Milennium Style Project.

[LastBoyScout]

I have my eye on a fairly recent tail water. The flows are constant and the pre-dam species info shows a reasonable forage base. Nothing post-dam is available how ever history shows the occational far travelled Brown of imense proportions present. I think there is an opportunity for a tail water Trout fishery where no fishery at all has been present to date. I have a pick and a shovel and know how to plant Willow spears. Can I just wander out and start enhancing the Stream bed? Can I just bucket in Brown Trout Brood? What do you think?

[beedhead]

I have my eye on a fairly recent tail water. The flows are constant and the pre-dam species info shows a reasonable forage base. Nothing post-dam is available how ever history shows the occational far travelled Brown of imense proportions present. I think there is an opportunity for a tail water Trout fishery where no fishery at all has been present to date. I have a pick and a shovel and know how to plant Willow spears. Can I just wander out and start enhancing the Stream bed? Can I just bucket in Brown Trout Brood? What do you think?

 

p.m. dekkard, he can get you in contact with Guy Woods, Guy could probably steer you in the right direction.....Not a very good idea to start enhancing stream beds, or bucketing Browns without permition...

[BBBrownie]

you definately don't want to take a go ahead enhancing stream bed and banks or transfering browns without approval from SRD and DFO. Any sort of alteration to fish habitat (regardless of how marginal/modified said habitat may be) has the potential to trigger a HADD (harmful alteration, disturbance and disruption of fish habitat) through DFO. Large fines are involved in triggering a HADD. With DFO notification, you may potentially be granted approval. Look up HADD on the DFO website for more information. Bucket planting of fish in watercourses without proper research and/or expertise (especially with non-native trout sp.) has been a huge problem for fisheries managers in Alberta in the past, regardless of recreational potential. Current management has been focused more on native species recovery than introduction of non natives to new systems. The course of action you would need to follow would begin with contacting regional fisheries management staff for the area. Contact information can be found on the Alberta SRD website. Approach the regional biologist with your proposition for clarification/direction, but honestly, don't expect this proposal to go far - they likely won't be keen on stocking non-natives into a flowing system.

[LastBoyScout]

Thanks for the responses guys, don't worry about the bucket remark as I feel that if you ain't following the rules you ain't in the game. Not only that I don't know where to catch a bucket of anything. I'll let you all know when I need help.