Game Fish & Parks Department crews have planted the seeds for what could end up being a prime spot for fisherman who really like to earn their creel.

Using three horses and a mule, a GF&P crew late last week hauled about 1,000 fingerling brown trout down into the narrows of French Creek in Custer State Park - a secluded stretch of water that cannot be reached by a vehicle.

Horseback was about the only option for getting the fish into the area, which has never been stocked before, GF&P coldwater fisheries biologist Jerry Wilhite said.

Wilhite thinks the area, which can be reached by traveling to the dead end on Road 2 of the Wildlife Loop Road and taking the trailhead down about a mile to the water, could appeal to fishermen who like to rough it.

"You (would) kind of get more of a wilderness feel if you were to go fishing down there," he said. "Aesthetically, it's a very pleasing place to be."

Wilhite stressed that the 3-4 inch fish won't be catchable until in the fall, and won't have much size until next summer. But he expects the environment to suit the brown trout well, and will continue to monitor water temperatures to see how they are doing.

Wilhite expects the fish to reach about 6-8 inches long later this fall, around 8-10 inches by next spring and between 12-14 inches next summer.

Custer State Park conservation officer Ron Tietsort has wanted to get fish to the secluded location for a while.

"It's kind of been my dream for a long time to get trout down into the narrows," he said.

Transporting the trout down the trail was a problem, until it occurred to Tietsort that crews could use the horses he uses for conservation work and events like the Buffalo Roundup.

"I got to thinking, we could pack them down with horses," he said.

To prepare for Friday's stocking, crews placed the fish in plastic bags and then into the horse's saddlebags. The technique is not commonly used in South Dakota and is more common in other states with more remote locations, according to Wilhite.

Tietsort believes the deep holes and shaded areas in the narrows of French Creek will provide excellent habitat for the trout.

But the area might not be ideal for fisherman looking for an easily accessible fishing spot, he said.

"Only fisherman that really want to work at it will go down in there, because you have to hike down," he said.

The stocking of the fish went as planned, Wilhite said. Friday's weather, which was a cold and wet may have been uncomfortable for crews but was ideal for the fish. Wilhite estimates that only 10-15 percent of the fish didn't survive the stocking.

"Had it been warm we would have lost a lot more. It went extremely well, in my opinion," he said.

Currently, the GF&P stocks all of the lakes in Custer State Park, various fishing ponds and other stretches of French Creek, including near Stockade Lake. Tietsort said he would like to continue to stock the narrows of French Creek but will first have to see if the first batch of brown trout thrives in the environment.

Contact Ryan Woodard at 394-8412 or ryan.woodard@rapidcityjournal.com