Quirk Creek Fishing Outing

[Guest Sundancefisher]

Just got this email this morning

 

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I am pleased to announce the next supervised trip into Quirk Creek

We will be administering the fish identification quiz this week from the office, but if you absolutely cannot make it we can have individuals write the test in the Cobble Flats parking lot before we go into the site.

 

Meeting time: Thursday August 7th - 3:00 pm Cobble Flats parking lot

Please RSVP so I know how many to expect! We have room for 9 anglers.

With the cost of gas on the rise we will initiate a car pooling strategy for this year – for those wishing to car pool to Cobble Flats we will meet at the parking area where Stoney Trail and the Trans Canada Meet (map attached), I will have the Silver TUC Toyota Truck and I will be leaving the meeting area no later than 2:00pm - please indicate in your RSVP if you will be car pooling so I know who to expect.

Remember to bring warm clothes, light waders or rubber boots, a raincoat, plenty of food and water, and something in which to transport your catch home.

As in the past we will fish until dusk and then arrive back at the vehicles roughly around 11:00pm

Elbow River flows finally are allowing us to safely cross the river -(http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/ws/data/hydro/tables/BOW-RELBBRAG-WL.txt).

 

Notice: Former Allen Bill Pond issue- please take a minute to familiarize yourself with the regulation changes concerning this reach of the Elbow River on page 29 of the 2008 Sportfishing Regulations. The use of BAIT on Allen Bill is now ILLEGAL (with the exception of maggots from Aug. 16 - Oct. 31). Anyone fishing with a bobber in this area is likely poaching. If you observe this please take a minute to call the toll free Report-a-Poacher line (1-800-642-3800) or take photos of people bait fishing. If your cell phone does not work in this location, there is a pay phone located across the road and slightly to the west at the empty parks building. *Notify the operator that Allen Bill Eddy is a Parks enforcement area and not Fish and Wildlife.

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION FOR VOLUNTEERS

1. Volunteers will be allowed to participate in the brook trout removal project on Quirk Creek only after they have passed the fish identification test. Volunteers who have passed the test will have their name, phone number and WIN number put on the eligibility list. As a reminder, in order to participate, all anglers must pass the Quirk Creek Fish Identification Test (The quiz is to be written annually, on this we are not flexable). To eliminate delays (and spend more time fishing) participants are encouraged to visit our new Calgary office to complete the test (Suite 160, 6712 Fisher St S.E., this is kitty corner to Chinook Centre (map attached)). If you would like to write the test before your outing, please contact Brian Meagher by phone (209-5185) or email to set up a convenient time.

2. The volunteer coordinator will notify interested participants of their involvement on a first-come first-serve basis.

 

3. Volunteers are responsible for providing or arranging for their own transportation to the Cobble Flats Day-Use Site and into Quirk Creek (with the cost of gas on the rise we will initiate a car pooling strategy for this year – for those wishing to car pool to Cobble Flats we will meet at the parking area where Stoney Trail and the Trans Canada Meet (map attached), I will have the Silver TUC Toyota Truck and I will be leaving the meeting area no later than 2:00) please indicate in your email if you will be car pooling so I know who to expect.

 

4. Volunteers will meet at a specified time at the Cobble Flats Day-Use Site where they will be briefed on the purpose of the project, provided with a written outline of what they are to do and provided with a creel card.

 

5. Volunteers are only allowed to use unbaited lures in Quirk Creek and are only to fish in their assigned section of Quirk Creek prior to checking out at the check station.

 

6. All bull trout and cutthroat trout caught are to be handled in such a manner as to ensure maximum survival and be released to the waters from which they were caught.

 

7. Each bull trout and cutthroat trout caught is to be recorded on the creel card at the time of capture, whereas brook trout will only be recorded after they have been sampled at the check station.

 

8. All brook trout caught are to be killed and delivered whole to the volunteer coordinator.

 

9. If a volunteer finds a dead bull trout or cutthroat trout, they should bring it to the volunteer coordinator so that it can be sampled and turned over to Jim Stelfox. However, before their brook trout are sampled, they must notify the volunteer coordinator that they found a dead bull trout or cutthroat trout, otherwise they could be charged with the possession of the fish.

 

10. All volunteers will check out at the check station, located at the bridge near Mac Creek, by a specified time so that their completed creel cards can be collected and their brook trout weighed and measured (The check station location may vary, but will be agreed upon by the group prior to the outing).

 

11. Volunteers wishing to take home their catch of brook trout will be issued a bill of lading by the volunteer coordinator, permitting them to take a specified number of brook trout directly to their residence on that day.

 

12. The volunteer coordinator has the authority to terminate the involvement of any volunteer who is not following directions or the above conditions.

 

 

Brian Meagher P.Bio.

Provincial Biologist

Trout Unlimited Canada

Suite 160, 6712 Fisher St. S.E.

Calgary, AB. T2H 2A7

w-(403)-209-5185

c-(403)-875-3264

f-(403)-221-8368

bmeagher@tucanada.org