jstelfox

In the 30+ years that I had the pleasure of knowing Barry, I've never met another angler who has done more for the fisheries in Alberta, or been a more vocal advocate and steward for the resource. As Don said, Barry was involved in many initiatives; a lot of the improvements in fisheries management were the direct result of him taking the lead on some difficult issues, and pushing for much-needed changes. Barry spent countless hours on the phone with me and many of the other fisheries biologists in the Fish and Wildlife Division, discussing fisheries management issues. The time we spent talking to Barry was well worth it, since what we learned from each other enabled us to work together to make some pretty significant changes in how Alberta's fisheries were managed. I can honestly say that my job would have been a lot harder, and I wouldn't have accomplished nearly as much, if it weren't for Barry taking such a strong advocacy role for Alberta's fisheries, pushing for change and making his views known to senior management and the politicians. Well done, Barry. Your legacy will live on!!

Just heard the sad news about Jeff, and would like to pass on my sincere condolences to his family, friends and fishing buddies. Although I only met Jeff a few times, he made a big impression on me. His passion for fishing was undeniable, but his willingness to generously give of his time to be a steward of the resource was what I found to be truly remarkable. When I first met Jeff in June 2009, he had driven all the way from Medicine Hat just to help us electrofish Boulton Creek. The data we gathered on the huge adfluvial rainbow trout that spawn in this creek would prove to be crucial in getting the regulations changed, so as to provide these spawners with the protection that they needed. Jeff, and his close friend Jake Gotta, subsequently played a key role in rallying support to have the fishing regulations changed on K-Lakes, so that they could ultimately realize their potential and provide Quality fisheries for Cutthroat, Bull and Rainbow trout. Whenever I fish these lakes, I will remember Jeff and the legacy that he has left for all anglers.

Big Iron Lake is another one to consider. Fish were rising when I replenished the supply of creel cards in the creel survey box on Monday, so the Arctic grayling we stocked in 2012 overwintered and should be about 25 cm long now. Depending on what route you take, the hike in will be about 1.5 to 2 hours, since the road is currently closed just past the turn off to the Indian Graves campground.

Hi Smitty, We've revised the test and key to include rainbow trout. Those who have passed the previous test should have little difficulty with this test, since it is easy to differentiate between rainbow and cutthroat trout. Jim

How would you like to legally harvest an unlimited number of non-native brookies and rainbows, while helping native fish populations to recover!!?? If so, read on. The Stewardship Licence Pilot Project permits anglers to harvest an unlimited number of non-native brook and/or rainbow trout from specified waters, provided that they annually pass the fish ID test and have participated in one supervised outing. Since 2009, anglers participating in this project have harvested almost 3,000 brook trout from the specified waters (see attached data summary). Starting in 2013, harvest of non-native rainbow trout will also be permitted in a few specified waters in the Oldman River watershed. The attached background information sheet provides some basic information about the Stewardship Licence Pilot Project, which is a spin-off of the Quirk Creek Brook Trout Suppression Project. When the Quirk Creek Brook Trout Suppression Project was initiated in 1998, brook trout comprised over 90% of the fish population in Quirk Creek. Since then, anglers have harvested over 9,500 brook trout from Quirk Creek, brook trout have declined to 30% of the fish population by 2008 and the biomass of cutthroat trout has increased to near record levels. In order to participate in the Stewardship Licence Pilot Project, anglers must annually pass the fish ID test, which consists of 16 pictures of the four fish species (brook, bull, cutthroat and rainbow trout) that are found in the streams covered by the Stewardship Licence. Anglers can take the test either at our Fish and Wildlife office, which is located on the 2nd floor of the Cochrane Provincial Building at 213-1st St West, Cochrane, or at Trout Unlimited Canada's office at Suite 160, 6712 Fisher St SE, Calgary (phone 403-209-5185). If you don't pass the test on your first attempt, you are permitted to do the test a second time, while using a key that shows the key-identifying features. The effectiveness of the fish ID test and key in teaching anglers how to identify fish is apparent by the fact that only 15 of the over 9,500 fish harvested by anglers from Quirk Creek were not brook trout. Anglers who have previously done a supervised outing can then be issued a Stewardship Licence. Anglers who have never done a supervised outing will have their names put on a list and will be contacted when supervised outings are being planned. After completing a supervised outing, you can then be issued a Stewardship Licence, which will permit you to harvest an unlimited number of brook and/or rainbow trout from the streams specified on the Stewardship Licence. Jim Stelfox Senior Fisheries Biologist, Southern Rockies Area Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Box 1420, Rm 228, 2nd floor, Provincial Building 213-1st Street West Cochrane, Alberta, Canada T4C 1B4 Tel. 403/851-2205, Fax 403/932-2158 Jim.Stelfox@gov.ab.ca STEWARDSHIP LICENCE background information sheet.pdf STEWARDSHIP LICENCE background information sheet.pdf 2012_Stewardship Licence Pilot Project creel data summary_March 15.pdf

