Chado's blog

It is time for each participant to report all data collected for the mainstem work. The data will will used to derive a population estimate for the westslope cutthroat trout stock. This stock assesment will be used to initiate an adaptive management plan the the Elk River.

Be sure to include the following:

Total catch and species
Fork Length
Location of each fish
All tag numbers
Any marked fins
Type of gear used
Effort per fish (if possible)

Thanks to All participants. If you have not yet participated, now is the time to do so in order to receive a FREE T-SHIRT!!!

This is just a brief note to say that I have successfully snorkeled the entire river from the North Fernie bridge to Elko (Blocks A and B). The new maps are also available for these two blocks and can be printed off from the website to take with you. I have counted hundreds of fish and I have also seen 7 tags and one clipped fin (the tag fell out) among these fish, so they are definitely out there. Now it's up to you to go out and try catch them. Remember to report your TOTAL CATCH and inspect the pelvic fin of each untagged fish you land in case the tag fell out. Happy tag hunting!

Chado

I still have not tagged any fish from Morrissey to Elko or Line Creek to Sparwood yet this summer and there are also more fish needing tagging between Olsen and Fernie. Only 18 fish have been tagged on the section between Olsen and Fernie and I require at least 60 (30 per stretch). PLEASE if there are any guides willing to help out please do so. Your assistance is extremely well-appreciated and important to this study.

Kind Regards,
Chad

Thanks to Bill Wilcox and Frank Fitzmaurice for the tagging assistance today. It was a scorcher, and lots of hatches, too. We tagged nine more fish and retagged one that had been tagged last year. Again, this fish had lost its tag. I think that a high percentage of tagged fish from last year have probably lost the tags, so be sure to examine the pelvic fins of all the fish you catch this summer. Refer to IMPORTANT POINTS FOR RECAPTURE PARTICIPANTS for details.

Today, Jeff Mironuck of Home Waters Guiding and his buddy Jason visiting from Calgary drifted with Tracey. They pulled in the largest fish tagged in this entire study, measuring in at 48.0 cm fork length. Not only did they pull in this donkey, but they also got two more record breaking fish over 45 cm long!! Previously, that record was held by Kevin Green of Elk River Guiding who pulled a fish in that measured 44.0 cm last year. Read more...

Today I went tagging with Fernie Wilderness Adventures (FWA) guides Brian Lull and Dave Hawrys. We took two boats fropm the Fernie put-in at Coal Creek to the Morrissey brigde. I trained Tracey Chala, from Sparwood, to take over the tagging for all of July while I electrofish in the tributaries. We sat in the back of the boat and tagged fish while volunteer anglers Jason Krog and Scott Prentice fished from the bow. It was a great day! Read more...

If you have come to this website because you have just read about the study in the Fernie Fix, welcome! Please continue to browse around the site and learn about how you can take part in the research program simply by going fishing on the Elk River!

Familiarize yourself by first reading the IMPORTANT POINTS under the PARTICIPATION menu. You will also need a DATA SHEET and a MAP of the HABITAT BLOCK that you are going to fish. Print them off here and start logging in your catch data. Read more...

Curtis and Jeff at Home Waters have kindly agreed to help out on Sunday as we kick off the tagging program. Bill Wilcox of Lost Creek Outfitters has also said he is in for a couple of days during the middle of next week, once his drift boat is river ready. However, I am still looking for tagging assistance for tomorrow, Saturday June 30, Monday and Tuesday of next week, and anytime thereafter. All guides that are interested please get in touch with me. Please read more...

I think the site is finally coming together. Many thanks to the generous efforts of Ryland Nelson and OurFernie Community Co-operative.

What do you folks think? Comments are always welcome.