Redds

[Harps]

A little late, but here are some redd photo's I said I'd find... not bulls as talked about earlier on the board, but similar.

 

A couple of shots of Brown Trout Redds.

Just passing the peak brown trout spawning times.

 

Be on the lookout and avoid stepping on them, particularily downstream of them (remember the tails are often the eggs covered by gravel, the hole at the upstream end is where the gravel is from, not nessecarily where the eggs are).

 

If you see spawning activity in an area or think you see redds, avoid the area, because there very well may be a bunch of redds that are tough to see.

 

Cheers

[toolman]

Thanks Harps. As you mentioned, waders should avoid shallow areas of the river, with gravel bottoms. I have seen redds that were very close to the shore, as well.

[wongrs]

thanks Harps. good to have a visual to reference. i find those redds are harder to see than ones posted earlier so i'm going to have to pay closer attention when i'm out on the river.

 

thanks again.

[BillyGopher]

The top one is iffy, might be a false redd - testing the site only. The bottom, no question.

[Hopper]

Thanks. This kind of info makes us all a bit smarter. I will echo the comments to be careful when wading

[Harps]

The top one is iffy, might be a false redd - testing the site only. The bottom, no question.

 

Pretty sure of the top one. You can see the pit at the bottom(ish) right and the tail running from right to left. Hard to see because of the angle of light and lack of polarizer on my camera... also sed in the water you can see coming from upstream. But like all things it is subject to "user" interpretation.

 

 

This brings up other stuff... there are old redds out there. After a couple of weeks they are hard to pick out. There are also fish starting redds that are scared off by anglers. If you stay there the fish may or may not come back. If you want to watch, do it quietly from the bank... a good place is off the bridge in Canmore... lots of Grade A peep show action.

 

 

Also you NEED polarized lenses to properly see through the water. If you don't use them... get them.

 

Greg, we found redds in very shallow water (possibly at risk of freezing), they are often dug along the shore and in smaller side channels.

 

Cheers

[Taco]

Interesting about the peak spawning times, I was talking to the guy was doing the redd count on the OMR a few yrs ago and he seemed to think that the OM browns spawned about 10 days- 2 weeks later than the Bow River fish. Could be part of the reason why the browns are having trouble getting established on the OM. Difference between hatchery reared and wild maybe? May have to do what they did on the Red Deer but I'm not sure the few remaining bull trout below the dam need the competition for nesting sites.

 

BTW Paul, ACA still doing a redd count on the OM? Haven't heard lately.

[Harps]

I don't know enough about the Bow River Brown timings to answer that, Taco.

I do know that the Browns are establishing on the Oldman... just not to quickly and not in the commonly fly-fished areas.

It is very unfortunate that the Bull population was written off below the dam. It is good to see that they are still trying to hang on after a +10 year obstruction to their migration, though.

 

ACA still doing a redd count on the OM? Haven't heard lately.

Not sure about ACA, but Environment didn't do them this year (on the OMR for browns). They have been done recently though, and are still going on in different places.

 

Cheers,

[Guest Sundancefisher]

Brown spawning in the Bow occurs from about late September to mid November. I have seen Volkswagen sized redds at the North bridge going over to the zoo from the dinosaur area.

 

I have also seen equally large redds on the Dogpound. I have in the past studied bull trout redds for years and they were always awesome to watch.

[Harps]

Brown spawning in the Bow occurs from about late September to mid November. I have seen Volkswagen sized redds at the North bridge going over to the zoo from the dinosaur area.

 

I have also seen equally large redds on the Dogpound. I have in the past studied bull trout redds for years and they were always awesome to watch.

 

That's very cool. I thought browns wouldn't start before October... and closer to the middle of the month.

We also have seen some pretty big redds... Amazing what a couple of dedicated fish can do with the right sized rock and a little hydraulic assistance.

[snakeman]

Neat pics Harps.

I've noticed some brook trout redds on a spring creek near my house. The char are off of them now but it was really cool to watch their spawning behaviour through September and October.