admin's blog

The maps are all updated to include the waypoints from this summer's tagging program. Thanks again to everyone who helped out with the tagging. The remainder of the fishing season is now devoted to recaptures. I want to encourage everyone to login and start entering your catch into the website if you have not already done so. REMEMBER to enter ALL the fish you catch, not just the tagged fish and to examine the fish to see if any fins have been clipped in case the tag falls out.

Tracey has been successfully filling the gaps in the river, thanks to the efforts of angling guides and their clients. She tagged 20 fish from Morrissey to Elko with Curtis Lamey and his client Peter Bauer, then she drifted Hosmer to Fernie with Duncan McNicholl and his client Bob Bahr of California on Tuesday, where they tagged 12 more cutties. Today, she will likely finish of that stretch with JD and his client Kay DuShane, who have already tagged 12 fish from Olsen to Hosmer. They are on the river right now and they only need to get 9 more fish to complete that section.

Thanks to Curtis Lamey of Home Waters, his bro Kevin, and his client Peter Bauer who came to fish from Nevada. They all helped Tracey on Friday, August 3rd to get 20 fish tagged from Morrissey to Elko (Block A). This was her most successful float to date! Curtis also reported a tagged fish in his catch that was tagged last year on the Fernie to Morrissey stretch (Block B) on Sunday, August 5th. It was caught in the same spot where it was tagged. Importantly, this is the first official evidence I have of a fish returning to the exact same spot after overwintering and spawning.

Unfortunately, we were unable to get all the fish tagged in July, so I have been forced to extend tagging into the first week of August. I understand that it has been super busy on the river for guides, but this is all the more reason to get these fish tagged now so they can be tracked. This is the last chance to get fish tagged from Morrissey to Elko and Hosmer to Fernie. Guides have mentioned that fishing hasn't been great from Morrissey down. Again, this demonstrates why we need to track this population.

Sparwood fishers have been helping out immensely to get fish in the upper section of the Elk River tagged. Tim Chala and Sean Taylor have managed to tag many fish in the Michel Creek and Line Creek to Sparwood sections. Thanks again to Sean Taylor and Shawn Gentile for helping out today by getting more fish tagged in the Line Creek to Sparwood section. Tracey and Sean tagged 7 fish and caught 8. The 8th fish was already tagged from last year (UBC-0120). Sean also reported to me that he caught UBC-0132 in Wilson Creek among a total of five fish. Sean and I tagged both these fish last year.

Angling guide John Douglas (JD) and his client Kay DuShane took Tracey from Olsen to Hosmer on Friday, July 27th and they tagged 12 more fish in that section, bringing the number of tagged fish up there to 21 fish. Now only 9 fish need to be tagged on this stretch. Bill Wilcox will take Tracey down the Morrissey to Elko stretch on Tuesday, July 31st and Sean Taylor from Sparwood will cover the Line Creek to Sparwood section over the weekend, but we still need more guide participation if we are going to get all the areas covered, including Hosmer to Fernie.

I am really worried that I am not going to be able to get all these fish tagged before the end of the month. If any guides are taking single clients who wouldn't mind if a research assistant sits in the back of the boat and tags the fish they catch, Please let me know. Here is what I need:
Morrissey to Elko - 30 fish
Hosmer to Fernie - 21 fish
Olsen to Hosmer- 21 fish
Line Creek to Sparwood - 30 fish

The last two nights I have been out tagging with fellow UBC alumni Duncan McNicholl and Dion Lauriente, two UBC engineering students and part-time angling guides. Duncan is a guide in Fernie and Dion guides out on the coast. Dion also helps out with the Fraser River sturgeon tagging programme. These guys managed to help tag fourteen more fish in the Lower Michel section (Block F) and the Hosmer to Fernie stretch (Block C). Way to go guys! Thanks a lot for taking time to volunteer!

Please make sure to count ALL the fish you catch in your log, not just the tagged fish. I also noticed an angler reported a fish that was tagged, but also reported that the pelvic fin had been unmarked. ALL fish that were tagged will have a clipped pelvic fin. A clipped left fin will indicate a fish tagged last summer (2006) and a clipped right fin will indicate a fish tagged this year (2007). If both fins are clipped, then the fish will have been tagged both years, but the tag from last year fell out.

Tracey has been diligently soliciting guides to take her downstream to tag fish, but she has not had much luck so far. Sean Taylor from Sparwood and she floated the section from Sparwood to Olsen and managed to tag 15 more fish. Duncan McNicholl from the Kootenay Fly Shop has been out to tag fish with Tracey on Michel Creek during the evenings, but they have not yet floated any sections. I encourage all guides who have said they would help to please do so in the next two weeks as tagging must conclude by the end of July.