The following excerpt, from the e-mail that I just sent out to those who participated in the Stewardship Licence Pilot Project, indicates what I hope we will be able to do for the fishery on upper Willow Creek. Since 1998, over 9,600 brook trout have been harvested from Quirk Creek by anglers via the Quirk Creek Brook Trout Suppression Project and now under the Stewardship Licence Pilot Project. Recent data suggests that the harvest of so many brook trout may finally be facilitating a recovery of the native cutthroat trout population in Quirk Creek. Brook trout comprised less than 20% of the angler catch in Quirk Creek in the last three years and only 8% of the catch in 2012 (versus 72% in 1998). The density of brook trout is also way done, since the brook trout catch rate in Quirk Creek was only 0.2 per hour in 2012, versus 2.5 in 1998. Some long-time participants in the Quirk Creek Brook Trout Suppression Project are now "complaining" that they are having a hard time catching brook trout in Quirk Creek, but report catching lots of large cutthroat trout, some exceeding 40 cm. The solution to their "problem" is simple -- spend more time fishing in Margaret, Meadow or Willow Creeks :-)

Here's the summary data that I was unable to get attached to the above post.

Although we will be expanding this program in 2013 to include a few more waters in the SW portion of the Eastern Slopes, it does not apply to any waters in the National Parks. One other change that will be occurring in 2013 is that harvest of rainbow trout will also be permitted from a few specified waters (including Willow Creek), so the mandatory fish ID test will be modified to include this species. For those who might be interested in participating in this project, I have attached a summary of the data for the past four years, as well as a background information sheet. Cheers, Jim Stewardship Licence-pilot project_background information_2012.pdf 2012_Stewardship Licence Pilot Project creel data summary.pdf

It is possible that anglers, who have passed a fish ID test, will be permitted to harvest an unlimited number of rainbow trout from a few select waters, much as they are currently permitted to harvest brook trout from certain select waters via the Stewardship Licence (after they have passed a fish ID test). Jim

Yes, westslope cutthroat trout have likely been in decline since the early 1900s, initially due to overharvest by anglers, then due to introduction of non-native trout species, hydroelectric development, road construction, logging, cattle grazing, OHVs, etc.. It’s not like nothing was done. In the last 40 years, bag limits have been reduced from 10 to 5 to 2 trout in the Eastern Slopes Region; minimum size limits of 25 cm then 30 or 35 cm were implemented for cutthroat and rainbow trout; and several waters were made catch-and-release. While these regulation changes reduced the impact of angler harvest on westslope cutthroat trout, they did little to address the problems created when non-native rainbow and brook trout were stocked in the early 1900s. It was not until the results of genetic studies, initiated five years ago (and still ongoing), became available, that it became apparent how few genetically pure non-stocked westslope cutthroat trout populations remained. As you know, fisheries biologists only make recommendations. They don’t have the final say regarding land-use practices (e.g., logging, dam construction, OHV use, etc.). If, by proactive management, you mean being able to turn the hands of time back to prevent the stocking of non-native rainbow and brook trout from occurring in the Eastern Slopes Region and dams from being constructed on Lower Kananaskis Lake and Spray Lakes, then I couldn’t agree with you more. However, the reality is that the genie was let out of the bottle when those things happened, and even if catch-and-release regulations had been implemented throughout the Eastern Slopes Region in the 1950s (when Fish and Wildlife first came into existence), we would still essentially be in the same position today regarding westslope cutthroat trout. Once the recovery plan — which was completed in October 2012 — has been reviewed and approved by the Minister of ESRD, it will be available for the public to see. And yes, other causes of the “cuts demise” are addressed in the recovery plan. Jim

I also posted it on the Alberta Outdoorsmen.

