Learn What the Trout Sees, Hears and Smells

The New Mexico Wildlife Federation’s March “WildlifeWednesdays” presentation will explain how trout perceive their world – informationbound to help anglers catch more of them.

Dr. Robert J. Bowman, a retired professor ofelectrical engineering and biomedical engineering, has been fly fishing andtying flies since he was a kid. His presentation is titled “Fresh Water FlyFishing: Trout Species, Sensory Anatomy, and Habitat.”

Bowman’s presentation will addressquestions such as whether a trout that an angler can see in the water can see andhear the angler, and whether trout can smell odors in the water.

“In this presentation we develop anunderstanding of trout sensory anatomy and behavior,” Bowman said. “Troutsensory anatomy will examine the trout’s impressive physiology in terms ofvision, hearing, and smell, all fine-tuned to its water world.

“We will see how these sensory abilitiesand locomotive skill in navigating make the trout both a remarkable creativeand elusive game fish,” Bowman said. “Understanding trout sensory anatomy andbehavior will make you a better fisherman and conservationist.

“The trout thrives in the cold, clear,water of the same watersheds that provide our drinking water,” Bowman said. “Byprotecting trout habitat, we are in essence, ensuring clean watersheds andwater quality for the years to come.”

Bowman’s talk starts at 5:30 p.m., March 11, at MarbleBrewery’s Northeast Heights location at 9904 Montgomery Blvd., NE, inAlbuquerque.

Bowman said he’s not planning to address entomology orfly selection unless he gets specific questions from the audience along thoselines “The focus of this meeting is how can you become a better fisherman andbetter conservationist by knowing how a trout responds to its surroundings,” hesaid.

While New Mexico is home to several species of trout,Bowman said they’re generally similar in their senses of vision, hearing andsmell. “There are differences in how they go about their feeding behavior andso on, and I’m going to talk about the different trout species,” he said.

In addition to working as an engineer and consultant,Bowman has taught at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Universityof Rochester, both in New York. He also has taught classes on freshwater fly fishingand has fished extensively around the country.