trailhead Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I signed up for TU`s brook trout suppression program. Had some nice fishing and grilled some tasty char. I just got an email from Jim Stelfox and it sounds like the program is coming along nicely and has had some favorable results. There were over 2000 brook trout eliminated from the streams involved with some guy named Hansma bonking 10% of them himself. The guy sounds like a beast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taco Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 That rotten bastard, anyone ever met him? Betcha he's a prick in real life too. Willow saw the highest high removal rates at over 1600 going for a ride. It'll be interesting to see if we started to make some room for the other fish and which one starts to predominate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipestoneflyguy Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 It's amazing how many are now in the program - should be interesting to see the numbers next year with everyone starting with a full season in front of them ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 420FLYFISHIN Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 is this program all over AB or just in selective areas? Im thinking of doing a trip to banff next summer to an area where there are a ton of brookies and cutts. great job on the Bank-a-thon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstelfox Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 is this program all over AB or just in selective areas? Im thinking of doing a trip to banff next summer to an area where there are a ton of brookies and cutts. great job on the Bank-a-thon! Although we will be expanding this program in 2013 to include a few more waters in the SW portion of the Eastern Slopes, it does not apply to any waters in the National Parks. One other change that will be occurring in 2013 is that harvest of rainbow trout will also be permitted from a few specified waters (including Willow Creek), so the mandatory fish ID test will be modified to include this species. For those who might be interested in participating in this project, I have attached a summary of the data for the past four years, as well as a background information sheet. Cheers, Jim Stewardship Licence-pilot project_background information_2012.pdf 2012_Stewardship Licence Pilot Project creel data summary.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstelfox Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Here's the summary data that I was unable to get attached to the above post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FraserN Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 In the past two years, I have bonked a couple of brookies I caught in the Upper parts of fish creek. I guess it is a start, and I will continue to contribute to this concept this season, also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedBeard Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 In the past two years, I have bonked a couple of brookies I caught in the Upper parts of fish creek. I guess it is a start, and I will continue to contribute to this concept this season, also. Upper fish creek? Like towards the reserve? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FraserN Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Actually, RedBeard, it is upstream of the reserve, near priddis. In past years, there were always only Rainbows, but lately the brookies have been showing up. Sadly, I am still waiting for my first cutthroat trout, but I fear that the Rainbows pushed them out years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 420FLYFISHIN Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 i got a few off the road way up there too, i almost forgot about that little area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slingshotz Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Yup those brookies were very tasty. I was sure I would have beat Hansma in Willow as I hit that creek really hard but I think I was short about 10 fish Can't wait to get the Stewardship licence renewal for 2013. Interesting that rainbows would be included, we only ever caught two at Willow with all the times we went out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taco Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Thanks Jim, needed changes. I gonna hafta change my siggy if I pass the test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedBeard Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Actually, RedBeard, it is upstream of the reserve, near priddis. In past years, there were always only Rainbows, but lately the brookies have been showing up. Sadly, I am still waiting for my first cutthroat trout, but I fear that the Rainbows pushed them out years ago. Oh cool, yeah I was going to say I didn't see much action in FCP by the reserve when I walk through there in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midgetwaiter Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Yup those brookies were very tasty. I was sure I would have beat Hansma in Willow as I hit that creek really hard but I think I was short about 10 fish Can't wait to get the Stewardship licence renewal for 2013. Interesting that rainbows would be included, we only ever caught two at Willow with all the times we went out. I'm really curious what the guidelines are going to be for deciding a Cutthroat vs a Rainbow. I caught a few mongrel looking ones in the first few bends upstream of the bridge last year, all rainbow characteristics except the slash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taco Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 I'm really curious what the guidelines are going to be for deciding a Cutthroat vs a Rainbow. I caught a few mongrel looking ones in the first few bends