I am excited! For many years it seems like the trout lakes in Alberta have been stocked based on tradition. Starting with Mitchell Lake and an angler request for a fall spawners [browns or brookies] to complement the spring spawners [rainbows], Brown trout were stocked in 2003. Angler acceptance of the mixed species resulted in a further experiment in Birch Lake with Brook, Rainbow and Brown trout stocked in 2013. At the request of many anglers, after either experiencing the Tiger Trout fishing in Manitoba or seeing the pictures, Tiger trout are now being stocked in several places throughout Alberta. After many years of catching Brown Trout from Europe, Brook Trout from some bog from in a New England state and Rainbows from British Columbia or the US, we are now on the cusp of a brand new mostly made in Alberta Rainbow. In conversation with Craig Copeland, Fish Culture Manager of Alberta Environment and Parks, I learned that a different Rainbow Trout is now being cultured for stocking . These Rainbow Trout, which are near 95% purity of Athabasca Trout, are one of the Native Trout of Alberta. The brood stock came from an end pit lake in an active coal mine. Clearly, as the trout are not 100% purity, they cannot be called Athabasca Trout for the purposes of identification. To reflect their mixed linage, they are designated as PLPL species in the stocking reports. Mr. Copeland also related that some of the PLPL strain have been added to East Pit Lake near Stoney Plain. He anticipated that somewhere between 100,000 > 150,000 PLPL trout would be stocked by 2020. Personally, as a third generation Albertan, I’m excited as hell to get a chance to catch a Rainbow raised in Alberta from Alberta stocks. My thanks to all involved to make my dream come true. Don Andersen Here are some pictures of the Athabaskas - I know - I know - I'm not supposed to say that but......

Traditional quill wing female Adams

Vote should have been extended to the whole province. We all get to share in paying the cost; which I think will be pretty much exclusively to Calgary and area's benefit (mostly Calgary).

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/sports/calgary-winter-olympics.html?fbclid=IwAR2mewr6v78q-3kFe1ovOjDvLI4Y6dt9B3zAg74VLie_yPjccRpTU-Msf1o Forgot about this article someone told me about.

Bron, Thr weight of the fish will depend on the lakes where they are placed. The overstocked lakes in Alberta will never give them a chance to see what they can do. There are however several lakes where they might do very well. Police or Bullshead come to mind. Don

Bron, They exist in very tough conditions near tbe farest north end of trout habitat. Tough trout. I’ve often wondered if the cutthroat stocking in tbe rivers north of the Bow should not have been Athabaskas. After all, cuts are moving into a tougher region than they are used to whereas the Athabaskas are getting softer conditions. Don

Always wondered about Blood Indian; I have never fished it. I'm never down that way. Looks like AEP is going all in with Blood Indian, which I think is cool. Can't remember the last time 4 species of trout were stocked into one waterbody (someone can correct me here, undoubtedly). So I hope it isn't a waste; does the reservoir ever winterkill? Maybe I'll come fish the reservoir sometime. Personally, I am fine with more brook, brown, and tiger trout being stocked. Choice is good in closed stillwater systems that have no chance of impacting native fisheries. Makes it a little more exciting. Anyways, that's quite the buffet on the trout menu. Not to mention, that handful of Tiger brood stock! Anyone up for catching an 10 pounder???

Alberta Environment and Parks would like to hear from you! Provide your input on proposed fisheries management objectives and 2019-2020 fisheries regulations by completing the online surveys below. Survey questions are specific to each of the waterbodies open for consultation HERE

If anyone is interested, Water Master (Big Sky Inflatables) in Stevensville, Montana is having a Black Friday Sale on for a few days with 20% off raft prices.

My comment about crowd sourcing a rotenone treatment was intended to be somewhat tongue in cheek. My point is I don't think trying to use an invasive species as a food source for a more piscivorous strain or species of cold water game fish is going to work. I've seen this happen in BC with red sided shiners and perch and it is nearly impossible to achieve, let alone maintain, a large population of mature fish that will have an appreciable impact on the invasives. At best, what will likely happen is that it will create a "head hunter" fishery where a few very large trout exist, but the sheer persistence required to catch them makes the reward not worth the effort to many anglers. I've heard the comment before about certain groups targeting invasive species once they are established, and I have to suspect that it is small percentage of these same folks that are responsible for introducing them in the first place. I tend to agree with Don, why do we then let them benefit from these illegal stockings? I think when the first invasive species is detected the lake (I'm only talking lakes) I think it should be treated rotenone ASAP, and then there should be a follow-up treatment. Once to kill the juveniles and adults, and then a second time after the usual gestation period (not sure if that is the appropriate word in this context) for the invasive species in question. Then close the lake to fishing for 5 years to allow the invertebrate populations to rebuild before restocking with trout. I know this proposed action is drastic, but why in the name of all that is holy do we as a province have to ignore the work done by other fisheries managers in other jurisdictions that have faced similar issues and wait for the situation to explode before coming up with plan of action? * sorry sparkplug, that wasn't directed at you - I was going to respond to your post and then do a general post after, but it didn't end up that way.

I caught one once in Lees Lake, it came from the Allison Trout facility. Put up quite a fight jumped and ran, but I guess for the size of the fish it could have been stronger. But it sure got the attention of the fish whackers there. Especially when I released it.

Bron, you ever caught one of those lard assed brooders. I have by accident. Sad excuse for a trout. Don

Unfortunately the belief still exists that removal of invavsives can.be accomplished by browns. Never worked in Phyllis and it won’t work in Blood Indian for exactly the same reason. The lake has to be capable of raising larger fish but as the food resources have been depleted by overstocking and invavsives, thereis nothing left to raise trout much beyond 12” Brooders are fish used to being feed pellets and not hustling the butts for groceries. They generally die soon after stocking. Don

Maybe they put the big tigers in there to eat some of the invasives in that lake.

From where we get 30% of the cost and no benefit. Don

No is my vote. it does not make financial sense. And I don't' want my home taxes to soar.

Justin Trudeau should be all over this.

Call the Biologist in Rocky. She may know. i suspect the rainbows may be part of the rainbows thrown in nearly everywhere.during last 80 years which are related to the rainbows in tbe Bow. Don

No sweat by me, danhunt. While your rotentone/"drastic" solution would probably work, the sad/cynical accompanying thought is that all that remediation work could be undone by one repeat of the stocking of the invasives again. Depressing thought, but nonetheless when the root cause of the problem isn't addressed, the chance of a recurrence is certainly there. So how can the root cause - people illegally stocking invasives into our waterbodies - be addressed, if at all? Do people dump perch into W Alberta trout lakes because they don't have ready access to decent perch lakes otherwise? Can't think of much in the way of other reasons to illegally stock perch into otherwise non-perch waters. Would having designated perch- or carp-only "sacrificial" lakes for those crowds possibly do the trick?

Sparkplug, in order for browns to be large enough to become effective predators, they need food. Perch & Prussian Crap decimate the food resources. No grub means very littel growth. Don

According to Global. Happened this afternoon. Sad to hear. Don

Terrible thing to say the least, but I can't think of a worse watercraft to take on the Bow than a canoe. Aside from the cheap inflatables of summer, the type I'd personally be hard pressed to use in a swimming pool. https://www.westernwheel.com/article/policemans-flats-boat-rescue-20181115

Sad event. The cold water would steal energy very quickly. Be careful out there and make sure your wading belts are done up tight