Four Species Added To Alberta's Threatened Species List

[relk19]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/edmonton/Four+species+added+Alberta+threatened+species+list/10075860/story.html

 

 

The trumpeter swan has been removed from Alberta’s threatened species list, but four other species have been added due to declining populations.

The Athabasca rainbow trout, bull trout, Pygmy whitefish and western grebe are now listed as threatened.

 

I was under the impression the Bull trout was already on the list, no surprise there. Can't say I have caught any of the three fish species added to the list, hoping to check a bull off my list soon. Hope to see these species make a comeback in the coming decades.

[albertatrout]

Listing them will not do anything, the government actually has to make changes/ enforce rules if they want to see improvements.

[ÜberFly]

x2!

 

Listing them will not do anything, the government actually has to make changes/ enforce rules if they want to see improvements.

[fishinglibin]

x3

[bcubed]

Well considering there was talk of allowing BT harvest from Lower Kananaskis, hopefully that will axe that talk...

[beedhead]

As long as Jim Stelfox and Jenny Earl are alive, (Retired or not) that will never happen....

 

Cheers...Jeff

[bcubed]

Thought it was Jim's proposal, unless I'm mistaken.

[monger]

There has been lots of pressure to have a limited kill on Lower Kan for years now. I'm surprised Jim never caved in....he loves eating fish. Hopefully Jenny never gives up the good fight.

[LastBoyScout]

I've certainly landed two of the three. To many fly wreckers a few beauty macleod bow and I think I. May have caught pigmys, I caught several unusual tiny whities when I gave a close inspection the eyes seemed to large they were ever leaner than high elevation rmw also their pecs seemed to large for their size. Tiny left trib of Athebasca a long time ago.

[Jayhad]

There has been lots of pressure to have a limited kill on Lower Kan for years now. I'm surprised Jim never caved in....he loves eating fish. Hopefully Jenny never gives up the good fight.

Why shouldn't Lower K be opened for limited retention. The majority of all bulls I've seen caught from the lower K are all stunted around 24-28" and there is a serious amount of them. if there was some retention perhaps some of these fish would grow larger

[monger]

But being so easy to catch, how long do you think it would be until the population crashed again....one or two summers? There are a lot of people in this area that would love to bonk one. I'm not sure what the population numbers of mature fish heading up the S-D is, but I think it plateaued below 3000 fish. I remember when we netted the lake for a week in the late 80's...all we got was 3 bull trout and hundreds of suckers . It was decided by the government to protect the bulls soon after that. The population then slowly started its recovery.

I don't believe the population continued to climb though. There seemed to be a definite plateau established. I have a feeling that available spawning habitat may be a big issue. Fish spawning on top of other redds causes a problem.

It is true that there are very few fish over 28", but perhaps the productivity of the lake is an issue limiting growth rather than population numbers. I'd rather have quite a few 24-28" fish over rarely seeing one.

From what I have observed from a number of anglers is that few folks catch more than 5 bull trout in a day. People can do well where fish are temporarily grouped up for some reason, but there is a ton of water that is fishless.

Jay, do you think the government should have an open season or a tag draw to reduce the Bull population in Lower Kan? How many fish are you willing to see removed? Do all your fishing buddies catch too many when you go there...is the fishing too easy?

Interested to hear your thoughts.

[beedhead]

I would have to say Leave the Lower and Upper Lakes as they are now.

 

 

 

 

 

[beedhead]

Lots of info on the Lakes here http://sunsite.ualberta.ca/Projects/Alberta-Lakes/view/?region=South%20Saskatchewan%20Region&basin=Bow%20River%20Basin&lake=Kananaskis%20Lakes&number=113

[Jayhad]

Monger

 

You give some great info thank you.

 

first and foremost I am not a Scientist, nor have I ever trained in sciences....... all I have to go off of is my personal observations and I have no idea how to adequately manage a cull without destroying the fishery.

 

That said I would like a tag system, draw or a 1 a year slot to cut on your licence like BC has for shuswap trout. Really anything that could pull a pre-determined percentage of fish out; what that percentage is, I have no idea.

 

Last time I fished it was in May after driving back from some upper bow fishing we swung in to make a few casts. I still had a sex-dungeon and a minnow pattern rigged up and I cast in, within seconds I had two 26ish fish on at the same time. I find I am fairly sated after just a few casts on the lower K.

 

Is the Lower K too easy?

I find it is, and to me that says there is to many fish for the feed available (but remember I'm ignorant to the science of chars.)

Have I fished the whole lake ? no.

Is it possible that I only fish spots that contain fish? yes

Do I fish the upper outflow? No

Do my observations prove there is a healthy population? no

Do I have the answers how to complete this plan? no

Would I like to see some big bullies(30"+) come from the Lower K? yes

[bcubed]

Lots of info here:

 

http://classes.uleth.ca/200901/biol4500a/Readings/Stelfox1.pdf

[beedhead]

Hate to say it......, "Im sure there are enough Bull Trout leave the Upper and Lower Lakes and hit the Grill at the campsites every Spring/Summer, not so much by Poaching",...Well, Uhmm?....... However Ignorance to the Species Misidentification, and not reading the regs..... Them there Bulls on the Lower Lake are very special, bin there since Christ was a Child.. Them Bullies have a soft spot in my heart, Bin playin with them for a long while, Spent 20 some days this Spring, along with many other Springs and early Summers, never disappointed, Only one stunted tagged fish this year, #3897, caught her twice in 2 weeks, She was over 20 years Old, COOL..... Takes a long while for them there Bullies to Grow in them Waters..... Another great thing, My buds and I were getting lots of smaller Bulls in the 10 to 20 inch range, great! to see!....

 

 

Cheers... Jeff...

[DonAndersen]

The bucket list has 3 of the threatened species caught. Caught enough bull trout as a kid to satisfy anyone, got two Western Grebes - both fair caught and released, a whack of Athabaska 'Bows but am still missing the pigmy whites.

Where does one catch pigmy whites?

 

Don

[BrianR]

Beedhead;I was talking to Jim Stelfox today.One of his last recomendations was to try a planting of 3n rainbows & 2n cutts.Reason for the 2n cutts was the hope,of them spawning in the rebult spawning channel leading up /down from Rawson.By doing these things it would take pressure[dinner] of the bulls.Oh and Bear pond didnot winterkill this year 13-14"gryling.

[beedhead]

Beedhead;I was talking to Jim Stelfox today.One of his last recomendations was to try a planting of 3n rainbows & 2n cutts.Reason for the 2n cutts was the hope,of them spawning in the rebult spawning channel leading up /down from Rawson.By doing these things it would take pressure[dinner] of the bulls.Oh and Bear pond didnot winterkill this year 13-14"gryling.

 

 

Brian, good news, good to hear the Spawning Channel has been repaired that would be great if the Cutts can reproduce naturally in the Upper Lake... However, There are still 2n Bows in the upper, I know, there shouldn't be any left, but I caught a small one this spring on the upper lake and a friend of mine caught a few small Bows as well this spring on the upper, there must be some mature Bows left on the Upper gettin er' done somewhere and will perhaps Crossbreed with the Cutts, Im fine with that, having some Cuttbows on the upper, cool.... I have a pic of the Bow from the upper lake, sorry for the piss poor fish handling skills in the shot but was solo and had to get a pic, I sent the pic to Jenny Earl and she was like, really ?????.... I was like yup, its a Bow from the Upper....

 

 

Cheers... Jeff..