McLeod

Thanks for sharing. You just never know what the mountains will throw at you !

Totally awesome. Thanks for sharing this. I suspect you thing there are still a few cutties in that lake. What is the weight capacity the raft can hold ?

Good news ! There were alreadyin thousands in the Shuswap already by August 10th. It was nice to see them.

Thanks for sharing this.Really enjoyed the pictures. Nice to here the fish are doing well in the lake.

So I guess your saying the Oldman res....

Please don't be one of those Brood stock !

Please give us a report.. Hopefully you get a chance to fish the Red deer lakes.

Very nice pics ! Thanks for sharing..

There are the resources and the money to do it all. We could have tigers in a few selected lakes. And yes we should be stocking native Rainbows to lakes especially in the Athabasca watershed lakes. To me you will only get this done by a strong lobby through Fish and Game .There are efw government people now and they are up to there eyeballs in work. but if you believe in something push hard...

Love Mr Chan. He gives any show respectability....

Cuts in Eagle , Brookies in Dormer

Help me out with this.. I noticed and date changes , I am sure only a few locals knew about the changes .. Lakes in Banff and Jasper that usually open Saturday of the May long weekend but actually opened up earlier like Sunday the 16th in Jasper and what the 18th in Banff ? What is happening for July 1st because the regs I saw were correct for those dates ..Same as last year. This what I have.... Open Seasons, Special Restrictions and Closed Waters Banff National Park (BNP) OPEN SEASONS Year Round Bow River - from Bow Lake outlet to east park boundary. No ice fishing on the Bow River. . May 15 to August 15 Owen Creek May 18 to September 7 Ghost Lake, Johnson Lake and adjacent inflow streams and beaver ponds, Lake Minnewanka, Two Jack Lake, Vermilion Lakes (3) and adjacent inflow streams and beaver ponds. July 1 to August 31 All tributaries of the Bow River; North Saskatchewan River and its tributaries; Cascade River and its tributaries except the lakes upstream of Lake Minnewanka; the inflow stream adjacent to Johnson Lake and the beaver ponds upstream of Johnson Lake. July 7 to October 31 Gloria Lake, Leman Lake, Marvel Lake, Owl Lake, Terrapin Lake, Spray River, and associated tributaries above the Spray Reservoir. July 1 to November 1 All other waters except closed waters. SPECIAL RESTRICTIONS Possession limit of 1 trout on Johnson Lake and adjacent inflow streams and beaver ponds. Zero possession limit for cutthroat trout and bull trout. Motor boats allowed on Lake Minnewanka only. CLOSED WATERS - Year Round Castleguard River - that upper portion of the river located in the Zone I - Special Preservation Area. Cave and Basin marsh system. Fish Lakes - the two Fish Lakes nearest campsite Mo 18. Forty Mile Creek - vicinity of the water intake reservoir. Lake Agnes. Luellen Lake - outflow stream from fisheries' boundary markers, downstream to the confluence of the outflow stream and Johnston Creek. Marvel Lake - downstream from line formed between fisheries' boundary markers to confluence of Marvel and Bryant Creeks. All tributaries and associated lakes in the Clearwater and Siffleur River systems, excluding Isabella Lake. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jasper National Park (JNP) OPEN SEASONS Rivers and Streams Year Round Sunwapta River. April 1 to September 7 and October 31 to March 31 Fiddle River, Maligne River (below Maligne Canyon), Miette River, Rocky River, Snake Indian River, Snaring River. August 1 to October 1 Maligne River (Fly fishing only) from a point 420 m downstream from the Maligne Lake Outlet bridge to Medicine Lake including that part of Medicine Lake within a 180 m radius of a point in the middle of the Maligne River where it enters Medicine Lake. Athabasca River (Note: the Athabasca River has three fisheries management zones.) Zone 1: From Athabasca Falls upstream. Year Round. Zone 2: From 12 Mile Bridge (Km 22, Hwy 16 East) upstream to Athabasca Falls. April 1 to September 7 and October 31 to March 31 Zone 3: From 12 Mile Bridge (Km 22, Hwy 16 East) downstream to east park boundary, including all side channels, Pocahontas Ponds and other connected wetlands. June 1 to September 7 and October 31 to March 31 July 1 to September 7 All other rivers and streams except closed waters. Lakes May 16 to September 7 Annette Lake, Beaver Lake, Dragon Lake, Long Lake, Lorraine Lake, Moab Lake, Mona Lake, No Name Lake (Hwy 93 south Km 48), Pyramid Lake, Lakes Three, Four and Five in the Valley of the Five. May 16 to September 30 Maligne Lake, Talbot Lake, Edna Lake. July 1 to October 31 Medicine Lake (Fly fishing only). July 1 to November 1 All other lakes except closed waters. CLOSED WATERS - Year Round Maligne Lake Outlet,/Maligne River (the portion including the part of Maligne Lake within a 100 m radius of a point in the middle of the Maligne River where it leaves Maligne Lake, to a point 420 m downstream from the Maligne Lake Outlet bridge). Jacques Lake and Jacques Lake Outlet stream between Jacques Lake and the Rocky River. Mile 9 (Km 15) Lake, Hwy 16 (East). All streams emptying into Amethyst Lake. That part of Amethyst Lake situated within a 180 m radius from a point in the middle of the outlet stream from the southeast end of Amethyst Lake. That part of the Astoria River situated between Amethyst Lake and a point 400 m downstream from Amethyst Lake. Osprey Lake. The outlet stream from Moab Lake to its junction with the Whirlpool River including that part of Moab Lake situated within a 180 m radius of a point in the middle of the outlet stream where it leaves Moab Lake. The outlet stream from Beaver Lake to its junction with the Maligne Lake Road.

