Well, I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time this weekend, got an email saying a Fisheries Technician from the Bow Habitat Station in Calgary would be down at the forks, and if I would mind pointing him in the right direction. He arrived after dark Thursday night, and eventually we got him to the right location. They were and are looking to replace the display fish they were forced to give away due to complications from the big June flood. First and foremost was the collecton of a Lake Sturgeon, and after some serious fishing
Ryan managed to hook into a perfect specimen, just the right size, and we got it into the tank he brought along for that purpose. I managed to catch a nice silver redhorse sucker and added it to the tank, then it was time to call it quits for the night. The next day he was back after depositing the first 2 fish in a quarantine tank in Lethbridge, and we got back to fishing. Rough job Ryan! Managed to add a few more suckers to the mix, as well as a sauger caught by another fisherman out in his boat. I got a few pics I thought I would share, it was a priveledge assisting in the collection process, and I will have to make a trip to the hatchery once they are out of quarantine to visit the fish for sure.
nice sharp scutes, I have the cuts to prove it, best thing, in a tank they wont get a chance to wear off.
Silver Redhorse
I had a bite, and since I was using a single hook I was amazed to see 2 suckers when I got them to shore, wasnt quite sure how that was going on, until I got them in and saw a tangled mess attached to my hook, a pickeral rig that had broken off with 2 fish attached. This is why I will never use one, and dislike them very much, both fish would have been dead eventually, unable to get free,, and it could have been any 2 types of fish, not just suckers. Lucky for them they were able to get a new lease on life, and will be on display in Calgary eventually. Heres the mess I pulled in.
Here they are in the tank on the trailer.
It was a great start to the weekend for sure.