A few sportfishing regulation changes are being proposed for implementation in the Kananaskis Country area in 2013. The proposed changes are primarily designed to provide more protection for pure-strain, non-stocked populations of native westslope cutthroat trout. The attached provides background and rationale for the proposed changes. Jim Proposed changes to the 2013 Alberta Sportfishing Regulations.pdf

CopperJohnny is right on both accounts. The first fish can't be a bull X brook hybrid, because it has black spots on its side. However, it sure looks like a tiger trout. The last fish is definitely a brook trout. It has no black spots on its side, but has distinct black markings on its dorsal fin. It is also likely a female, since they tend to be less colourful than the males. The Idaho Fish and Game Department prepared an excellent field guide, which shows how to identify bulls, brookies and hybrids, based on the the differences in markings on their dorsal fin. https://dl.dropbox.com/u/96377272/Bull%20X%...RIBUTION%29.pdf I’ve also attached a link to a photo of a bull X brook hybrid, https://dl.dropbox.com/u/96377272/Bull%20X%...%2860%25%29.jpg as well as a link to a recent paper on the subject. https://dl.dropbox.com/u/96377272/Bull%20X%...l%20%202011.pdf Cheers, Jim

Don, Regarding your first question, while it is possible, that decision would be up to Matthew Coombs, who is managing the fishery for that area. Hybridization of rainbows with cuts is definitely a concern. We aren't relying on thermal barriers in Willow or any of the other streams. This is because, as Willow and the other streams become warmer in the coming decades due to global warming, we expect that rainbows and hybrids will move further upstream in these waters. Ultimately, it is not a very rosy picture for the few remaining populations of pure, resident (never stocked) westslope cuts that are in streams which don't have a waterfall to prevent upstream movement of rainbows. Regards, Jim

No barriers. Unlike Upper Kananaskis Lake, the stocking of bulls in Chain Lakes Reservoir and upper Willow Creek was a bust. Likely reason for failure is that Chain Lakes Reservoir is warmer than UKL and Willow Creek is full of brook trout, which would have made it tough for small bull trout to survive.

Supervised outings will begin after June 15, but only when flows in the Elbow River are determined to be below 15 cubic meters per second from the following website. http://environment.alberta.ca/apps/basins/...tionID=RELBBRAG This is because the Elbow River must be forded at Cobble Flats to access the lower reach of Quirk Creek, where most of the supervised outings are conducted. Brian Meagher of Trout Unlimited Canada will notify you by e-mail when supervised outings are being planned. Registration requests in response to his announcements will occur on a first-come first-serve basis (i.e., the first five people who notify Brian of their interest in a particular supervised outing and who have completed the Fish ID test). Supervised outings are usually restricted to no more than five participants, so as to ensure that each angler has at least 1 km of stream to fish.

