Wow - just wow

[Don Andersen]

I am excited!
For many years it seems like the trout lakes in Alberta have been stocked based on tradition. Starting with Mitchell Lake and an angler request for a fall spawners [browns or brookies] to complement the spring spawners [rainbows], Brown trout were stocked in 2003. Angler acceptance of the mixed species resulted in a further experiment in Birch Lake with Brook, Rainbow and Brown trout stocked in 2013.
At the request of many anglers, after either experiencing the Tiger Trout fishing in Manitoba or seeing the pictures, Tiger trout are now being stocked in several places throughout Alberta.
After many years of catching Brown Trout from Europe, Brook Trout from some bog from in a New England state and Rainbows from British Columbia or the US, we are now on the cusp of a brand new mostly made in Alberta Rainbow.
In conversation with Craig Copeland, Fish Culture Manager of Alberta Environment and Parks, I learned that a different Rainbow Trout is now being cultured for stocking . These Rainbow Trout, which are near 95% purity of Athabasca Trout, are one of the Native Trout of Alberta. The brood stock came from an end pit lake in an active coal mine. Clearly, as the trout are not 100% purity, they cannot be called Athabasca Trout for the purposes of identification. To reflect their mixed linage, they are designated as PLPL species in the stocking reports. Mr. Copeland also related that some of the PLPL strain have been added to East Pit Lake near Stoney Plain. He anticipated that somewhere between 100,000 > 150,000 PLPL trout would be stocked by 2020.
Personally, as a third generation Albertan, I’m excited as hell to get a chance to catch a Rainbow raised in Alberta from Alberta stocks.
My thanks to all involved to make my dream come true.

Don Andersen

See the link below for pictures of the trout.
https://imgur.com/a/Yi36X5B

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by Don Andersen

I am excited!
For many years it seems like the trout lakes in Alberta have been stocked based on tradition. Starting with Mitchell Lake and an angler request for a fall spawners [browns or brookies] to complement the spring spawners [rainbows], Brown trout were stocked in 2003. Angler acceptance of the mixed species resulted in a further experiment in Birch Lake with Brook, Rainbow and Brown trout stocked in 2013.
At the request of many anglers, after either experiencing the Tiger Trout fishing in Manitoba or seeing the pictures, Tiger trout are now being stocked in several places throughout Alberta.
After many years of catching Brown Trout from Europe, Brook Trout from some bog from in a New England state and Rainbows from British Columbia or the US, we are now on the cusp of a brand new mostly made in Alberta Rainbow.
In conversation with Craig Copeland, Fish Culture Manager of Alberta Environment and Parks, I learned that a different Rainbow Trout is now being cultured for stocking . These Rainbow Trout, which are near 95% purity of Athabasca Trout, are one of the Native Trout of Alberta. The brood stock came from an end pit lake in an active coal mine. Clearly, as the trout are not 100% purity, they cannot be called Athabasca Trout for the purposes of identification. To reflect their mixed linage, they are designated as PLPL species in the stocking reports. Mr. Copeland also related that some of the PLPL strain have been added to East Pit Lake near Stoney Plain. He anticipated that somewhere between 100,000 > 150,000 PLPL trout would be stocked by 2020.
Personally, as a third generation Albertan, I’m excited as hell to get a chance to catch a Rainbow raised in Alberta from Alberta stocks.
My thanks to all involved to make my dream come true.

Don Andersen

See the link below for pictures of the trout.
https://imgur.com/a/Yi36X5B

That is a feel good story! Thanks for bringing that to light.

BW

[goldscud]

Good story. Thanks for the share Don

[SNAPFisher]

And, nice looking trout to boot. Those are some beauty colors and variety to them. Thanks for the update.

[FinnDawg]

Very cool, thank you for sharing .

[tallieho]

Thanks for sharing & good on the group developing this strain.My question; Is if there going to be stocked,will they be 3n or af3n.I'm not trying to be a s ass,just concerned over,crossing several strains etc.

[Woolyoldbugger]

Having caught hundreds of Athabasca Rainbows the second picture captures them best. However on certain tribs i Jasper the first one is the norm. They are precious and should be protected at all costs. To have a reproduced close clone is very exciting indeed and the opertunity to catch them in stocked fisheries should make protecting wild stocks even more of a priority. There is a group of jet boaters from the Edson /Hinton region that poach them regularilily using bait ( worms). Because they have such great access to secluded areas they are a major threat to these remarkable Alberta natives.

[FlyTheory]

Originally Posted by Woolyoldbugger

Having caught hundreds of Athabasca Rainbows the second picture captures them best. However on certain tribs i Jasper the first one is the norm. They are precious and should be protected at all costs. To have a reproduced close clone is very exciting indeed and the opertunity to catch them in stocked fisheries should make protecting wild stocks even more of a priority. There is a group of jet boaters from the Edson /Hinton region that poach them regularilily using bait ( worms). Because they have such great access to secluded areas they are a major threat to these remarkable Alberta natives.

Do you know said group and will you report them? Athabows are so delicate.

[Woolyoldbugger]

I only knew one of them and he is dead. I reported them at the time and got the old we are stretched to thin to check out all complaints.

[Woolyoldbugger]

Yes i did report them the only one i knew is dead.

[SamSteele]

Some of you on this thread may enjoy the book “An Entirely Synthetic Fish” by Anders Halverson. It references the Athabasca Rainbow as a unique strain. The majority of the book details the proliferation of rainbow trout globally for sportfishing purposes. I found it quite interesting.

[FlyTheory]

Originally Posted by SamSteele

Some of you on this thread may enjoy the book “An Entirely Synthetic Fish” by Anders Halverson. It references the Athabasca Rainbow as a unique strain. The majority of the book details the proliferation of rainbow trout globally for sportfishing purposes. I found it quite interesting.

Its interesting your bring that up, Im reading that book right now! So far, so good