upstream of the bridge last year, all rainbow characteristics except the slash. Talk to Jim Stelfox, he would know. I'll pm you his email addy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawgstoppah Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 The only way to get brookies out of there is to use chemicals and kill everything. I don't really understand what bonking a ton of brookies will do to this fishery so I'll leave my personal opinion out of it, but I'd like to know how this would improve the current fishery at Willow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taco Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Christ Peace , you're the one that carps about how poaching is decimating our streams so you tell me what you think will happen if you overharvest 2 out of 3 species of sport fish in a small stream? .Do yourself a favour and read the report on Quirk Creek, its on the TU site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawgstoppah Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 I guess I just don't understand how on one hand we're trying to create "quality fisheries" in lakes with non native fish, and on the very other hand we are trying to kill what I believe to be a quailty brook trout fishery in Willow. I haven't said much on this forum about Willow before now, but there are 16-18" class brookies in there. The project states that brook trout are "harder to catch" than cutts and bulls, I also do not believe that to be true and while I am no scientist I have spent thousands upon thousands of hours researching and observing So let's let quads run ragged over the entire FTR streams and poaching is running rampant out there, and lets focus on removing fun to catch quality brookies?? I just think our focus is in the wrong place. I suppose what's next, Cataract Creek? Forget the logging, those darned brookies must go!! Die evil brook trout die! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midgetwaiter Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 I guess I just don't understand how on one hand we're trying to create "quality fisheries" in lakes with non native fish, and on the very other hand we are trying to kill what I believe to be a quailty brook trout fishery in Willow. I haven't said much on this forum about Willow before now, but there are 16-18" class brookies in there. While I don't doubt you on that I can tell you that I never caught one. What I did see is 7 little 4" brookies come out of the same hole one day and 5 more 24 hours later and then 6 more the next day. Left alone I suspect the fishery is not sustainable, they are too prolific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taco Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 So to maintain a "quality" brook trout fishery in your mind we should let a naturally evolved unique species die out in one particular stream? Why not, the brook trout have expatriated all the Willow Ck bull trout anyway, just one more stream with no cutthroat that's all. That only makes 9 -10 more streams with no natives that I've personally witnessed... Lobby to turn Cataract into a quality brook trout fishery if you're so inclined, it's historically fish barren above the falls anyway but you're gonna have to siphon about 50% of the brookies out of there if you want to maintain any size........... although it would be a good safe low cost place to stash some pure cutts in case the decline continues, can't just depend on the upper Old Man, Westcastle and Lynx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawgstoppah Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 I may fish lower down than most who fish on Willow, in my defense. Willow is a pretty long and diversified stream. I just do not know how we can erase years of human footprint on it (are we going to stop stocking Chain lakes with rainbows? Seems that should be step #1, no? They get out through the spillway often)... or are we talking Upper Willow for the management plan? Are we going to start removing the browns too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawgstoppah Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 What I guess I'd like to see if you can direct me to it, is a detailed management plan specifically for Willow. Because right now my thoughts are this: If we just start remmoving one species out of the 6 trout species I have caught in it, what real good will it do? I have landed a laker, brown, bull, brook, rainbow, cutthroat, all within 2km of eachother and all healthy fish too. It's already unique in it's own right. I just think there are a lot better options for restoration of native fish stocks than Willow. I'm not trying to stir the pot or say NOT to, but I'd like to know what good it will do in the end. To manage Willow for cutts and bulls you'd have to remove Browns, Lakers, Rainbows, and Brookies. And Pike, though they are native, as they would compete with the bulls. And you'd basicaly have to remove ainbows from the lower oldman below the damn and erase the browns from there too. It's just a lot of GOOD fishing that would have to be bombed to achieve the goal of slightly better fishing for small cutthroats? It doesn't make sense to me. Please educate me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taco Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 It's Willow above Indian Graves Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawgstoppah Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 It's Willow above Indian Graves Brian Oh well sh*t don't I feel dumb. Carry on folks,! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McLeod Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 and I have been bashing the Browns and the Rainbows in the Bow as well .TASTY... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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