[Waterton Evacuated]

It sounds as though firefighters have some better conditions today, but the fire moved quickly last night. A few accounts online suggest the townsite avoided a major hit, but the information centre burnt down. The Premier is going to give an update shortly - we should know more soon.

[Cutty Crisis]

Bank stabilization, restricting OHV use, reduce logging and cattle intrusion into mountain streams are all long term benefits to the fishery, but may well have little impact on fish survival in low flow years. Therefore the only short term fix is to stop fishing in an attempt to reduce stress and aid in survival of the existing fishery.

 

I'll point to Taco's statement above. Cutties were able to pull through during more serious droughts than this since the last ice age. The biggest change has not been increased angling pressure, it's land use impacts on habitat. Saying that the only solution is to stop angling over and over again doesn't make it any more true. Addressing habitat issues is the most important thing that will result in meaningful outcomes now and into the future.

[Cutty Crisis]

Fragmenting pure cutty populations might be the only thing that has kept them pure...but it'll probably also be responsible for their localized extinction.

[New Aca Site On The Raven]

I had a good laugh at some of the replies on the ACA FB post. Apparently the ACA are entirely responsible for destroying the Raven. The more you know!

[Cutty Crisis]

Things are getting bad in the small streams right now:

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-trout-drought-federal-action-plan-needed-1.4270434?cmp=rss

 

Personally, I've been sticking to the bigger systems over the last few months. Without any precipitation on the horizon, things could get really dicey out there. Anglers should be really frustrating with the level of inaction from the Feds so far. Putting westslope cutties on the gazette was a good first step, but it looks as though it was only lip service. The recovery plan is now two years overdue. Given the current conditions, we might need some immediately action to make sure some of these isolated populations aren't wiped off the map. Write your MP!

[Fishing Closures]

Quick, to the time machine!

[Hypothetical: Glenmore Dam Fish Ladder]

Ya jp, bulls have a wild range as well. There are some radiotelemetry studies on the koocanusa bulls and some individuals used most of the Tribs at one point or another while some just stuck to one.

I remember talking to someone about tagged bulls on the Oldman system. They've seen the same fish in the upper Castle and the upper Oldman within a few years of each other.

[Great White Sturgeon Adventure]

Did the guide show you the side imaging on the sonar while taxiing to the top of a big hole? Pretty cool to see all the fish laying on bottom and the good guides can even tell you how big they are! Sure gets a guy aroused being told that while hearing the chain winch let the anchor go!!

He sure did! We went through a few runs where the guide marked 15-20 sturgeon.

[Hypothetical: Glenmore Dam Fish Ladder]

I'd rather see one on the Oldman. There are some monster bulls below the dam that are cut off permanently from spawning habitat upstream. Be nice to get those fish back into the rotation.

[Great White Sturgeon Adventure]

great to see the little guy.

Couldn't agree more. Sturgeon can live to be 150 years or more, so it's really hard to get a good sense of how effective conservation efforts are going. The fish that are being targeted by sportsmen are almost all 80 years + - well before many conservation efforts started. An abundance of smaller fish would suggest that we are doing something right!

[Great White Sturgeon Adventure]

Okay, full disclosure...this trip had nothing to do with fly fishing.

 

Went out with a great group of friends for two days on the Fraser River. Great guide, great conditions and great fish. It sounds as though we were a bit early for when the bite really goes off, but we got into some great fish regardless. The best fish of the trip was an 8 foot monster that weighed in at around 290lbs. I had one shake me lose that was likely around the same range. Fishing for white sturgeon is an experience - I will absolutely be back!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Poacher On The Bow]

 

I think that they should have signs like they do along the Highwood and other rivers that give a brief breakdown of the regulations.

Bow River Chapter of TU has been working on this for a little while now. We were told to sit tight until the updated regs came out for the Bow. Now that those regs are in place, we should have an easier time getting some signage sponsored and major access points along the river.

[Cleaning Gear To Avoid Contamination]

Lastly, pretty much whole west side of the US from the Canadian to the Mexican boarder has whirling disease.

They've known it's been in Oregon since 1986.