Cheers ! Sounds like it was good one .

If you want the big ones to be released ..Ban bait..

Again you can't read ..never said they weren't Non Profit although 16 per cent for adminstration WOW , what I said was the 8.3 million dollars or nearly 75 per cent of there budget is from hunters and fisherman who have NO say in where that money should go..In otherwords it was not donated by them willingly. And if they were given the choice the majority of the funds it would not go the ACA. Why are we spending this money and not using some of that money to keep officers on the ground to protect what we have ? The REAL management is being eroded in cuts to government biologists and hatchery staff, more and more Alberta anglers are spending their money in other provinces. Management had improved in the last few years and it had NOTHING to do with the ACA. We are trying to protect what we have and make it better..that was the whole point of the thread but again you would rather continue with your personal attacks and tell us all that we know nothing. When you take shots at Don ,who has done more for fisheries in the Province than the ACA it truly shows you what you are.. Done.....

Last thing I will says about this to you because it is you who doesn't understand what was being said.. Recent budget for ACA just over 11 million dollars .. Sources ... Revenue By Source Hunting $5,050,905 Fishing $3,361,104 Partner $1,769,275 Other $944,416 Total: $11,125,700 Non Profit ? Do you think the 8.3 million dollars was donated willingly by hunters and fisherman... Those revenues were directed there NOT DONATED ... 16 per cent of funds admin budget.. ... ACA better than ASRD ? Cheapskate ? Im a done discussing this with someone who clearily demonstrates that they don't have a clue. Enjoy the Arctic..

In the end you never offered any concrete solutions to improve fisheries in Alberta. You don't get the financial end of things. In otherwords everything comes with price and my whole point behind this thread is the F and W is being gutted and we are losing top fisheries scientist positions. We need to keep these positions but monies from users such as anglers are being used to fund the ACA and its big budget bureaucracy. The problem with the ACA is they are not addressing the priorites and those on the ACA certainly aren't getting it. We could raise angling license fees but as Smitty points out it doesn't help if the money goes to general revenue. There are things that could be done to on increase revenue and fishing opportunites and that money could be direct back to the priorites. By the way protecting native species and fish habitat costs money, it's a low priority compared to health care..doesn't matter who the government is .. You just don't get that ! Enjoy the Arctic when you get back let me know ...You and I can hook up and head into one of British Columbia's and one of Canada top flyfishing lakes ,Fortress and catch some BROOKIES . Did I say that..sorry that was shot.. I am sure you would turned down the invite as you in light of your opinion on exotics but we can send you a picture to Tuktoyaktuk.

So move from your personal attacks and why don't you tell us the way it should be. Explain how fisheries should managed , what you would do and how you are going to pay for all. Because again from everything I have heard from you there would be little or no waters left to fish. You be the boss and explain how it should be and again remember who is paying your wages !

