robertboyce

Hi Don, Interesting topic. Seems like two sides developed. One favoring a natural/pure view of the world....we had otters lets bring them back and the other favoring a straight forward practical view....look at the trouble they are causing. Not sure we've learned enough yet to know which one will ultimately be the "better" route. Robert

Nice work Taco. I needed to get up early and finish the chores before work....gotta wrap a few things up before a few days fishing next week. Couple Q's: 1. 1.5 hrs walk...assuming you walk an average pace and not super fast (like a particular fisheries biologist ) does that get a person above Corral? 2. I've been assuming you're swimming the Minnow as a streamer across or against the current mostly but I should've asked....are you fishing it as a streamer or dry (or both)? I've heard that the traditional Muddler is too sparse to fish dry but a friend of mine fishes the modern version with the fuzzy/dense head as a dry with good success...odd as it seems. I hope to visit the creek next week to round out my 100 brookies de Willow goal for 2012...maybe I'll see you there. Robert

Even an eat a brookie T Shirt....

Hi all, I was researching some Tenkara material and stumbled on this website http://www.eatmorebrooktrout.com/. The sites title is "Eat More Brook Trout....Save the West. Kill a Brookie". Seemed a good fit with this topic. Robert

Hi everyone, Here's a neat project where the province is looking for interested anglers to assist with a Bull Trout study on the Upper Oldman River. I've been involved in the initial projects with the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) and Fish and Wildlife for a few years now and can say that it was a lot of fun learning more about the fishery and being able to help out. Here's the backgrounder from Fish and Wildlife (posted with their approval). This is my first post so if I've made an error somewhere pls let me know.... Upper Oldman River Drainage Bull Trout Tagging Project - Information Sheet, 2012 Background: In 2007, the ACA began trapping and tagging post-spawn migratory Bull Trout in the upper Oldman drainage as they moved out of their spawning streams in the fall. This project continued for 4 years and in 2011 Fish and Wildlife continued the trapping at a reduced level. From 2007 to 2011, a total of 382 different adult Bull Trout (>30cm) were captured and marked with PIT tags in the drainage. This data gave Alberta Fisheries staff important information on the utilization of different tributaries by spawning migratory Bull Trout and provided a rough population estimate. In 2012, due to the large amount of resources needed to install and monitor the traps, Alberta Fisheries staff decided that angling would be used as an alternative capture method. Continuing with the tagging program will provide more information on Bull Trout movement throughout the drainage and if enough fish are captured, a population estimate using mark-recapture methodologies can be made. In order to increase sample size and the accuracy of population estimates, Alberta Fish and Wildlife is looking for experienced volunteer anglers to assist with the capture and tagging of Bull Trout. Volunteer Angler Criteria: While Alberta Fisheries staff appreciates all those who might wish to assist, they don’t have the manpower to supervise or the required sampling gear to equip a large number of anglers. We would like responsible, conservation-minded anglers who have experience fishing for Bull Trout in the area. Anglers experienced with fishing the upper Oldman drainage and catching high numbers of Bull Trout will be able to improve population estimates and information on Bull Trout movements. Participation Requirements: Participation requires anglers angle and tag Bull Trout on a number of occasions with Alberta Fisheries staff on a one-on-one basis. A Fish Research License will then be issued and tagging equipment lent to anglers if Alberta Fisheries staff feel they are capable of safely tagging the fish without our supervision. The licence allows volunteers to capture and tag Bull Trout in the upper Oldman River drainage without Fish and Wildlife staff being present. The tagging process involves anaesthetizing, measuring and weighing the fish, scanning for existing tags and if none exist, inserting a new one. Data such as time spent angling and location of catch will also need to be recorded. Alberta Fisheries staff will go through the whole process with each volunteer until they are confident the tagging can be conducted independently. It should be noted that ideally volunteers will fish with an additional person (not necessarily a trained volunteer) to assist with the tagging process. If you’re interested in participating and/or have any questions, please contact: Kenton Neufeld Fisheries Biologist, Southern Rockies Area Fisheries Management Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Kenton.Neufeld@gov.ab.ca (403) 563-7013