 

There is still a strong possibility that there are isolated systems along this stretch that are not infected. There are also numerous other invasives that are spread because of the same levels of complacency that allowed WD to get here. But yeah, let's not worry too much about it or anything.

[Let's Talk Fish Habitat]

Phase 2 of the consultation has now begun. Make sure you participate:

 

http://www.letstalkfishhabitat.ca/

 

 

[Too Warm To Fish?]

How did that big bald head of yours come up with this theory?

My head is average in size, sir.

 

I've never seen either of you in person at the same time. My explanation is the only thing that makes sense.

[Too Warm To Fish?]

bcube Bron you are both invited to come fishing on my boat any time only condition is it needs to be both of you at the same time.

I'm still convinced that bcube and Bron are the same person. It's the most amazing self-troll I've ever seen.

[Too Warm To Fish?]

Great to see this sent out by TFO Canada in their latest newsletter:

 

 

[Bull Trout In The Bow River]

A real Bow River monster -

 

[Curious About Kanaskis Area]

An interesting read on the history of the Upper K Lakes from the 2010-2011 Creel Survey:

Upper Kananaskis Lake was barren of sport fish prior to the stocking of Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus

mykiss in 1935 (Rawson 1937). Based on the initial success of this stocking, Rainbow Trout were stocked

intermittently until 1968, and then annually until 1986, usually with fish no larger than 15 cm (Table 1).

However, despite the frequent stocking of relatively large numbers of fish, a 1983 creel survey revealed

that Upper Kananaskis Lake provided a very poor fishery (mean catch rate of 0.1 trout/h, including fish

released) at a very high cost ($116/kg of trout harvested) (Stelfox 1985).

To try to provide a better and more cost-effective fishery, several fisheries management changes were

subsequently implemented. From 1984 to 1986, Westslope Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi, a

species native to nearby Lower Kananaskis Lake, were stocked in the hopes that they might survive better

than the stocked Rainbow Trout, which are not native to this watershed. However, subsequent gillnetting

in 1986 (Stelfox 1987) and 1987 (file data) failed to provide any evidence that the small (4 cm) stocked

Cutthroat Trout survived better than the substantially larger (primarily 10–15 cm) Rainbow Trout stocked

during the same time period.

Based on studies which showed that stocking large trout provided much better returns than stocking small

trout in reservoirs with widely fluctuating water levels (Rogers 1980; Sealing and Bennett 1980), a

recommendation was made to stock larger (>20 cm) Rainbow Trout in Upper Kananaskis Lake (Stelfox

1987). Subsequently, from 1992 to 2002, Upper Kananaskis Lake was primarily stocked with large (≥20

cm) Rainbow Trout (Tables 1 and 2). Anecdotal reports from anglers suggested that this improved the

fishery, but no creel data were gathered to corroborate these claims.

In the early 2000s, several changes in fisheries management occurred at Upper Kananaskis Lake, with

the major change being a shift towards providing a fishery for native trout species. Beginning in 2001, Bull

Trout Salvelinus confluentus, originating from the native population in Lower Kananaskis Lake, were

stocked in Upper Kananaskis Lake and have been intermittently stocked since then (Table 2). The

Upper Kananaskis Lake creel survey: 2010 and 2011 2

rationale behind this change was that Bull Trout should have better growth and survival than Rainbow

Trout in Upper Kananaskis Lake, since they are more likely to occupy the part of the water column where

Opossum Shrimp Mysis relicta occur and, being highly piscivorous, could also exploit the abundant forage

base of minnows (Lake Chub Couesius plumbeus and Longnose Dace Rhinichthys cataractae) and

introduced suckers (Longnose Sucker Catostomus catostomus and White Sucker C. commersonii)

(Stelfox 1987).

In 2002, a minimum size limit of 30 cm was implemented for Cutthroat and Rainbow Trout in Upper and

Lower Kananaskis lakes and the bag limit for Cutthroat and Rainbow Trout was reduced to three (from the

previous limit of five). A bait ban was also implemented on Upper Kananaskis Lake in 2002, so as to

improve survival of released Bull Trout — protected since 1995 by a province-wide, 0-bag limit — and

undersized Cutthroat and Rainbow Trout. Finally, the stocking of Rainbow Trout in Upper Kananaskis

Lake ceased after 2002 and was subsequently replaced by alternate-year stocking of primarily large (≥20

cm) Westslope Cutthroat Trout, beginning in 2003.

