50 replies to this topic

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Nice "cuts".Thanks for sharing.

Frank

[goinoregon]

wow, those are nice feeesh.  it seems remarkable that they can get that size, in a high lake like that.

must be a sasquatch up there feeding them.

[Vic Harder]

Wow, awesome fishing. Love those “hamburgers”. I really wonder how that outhouse door got locked??? ;-)

[AWG_Pics]

wow, those are nice feeesh.  it seems remarkable that they can get that size, in a high lake like that.

must be a sasquatch up there feeding them.

 

They are planted then allowed to eat everything they can for a couple of years. The fish grow to a nice size but after another year or so you have skinny fish with big heads due to starvation. A year or so later there are no fish. After a few years when food builds up again another batch will be planted to start the cycle again. Western state F&G folks have been doing this cycle in high mountain lakes for 50 or more years. No harm, no foul. Just a service to support sport fisheries. In the early days the hatchery raised fish were carried up by horse/mule packtrains in barrels. Later aerial drops of fish became the norm. Maybe still are doing that.

[Wandering Sagebrush]

They are planted then allowed to eat everything they can for a couple of years. The fish grow to a nice size but after another year or so you have skinny fish with big heads due to starvation. A year or so later there are no fish. After a few years when food builds up again another batch will be planted to start the cycle again. Western state F&G folks have been doing this cycle in high mountain lakes for 50 or more years. No harm, no foul. Just a service to support sport fisheries. In the early days the hatchery raised fish were carried up by horse/mule packtrains in barrels. Later aerial drops of fish became the norm. Maybe still are doing that.

Off topic apologies in advance… There’s a great story told by the late John Day, a wealthy adventurer from So Oregon, who as a college student backpacked trout from the Crater Lake rim down to Cleatwood Cove to stock the lake.  At the top, he was asked by a well dressed matronly looking woman what he was transporting.  His reply was “Why the dye, Mam.  You don’t think the lake gets that blue by itself, do you?”

 

At various times, John held records like the fastest time from Medford to Portland on a bicycle, skiing the 33 miles around the Crater Lake rim in 4 or 5 hours.  He was also air evacuated, due to a broken leg, from  high on Denali.

[AWG_Pics]

Great story Steve!

[ski3pin]

They are planted then allowed to eat everything they can for a couple of years. The fish grow to a nice size but after another year or so you have skinny fish with big heads due to starvation. A year or so later there are no fish. After a few years when food builds up again another batch will be planted to start the cycle again. Western state F&G folks have been doing this cycle in high mountain lakes for 50 or more years. No harm, no foul. Just a service to support sport fisheries. In the early days the hatchery raised fish were carried up by horse/mule packtrains in barrels. Later aerial drops of fish became the norm. Maybe still are doing that.

Please allow me to disagree somewhat with this. Yes, many times in years past, this would occur. In many of the past years I've seen the number of planted fish reduced to match the food supply. The unnamed lake mentioned in my story, has an abundant food supply that is growing big cutthroat trout. Success with put and grow trout stocking is also dependent on the species planted. In the early 1900's many fishless high country lakes in the West were stocked with non-native brook trout from eastern North America- actually a char, Salvelinus fontinalis. These fish can reproduce in lakes. Our native western trout species- genus Oncorhynchus - need suitable gravels in flowing streams to reproduce. Without suitable spawning grounds, such as at most high country lakes, cutthroat trout do not naturally spawn and replace the population, but die off after 7 or 8 years, a normal lifespan. Brook trout will reproduce and overpopulate a lake and consume all the food and are the skinny fish with big heads you describe. Once in a lake, Brook trout are near impossible to remove or eliminate. I am not a fan of Brook Trout. Our state's Department of Fish and Wildlife has been working on clever ways of ridding high country lakes of Brook Trout.

 

 

[craig333]

They are pretty tasty!

[AWG_Pics]

Please allow me to disagree somewhat with this. Yes, many times in years past, this would occur. In many of the past years I've seen the number of planted fish reduced to match the food supply. The unnamed lake mentioned in my story, has an abundant food supply that is growing big cutthroat trout. Success with put and grow trout stocking is also dependent on the species planted. In the early 1900's many fishless high country lakes in the West were stocked with non-native brook trout from eastern North America- actually a char, Salvelinus fontinalis. These fish can reproduce in lakes. Our native western trout species- genus Oncorhynchus - need suitable gravels in flowing streams to reproduce. Without suitable spawning grounds, such as at most high country lakes, cutthroat trout do not naturally spawn and replace the population, but die off after 7 or 8 years, a normal lifespan. Brook trout will reproduce and overpopulate a lake and consume all the food and are the skinny fish with big heads you describe. Once in a lake, Brook trout are near impossible to remove or eliminate. I am not a fan of Brook Trout. Our state's Department of Fish and Wildlife has been working on clever ways of ridding high country lakes of Brook Trout.

 I think we agree that brook trout introduction was a mistake. I know a lot of the IDFG folks -- they are working hard to restore native fish populations and stave off invasives and "bucket biologist" introductions. It is an uphill battle, but they are very good at what they do.

[ski3pin]

 I think we agree that brook trout introduction was a mistake. I know a lot of the IDFG folks -- they are working hard to restore native fish populations and stave off invasives and "bucket biologist" introductions. It is an uphill battle, but they are very good at what they do.

It sure is an uphill battle. Planting of trout in waters that were fishless has/had many unintended consequences, many that we possibly don't yet realize. Your second point is something all of us should take a deep breath and let it soak in. With all the complaining we hear - far to easy to do and so much of it is just noise - the majority of the folks in the field working for us are talented, clever, hard working folks trying to do the best job for us they can. They're part of our community, our neighbors, and friends. They deserve our utmost respect and support.