Really who needs to give their head a shake. You don't think it's a good idea to rear native trout and plant them in closed to system waters ? If we followed your ideas and thought processes there would be not angling at all.. Really why are you here ? You do not present any quality suggestions to improve freshwater angling in fact all you really want to do is eliminate angling ..remove all exotics , stop stocking of all forms . You clearily have an agenda and it's to stop all angling so again I ask why are you on this board ?

But BC is stocking varieties of Rainbows in areas where they don't naturally occur aren't they ? Salmon in the great lakes , mistake ? BC dumps Kokanees were they never naturally occured so guess it's okay right ? Exotics are just fine if they are sterile. But I would like to see Athabee rainbows reared and used to stock Alberta lakes, Bulls and Cutties to. Whatever will help improve the quality of fishing. By the way PGK I think Brian and the BC'S freshwater fisheries society does a great job and a similar society in Alberta would be a big step forward.

Just when I think you show some reasonable ideas you come up with.. "if you don't like the native species, move. " That's like me saying if you don't like exotics then move .. And actually there were dozens of Alberta lakes that were stocked with triploids last year The point behind that is that there thousands of dollars are being spent by anglers going to Saskatchewan and Manitoba even BC to fish for multiple species or exotics. Why not have those opportunites here.Licenses should reflect the cost of stocking or the operation of a quality fishery. If we went your way then there would be no Browns or Brookies in the province and no Rainbows except in Athabasca drainage.. Means the Bow would be empty.. lets go a step further remove natives from where they have never been such as the Ram cutties..Don't forget the effect they are having invertebrates. I suggest your thought process is of a very very small minority. if we did what you would like to see there would be a great loss in fishing opportunity and revenues would certainly be decreased ..but hey we could all move to another province... I want to improve recreational fishing and enhance fish habitat and protect native species..It all works hand in hand.That is what the goal should be.

Browns and stocked Rainbows including those in the bow are exotics ..

You make some valid points...but you need to look at the BIG picture and be inclusive of all anglers in the province not exclusive because they are meat fisherman. At the end of the day they pay for licenses just like you and I do. I see it as 2 parts... 1. Promote Sport fishing..Increase the number anglers and fishing opportunites ..More anglers more money for other priorites..in part 2... This does include stocking fish , looking at other species such as Tiger Trout ect..No reason for concern over stocking exotics anymore as they should all be triploids or as in the case of Tigers non reporducing. Make more quality lakes , place good regulations , promote angling and make Alberta a world destination for freshwater fishing..More money to use for part 2. 2. Protect Native Species and Fish habitat. We are not doing a very good job on part 1. As for part 2 ..You tell me.. Are the ACA projects addressing this area ? Don't agree that AB has significant issues around non native species and angling priority. althought there may be a few specifics that could be addressed under the above categores that I have outlined.

Some good points by PGK on the license fees. There should however already be enough money. Some Biologists, and I will use Jim Stelfox for example ,are really in tune with there region and have made some good changes to enhance fishing opportunites within their region. However as a Province government and the ACA have come up very short in increasing recreational fishing opportunites and the quality of angling in the Province. Can I again suggest a model like BC's Freshwater fisheries Society. Secondly have we done enough to protect and enhance native fisheries ? The money to do that is already there but is misdirected..I am being kind.. We need hatcheries and should not be closing them down.

I read this on a website " The Alberta Fisheries Branch has lost eight positions over the 2009/2010 fiscal year due to government cutbacks. All of these positions were abolished when they were vacated and will not be replaced. This attrition wipes out modest gains made under former Minister Mike Cardinal’s fisheries revitalization program which took almost a decade to orchestrate and implement. The impact of all this downsizing is speculative at this time but there are rumors that one of the provincial fish hatcheries may close because four of the eight positions abolished were in the Fish Culture Section. On another sad note, the Fisheries Round Table was axed in 2009 due to budget cuts by the Department of Sustainable Resources Development. It was not know at press time if this forum will be re-activated in 2010 but don’t hold your breath. Other cost-cutting news from Ken Crutchfield, Fisheries Branch Director is: “At the April 2009 Alberta Fisheries Management Round Table meeting it was announced that Sustainable Resource Development was preparing regulations for a two-year period starting in April 2010 " So why does this happen if we the anglers are spnding thousand of dollars on licenses and much of that goes to the ACA ? Should these positions not be a priority ? Something needs to change ....