Subsequent gillnetting, conducted in 2006 and 2007 (Earle and Stelfox 2012), revealed that Bull Trout

survival and growth was very good, with most Bull Trout exceeding 40 cm. In contrast, Cutthroat Trout

survival appeared to be relatively poor, since they comprised a relatively small proportion of the gill net

catch and most were smaller than 40 cm. This raised the question as to whether the relatively small

numbers and sizes of Cutthroat Trout was due to predation by Bull Trout, harvest by anglers, or both. To

address this question, and determine what size of Cutthroat Trout should be stocked to provide a more

cost-effective fishery, Upper Kananaskis Lake was stocked with different sizes of Cutthroat Trout —

unmarked 19-cm and 20-cm Cutthroat Trout in 2009 and 2011, respectively, and marked (fin-clipped) 30-

cm Cutthroat Trout in 2010 (Table 2).

In 2010, a number of anglers expressed concern that the 30-cm minimum size limit provided inadequate

protection for recently stocked Cutthroat Trout, thereby preventing the Kananaskis Lakes from realizing

their potential to provide high quality fisheries. To rectify the situation, they proposed that the Cutthroat

Upper Kananaskis Lake creel survey: 2010 and 2011 3

and Rainbow Trout minimum size limit should be increased to 50 cm and the bag limit should be reduced

to one fish.

To evaluate, from the anglers’ perspective, the effectiveness of stocking Cutthroat Trout of different sizes,

a creel survey was conducted during the summers of 2010 and 2011. The creel survey also gathered

information on the size distribution of harvested Cutthroat and Rainbow Trout relative to the proposed 50-

cm minimum size limit. This report presents the results of that survey.

[Curious About Kanaskis Area]

There are some great Cutts around in the big lakes this year because a number of years ago catchable sized Cutts were stocked. When the government stocks tiny fish, their mortality rate is huge in Upper and Lower Kan. I have heard the plan is to go back to stocking tiny fish...it is a waste of money.

 

Lower Kan got 14.9k of 21cm Cutts in 2013 and 20K of 18cm in 2009...some survived. It is a way better plan than stocking 6cm fish in a Bull trout reservoir

 

Upper Kan got bigger Cutts in 2011, 2013

I had a long talk with some former AB Gov fish biologists. It sounds like some of the big problems are stocking cutties that are too small and bulls that are too big. The main food source in Upper K is some kind of scud that typically sits in 20+ feet of water. That's just too far down for smaller stocked fish to do well in. The bulls have a pretty easy time picking off those little guys that are starving to death in the shallower water. I was out there a couple of years ago after they stocked it with the wee cutties. Didn't catch a single cutty but got into plenty of chubby bulls that were clearly enjoying the recent stockees.

[Bow River Access Plan]

At the very least I'm pleased that there is an appetite to do access right. Doing it right doesn't always mean doing it more. Access points need to have the right supporting infrastructure in place. I wouldn't want to see more access if it meant we were going to get more McKinnon Flats.

[More Cases Of Whirling Disease Found]

Don makes a fascinating political statement that is true in Alberta and is currently happening in the US right now. I think most people would generally assume hunters/anglers are a bunch of rednecks that only ever vote Conservative/Republican. But what have those political entities done for the things we hold so dear?

[Nice Cutty From The Weekend]

It's safe to say that the majority of the cutties we all catch are far from 99% pure. The pure populations are very isolated. Basically anywhere that rainbows could get up into = cutbows. Things like hanging culverts and natural barriers have been buffers to keep some pure strain cutty populations intact.

[More Cases Of Whirling Disease Found]

I think whirling disease in the North Raven goes a long way in explaining why the trout population is smaller than it was in the early 90's

Brown trout are one of the most resilient species to whirling disease. I'd suggest water quality and habitat issues are playing a bigger role.

[Bow River Chapter Agm]

Our AGM is right around the corner. We've been really busy for the last few years - it's a great time to get involved!

 

http://bowriver.org/2017/05/19/2017-annual-general-meeting/