Quirk Creek Regs

[McLeod]

Can someone please explain to me why there is Zero Brook trout limit for Quirk creek ?

[tgo]

Not 100% sure, but I believe its because most people can't distinguish between juvenile brookies and bulls, so they're afraid of people harvesting the wrong fish? Instead of having a general bounty on them, they'd prefer to give permission to those who can pass an ID test to go and thin out the population of brookies.

[jstelfox]

Not 100% sure, but I believe its because most people can't distinguish between juvenile brookies and bulls, so they're afraid of people harvesting the wrong fish? Instead of having a general bounty on them, they'd prefer to give permission to those who can pass an ID test to go and thin out the population of brookies.

 

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

[McLeod]

 

Yes thus the conundrum in fighting the " War on Brook Trout "

Not sure if your going to discuss this more Saturday or outline more streams that are going have similar regs as Quirk ? But if we are going to get serious about removing Brook trout and other exotics from flowing waters were

Native Cutties and Rainbows should thrive then isn't it time to make a REAL effort to eliminate the Brookies.

Maybe 20 fish limits.. A target list for anglers to go after these fish in listed waters.

It just seems to me the approach that is being used is not agressive enough. Maybe that is about to change ?

[fish4trout]

I think the guy is wondering why quirk creek specifically has 0 limit on brook trout. There are other places with brook trout and bull trout where you can keep brook trout.

[McLeod]

I think the guy is wondering why quirk creek specifically has 0 limit on brook trout. There are other places with brook trout and bull trout where you can keep brook trout.

 

But the same issue regarding identity would exsist elsewhere as well..

[tgo]

It's a pretty sensitive bull trout population in the Elbow and tribs. Also, the pilot project is working to reduce the number of brookies so why mess with a good thing?

[fish4trout]

But the same issue regarding identity would exsist elsewhere as well..

 

Ya, I understand that. But what is the point of putting the regs on 1 creek out a bunch? If that is the reason why they did it, you would think they would follow through with those regs on all waters containing brook/bull trout

[Avalanche]

I'm pretty sure if they let anyone go in to Quirk and pull out as many Brook Trout as they pleased, the ongoing study would get blown apart. They keep track of every fish that's removed. Kind of tough to do that when anyone and everyone is yanking and bonking. Besides, if you've ever fished there you'll know it's really not an ideal place to fish. There are some open spots but there are lots of spots where it runs through meadows and is pretty much completely covered by vegetation. Any effort to move the grass away to drop a fly in spooks the fish. I found it pretty frustrating the few times I went in to help with the study...