How would you like to legally harvest an unlimited number of brookies!!?? If so, please read on. With opening season for many streams only a few days away, I thought that this would be a good time to make a pitch for your involvement in the Stewardship Licence Pilot Project. When the Stewardship Licence Pilot Project was initiated in 2009, we intentionally kept it low-key (see attached data summary) to ensure that we could iron out the bugs before involving more anglers. The Stewardship Licence Pilot Project is a spin-off of the Quirk Creek Brook Trout Suppression Project, which was initiated in 1998 and is still ongoing. The attached background information sheet provides some basic information about both of these projects, which have the same objective — to facilitate recovery of native cutthroat and bull trout populations, where there is still a chance for recovery. If you are interested in participating in the Stewardship Licence Pilot Project, you must annually pass the fish ID test, which consists of 16 pictures of the three fish species (brook, bull and cutthroat trout) that are found in the streams covered by the Stewardship Licence. You can take the test either at our Fish and Wildlife office, which is located on the 2nd floor of the Cochrane Provincial Building at 213-1st St West, Cochrane, or at Trout Unlimited Canada's office at Suite 160, 6712 Fisher St SE, Calgary (phone 403-209-5185). Anglers who find it inconvenient to take the test at either of the above locations, can also take the test by e-mailing me or Brian Meagher and requesting that the test be e-mailed to you, so that you can do the test and then e-mail your completed test sheet back for marking. After your test has been marked, you will then be e-mailed the key and informed as to whether you passed (i.e., got 100%). If you didn't pass the test on your first attempt, you will be permitted to do the test a second time, this time while using the key, and will then e-mail your completed test sheet back. (Note: Anglers who take the test by e-mail and have never done a supervised outing may be asked to do the test again, in person, when they participate in their first supervised outing. This will be at the discretion of the person running the supervised outing and will enable us to maintain quality control. It should also take no more than a few minutes, considering that you would have already done the test and should have also memorized the key identifying features for the three species of fish involved.) Anglers who have previously done a supervised outing can then be issued a Stewardship Licence. Anglers who have never done a supervised outing will have their names put on the list of anglers who will be contacted when supervised outings are being planned. After completing a supervised outing, you can then be issued a Stewardship Licence, which will permit you to harvest an unlimited number of brook trout from the specified streams. Jim Stelfox Senior Fisheries Biologist, Southern Rockies Area Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Box 1420, Rm 228, 2nd floor, Provincial Building 213-1st Street West Cochrane, Alberta, Canada T4C 1B4 Tel. 403/851-2205, Fax 403/932-2158 Jim.Stelfox@gov.ab.ca 2011_Stewardship_Licence_Pilot_Project_creel_data_summary.pdf Stewardship_Licence_pilot_project_background_information_2012.pdf

Thought that some of you might enjoy seeing some great underwater shots that were taken on several southern Alberta streams/rivers. www.watereddown.ca Cheers, Jim

Fantastic shots and great editing!! Thanks for the "virtual" fishing fix. Summer can't come soon enough.

You're 100% right, tgo. A recent survey, involving the Salmonid ID test (with 40 photos of nine salmonids), revealed that only about half of the anglers tested were able to correctly identify bull trout. Considering that it was voluntary to take this test, and that anglers who were unsure about there fish identification skills were probably less likely to consent to take the test than those who were relatively confident about there fish identification skills, I suspect that the results would have been even lower for the "average" angler. This is why anglers are required to pass a fish ID test before they are allowed to harvest brook trout from Quirk Creek. Jim

The following outlines the process for those who are interested in participating in the Stewardship Licence Pilot Project. The first step is to pass the fish ID test, which consists of 16 pictures of the three fish species (brook, bull and cutthroat trout) that are found in Quirk Creek. You can take the test either at our Fish and Wildlife office, which is located on the 2nd floor of the Cochrane Provincial Building at 213-1st St West, Cochrane, or at Trout Unlimited Canada's office at Suite 160, 6712 Fisher St SE, Calgary (phone 403-209-5185) . After you have passed the test, you will then be issued a Stewardship Licence, provided that you have previously participated in the Quirk Creek Brook Trout Suppression Project. However, if you have not previously participated in the Quirk Creek Brook Trout Suppression Project, you will then need to go on one supervised outing on Quirk Creek. Your name will be put on the list of people eligible to do an outing on Quirk Creek and Brian Meagher of TUC will notify you when supervised outings are being conducted, so that you can then let him know which supervised outing you would like to participate in. After you have done one supervised outing on Quirk Creek, you will then be issued with your Stewardship Licence. Cheers, Jim Stelfox Senior Fisheries Biologist, Southern Rockies Area Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development Box 1420, Room 228, 2nd floor, Provincial Building Cochrane, Alberta, Canada T4C 1B4 Tel 403/851-2205, Fax 403/932-2158 Jim.Stelfox@gov.ab.ca

Hi Mike, The "season" on Quirk Creek, and the other streams in the Stewardship Licence Pilot Project, lasts until October 31. However, catch rates are typically much lower in October than in September. Jim

