Got it! Yes! (laughs) Look at that fish! Have you ever seen a fish that beautiful? My goodness. Nicely done, Tim! All right, let's get the hook out. Okay.
(water splashing) (sigh of relief) We've got a golden trout. Here, I'm gonna hand you the net, and let's get the fish gently into... Don't lose you, don't lose it. Okay. Fish is inside the plastic container. Look at this. Okay, so can you see it
okay from right there? All right, we're gonna
have to be very gentle, we can only hold on to it
for a couple of seconds. Look how beautiful that animal is. Now, it's really important to note, that this is not the same golden trout that you can find in the cold
waters of the Sierra Nevada's, this is a fish you can only
find here in West Virginia. This is the golden rainbow trout, and as we said earlier, this
is a specific color morph, it's taken over half a century to perfect the design of this fish. Now, as compared to other rainbow trout, they behave exactly the same way. Apex predators, highly tuned at hunting, lateral line that runs
down the length of the body that allows them to really
hone in on their environment, sensing vibrations, knowing if a predator or any
prey items are coming close. When it comes to being male or female, this is without question a male. Look at that big hooked jaw. Now when they reach sexual maturity, that jaw begins to develop
that hook, it's called a kype, and it gives these fish such
a distinct, gnarly look, but nothing is more stunning
than that gold-ish coloration. Now, when you look at the
front end of the fish, see those big eyes? They have incredible eyesight, honing in on any potential prey item. These fish specialize in eating
small little invertebrates, they'll even go after small
baby crayfish as well, specializing in things
like freshwater shrimp. Well I can tell at this point that the fish is about ready
to get back into the water. Again, you can only hold on to these
animals for a couple seconds, let me hold it up one more
time so we can get a good look. There it is, West Virginia's very own
golden rainbow trout, an unbelievable creature. And remember, if you want to catch one of
these fish for yourselves, come to the Smoke Hole Resort, I guarantee you with just
a little bit of patience, you will land yourself a golden beauty. I'm Coyote Peterson, be brave, stay wild, we'll see you on the next location. All right, let's let this
fish back into the trout pond, we're gonna call it a day. Every spring, the West Virginia Division
of Natural Resources stocks 25,000 golden rainbow trout at set locations across the state. So as long as you have a
proper fishing license, you're welcome to cast a fly with a hope of landing one
of these golden beauties. And while you might be
lucky enough to find and catch one in the wild, if you're looking for a
guaranteed interaction, all you need to do is visit
the Smoke Hole Resort. For more information, or to book your next adventurous getaway, make sure to visit their website. Hey, Coyote Pack, if you love Brave Wilderness, and want to show off your fandom, head over to shopbravewilderness.com, and check out the new
gear we just released. Including long sleeve tees, water bottles, animal figurines, and whole bunch of new t-shirt designs. And don't forget, join memberships, so you can brave alongside me and the crew on our next wild adventure. (twangy music) (music fades) (roar) (animal howls)
