"i'm Working For The Government Doing A Bull Trout Survey"

[adams]

Thats the line I got from a guy I saw on the Livingstone just above the bridge on the long weekend. I was immediately suspicious as he sure didnt look like anyone the Government would hire (long hair down to his waist, beard, white Gilligan hat). He also had a spinning rod with some sort of white jigging lure on it which didnt seem right. So, I stood and watched him and he immediately hooked a fish. Theres one now he says. I quietly informed him that he had a cutthroat trout on the end of his line, not a bull trout, and asked if he shouldnt know the difference if he was working for the Government. We just measure these ones and put them back he says. Then he asks Do you have a measuring tape?. Another red flag. Shouldnt you have a measuring tape if youre taping fish for the Government? Also, I informed him the river was C&R and that all fish had to be put back; especially the bull trout. I have markers on my fly rod at 12 and 16 inches so I quickly measured the cutthroat for him and made sure he put it back. I stood watching him for a while, but had to move on, so I took a picture of him just in case. Unfortunately the picture turned out blurry (my crappy new camera)and doesnt show any detail.

 

He seemed to have someone with him above that he referred to as Jim, and after I moved on he yelled out were having tuna tonight Jim!. I think Jim was driving a white Dodge Dakota truck.

 

I flagged down a conservation officer the next day (only one I saw all weekend) and asked if they had anyone doing a survey in the area. He took my email addr and just got back to me saying no one was doing a survey. I sent him the picture I took, but its too poor to identify the guy.

 

The guy was very scrawny, about 40 - 45, long dark hair to his waist, black beard, wearing a white Gilligan style hat. If you see him out fishing, you might want to keep an eye on him.

 

 

 

Adams

[birchy]

I'm pretty sure I've seen this guy before.. he lives on the corner of sketch and sketch.

[robertboyce]

Hi Adams. Great idea posting this....I think that the more eyes there are in the backcountry the better.

 

I'll pass along these comments to ESRD Fisheries in Blairmore. If anyone is actually conducting Bull Trout work in the area it is for either Kenton or Matthew the fisheries biologists that work there. I know that there is one member of the public that has been issued a Fish Research License (FRL) to assist in a mark/recapture study on Bull Trout in the Upper Oldman Drainage but I don't know this person. I would be surprised if ESRD issued an FRL to someone that came across this unprepared (possibly unprofessional). BTW this mark/recapture study is the same one I created a topic on a week or so ago.

 

If we run across anyone saying that they are doing anything with/for the Government of Alberta we can ask them for their FRL and the if they can not produce one we can ask for the name of the biologist that they are working with and what program they are volunteering for. If I ask these Q's and they can't respond I'll pass the details along to the local biologist and the local enforcement folks. I've a couple FRLs that I work with as a volunteer and every time that I've been issued one I've been given strict instructions by the biologist to produce it upon request by any enforcement person or concerned member of the public.

[chrisbird]

Hi Guys - the FFC board received an e-mail from an official at Fish & Wildlife (SRD) verifying that "the work the volunteer is doing for me (Fish & Wildlife) is legitimate and is being conducted under of the authority of a Fisheries Research Licence, as per the Alberta Fisheries Act."

 

We value tremendously your efforts in protecting the waters that we all fish, however, in this situation we should be offering an "FFC pat on the back" to this particular volunteer.

 

Thanks guys!

 

Chris