Conor, Apparently the old software cratered and the on-line quiz stopped working in September 2009. Unfortunately, they haven't yet been able to get it back up and running. Jim

Hi Smitty, There are no age restrictions. Anyone who passes the fish ID test can participate in the Quirk Creek Brook Trout Suppression Project, and ultimately the Stewardship Licence Pilot Project. Cheers, Jim

Two years ago we initiated the Stewardship Licence Pilot Project and intentionally kept it low-key until we ironed out the bugs. A summary of the key data is attached. We are now able to increase exposure of this initiative, so that more anglers have the opportunity to participate. If you want to help native trout populations, and like to eat brook trout, then this project is for you. However, before someone tries to misrepresent this project, I want to reiterate that the objective is not to eradicate brook trout from Alberta (which would be impossible), but rather to reduce brook trout populations in select streams where we may still have a chance to save the native cutthroat and bull trout populations from extirpation. STEWARDSHIP LICENCE — PILOT PROJECT — 2011 Project Objectives: 1) To remove, by angling, as many brook trout as possible from specified streams so as to facilitate a recovery of the native cutthroat and bull trout populations. 2) To increase public awareness about the importance of fish identification, to emphasize the difference between native and non-native fish, and to educate the public about the problems that some of our native fish face as a result of the introduction of non-native fish. Requirements for Participation: 1) Anglers must pass the “Quirk Creek” fish identification test, which consists of 16 pictures of the above three species. 2) Anglers who pass the test, and who have never participated in the Quirk Creek Brook Trout Suppression Project, are required to participate in at least one supervised outing on Quirk Creek, before being authorized to harvest an unlimited number of brook trout from the following streams: Meadow, Margaret and Johnson creeks (tributaries to Waiparous Creek), Waiparous Creek, the Elbow River (river only ) upstream of Elbow Falls and the Highwood River (river only) upstream of Kananaskis Country boundary. Project Background: Brook trout are not native to Alberta, but are present in many waters along the Eastern Slopes as a result of extensive stocking of this species in the mid 1900s. Quirk Creek, a tributary of the Elbow River, contained only cutthroat and bull trout in 1948. However, by 1978, brook trout were well established in Quirk Creek, comprising 23% of the fish population. By 1995, brook trout comprised 92% of the fish population. If nothing were done and the trend continued, it is likely that native trout would have been extirpated from Quirk Creek, as has occurred in Bragg Creek. Bragg Creek, another tributary to the Elbow River, had a trout population comprised of 7% brook trout in 1955, 96% brook trout in 1979 and 100% brook trout in 1997. This is not an isolated situation, but has occurred, or is occurring, in many streams and rivers along the Eastern Slopes in Alberta, and in the United States. Since the Quirk Creek Brook Trout Suppression Project was initiated in 1998, anglers have harvested over 9,500 brook trout from the creek. By 2008, the proportion of brook trout in the lower reach of Quirk Creek had declined to 30% and the biomass of cutthroat trout had increased to near record levels. If this approach can be successfully applied to reduce brook trout numbers in other Alberta streams, then it might be possible to save more native trout populations that are at risk. Question - Why not let nature just take its course? Brook trout become mature at a much younger age and smaller size and don’t live as long as cutthroat or bull trout. Therefore, brook trout don’t have the potential to grow as big as cutthroat or bull trout. Furthermore, brook trout are harder to catch than cutthroat or bull trout. When man introduced brook trout into these watersheds, he upset the balance of nature. For this reason, man has a responsibility to try to restore the balance. What is ultimately at stake is whether we pass on to our children and grandchildren: 1) a high quality, high-catch-rate fishery for native cutthroat and bull trout, or 2) an inferior fishery for smaller, less catchable, non-native brook trout. If you would like to participate in this project, or have questions, please contact Jim Stelfox Jim.Stelfox@gov.ab.ca (403-851-2205) or Jenny Earle Jennifer.Earle@gov.ab.ca (403-851-2211) of the Fish and Wildlife Division, or Brian Meagher bmeagher@tucanada.org of Trout Unlimited Canada (403-209-5185). Jim Stewardship_Licence_Pilot_Project_creel_data__2009_10_summary.pdf