Mapping of trout stocked lakes

[DonAndersen]

Folks,

Those that fish trout lakes may find this discussion interesting.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?p=3840271#post3840271

 

Don

[Taco]

I deactivated my account over on the dipshit board so I'll comment here.

They need to keep their list of stocked waterbodies updated. There are at least one that hasn't received a stocking of fish since 2014

 

[Birdo]

Just curious, probably a dumb question, but is aca and my wild alberta, 2 separate organizations that stock alberta trout lakes?

[Taco]

That is one screwed up map. Along with waterbodies with no fish in them I see they have translocated a lake from the Waiparous to west of Twin Butte

[DonAndersen]

19 hours ago, Birdo said:

Just curious, probably a dumb question, but is aca and my wild alberta, 2 separate organizations that stock alberta trout lakes?

Yes,

both stock fish. Why the ACA does it I haven't a clue.

 

Don

[DonAndersen]

1 hour ago, Taco said:

That is one screwed up map. Along with waterbodies with no fish in them I see they have translocated a lake from the Waiparous to west of Twin Butte

Taco,

could you send me a email with the errors.

 

regards,

Don

[Taco]

Check your PMs Don

[FishnChips]

On 9/13/2018 at 2:33 PM, Taco said:

They need to keep their list of stocked waterbodies updated.

I certainly agree, however, I have a concern regarding some of the stocking program.

I realize we all have more compelling stories in our lives, and precious time spent on long narratives has gone by the wayside with the introduction of our modern social media like Snapchat, Twitter etcetera, but since I like my sport so much I'll tell the story.

Personally, I prefer fishing for wild trout in the mountains. It is pretty, there's not too many folks about (though that has changed drastically in the past two years), and the trout are wily. For better or worse, they are mostly exotic Browns left over from that mythological "accidental/forced" stocking from early in the 20th century when a conservation stocking truck broke down and the CO dumped the trout into the Upper Bow. We have a few Brook Trout around in some sections, a few Bull Trout as well but it's pretty skinny fishing compared to the Blue Ribbon section.

A couple of years ago, I fished Mt Lorette Ponds with an out of province guest and we had a nice day, catching and releasing those eager tame stockers. There were several hundred fish in the main pond with the railing around it. Exactly 7 days later I took my small family there for the day to continue our daughter's fishing education and there wasn't a single fish left! I was disappointed and so was the family. There was one dead trout on the bottom of the main pond.

This year my observation is related to stocking reports from mywildalberta.ca for Mt Lorette Ponds. I retired last spring and wanted to put a bit more strategy into my occasional visits and I thought I may have learned something about the need to hit Mt. Lorette Ponds fairly soon after stocking... My wife likes to fish there, it's pretty and the fishing easy. We have, on one occasion, departed the ponds due to "new Canadians" arriving en-masse, standing shoulder to shoulder with us, and hauling trout out of the pond into buckets which were filled well beyond the two fish per person limit stated on the posted sign. It was a three-ring circus and pretty ugly.

So, this year I checked the stocking reports regularly, but to no avail. As Taco states in his previous post, and as I learned from trial and error, the posting on the internet of stocking follows well behind the actual stocking date to be of any practical use. (I believe this is purposeful and a good idea, but...) This was my experience during the early part of the summer of 2018: By examining last years' (2017) reports and making an educated guess taking into consideration the late arrival of Spring to the Eastern Slopes, I took my bride to Mt Lorette Ponds to fish on days which seemed likely. On each of three (3) occasions we arrived within 7 days of the posted stocking date (though this date was not known on the day we arrived there). On each occasion the Mt Lorette Ponds (all 4 of them) were entirely devoid of fish. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Not even a dead one on the bottom (a common enough site in previous years).

3 x 80 minutes of driving (round trip from home) = 4 hours of driving wasted to find entirely empty ponds. What is astonishing is that the two latter stockings were purportedly of 1,000 fish! They had completely vanished in periods ranging from 5 to 7 calendar days! In the worst case, that is a harvest rate of 200 fish per day. In theory, if each fisher-person only takes the prescribed limit, that is 100 anglers per day, steadily for 5 days... the odds of this consistency are, to a reasonable mind, not likely.

I did not track the truck - it is impossible based on the delay between actual stocking and the website posting. By the time the info is posted by Wild Alberta, all the fish are gone.

Where they hell do they go? How are people finding out when the stocking takes place to the point where they are clearly able to stalk the truck...

I mentioned this phenomenon to the nice CO who checked my license a few weeks ago... the simple enough arithmetic seemed to challenge him, (perhaps he was tired), and he theorized that the pond is just seeing heavy fishing pressure. I respectfully disagree. Something is rotten in Denmark, to quote the Bard.

Thoughts Ladies and Gentlemen?

 

 

[DonAndersen]

Wow. Every fish removed. 

one has to wonder how.

 

Don

 

[northfork]

14 hours ago, DonAndersen said:

Wow. Every fish removed. 

one has to wonder how.

 

Don

 

Been out to the borrow pits north of Nordegg lately?

[DonAndersen]

Nope, haven’t been their in years since I did a project of increasing water quality by the use of milled barley. 

I have no idea if the fish are all gone. 

Don

[Birddog]

I've driven by many a time to see a full parking lot. Doesn't take too long to take them out as most people there are taking more than 2 fish for sure.