Professor Erin Thayer: Update on Little Red's Brown Trout Food Study on River
Schedule
Mon Feb 16 2026 at 06:00 pm to 07:30 pm
UTC-06:00Location
Whole Hog Cafe (2516 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, AR) | Little Rock, AR
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Join the Arkansas Fly Fishers for our monthly meeting, featuring University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Fisheries Professor Erin Thayer for an update on the brown trout diet and bioenergetics study she led on the Greers Ferry Tailwater. This study sought to investigate whether available prey base and temperature limited brown trout growth in the Little Red. The Little Red has Arkansas’ only self-sustaining brown trout population. The study was undertaken upon the recognition that individual brown trout growth rates had declined since the 1990s. It is important as previous food studies were over 20 years old. The study assessed lots of great questions including: Are the prey base and temperature regime still the limiting factors affecting the growth of brown trout? What is the main diet composition for the brown trout and how does diet composition compare to what is available to brown trout in their environment? Are there indications of prey preference or selectivity by brown trout at certain times or locations within the river? Are there obvious longitudinal or seasonal bottlenecks in growth that can be related to prey availability? What amount of energy is required to achieve the desired Brown Trout growth, and is there enough energy available in the river? How has the introduction of Knobfin sculpin impacted brown trout growth?
AFF Conservation Officer attended a presentation by Erin and her colleagues on this about a month ago which he described as ‘tremendous’! This has been quite a project with support from AGFC, the Little REd River Foundation, and AFF.
Members, visitors, and guests welcome!
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Where is it happening?
Whole Hog Cafe (2516 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, AR), United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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