05-03-2004, 03:18 PM
[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][#000000][size 2]WHITEHORSE, YUKON TERRITORY—The entire northern pike population of what once was a budding trophy fishery, Watson Lake, mysteriously disappeared over winter 2002, and after a two-year investigation, biologists are still clueless. [/size][/#000000][/font]
[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][#000000][size 2]During Summer 2002, anglers reported catching 1,680 pike on Watson, and keeping 158 of an estimated population of 20,000.[/size][/#000000][/font]
[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][#000000][size 2]Summer 2003 was another story. Not one angler reported catching pike on Watson, nor did any show up in an intensive search conducted by Yukon ministry officials. The rest of the fish in the lake—grayling, whitefish, lake trout and burbot—are reportedly doing just fine.[/size][/#000000][/font]
[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][#000000][size 2]Officials say there are no signs of contamination and no evidence of effects on pike living in an adjoining lake.[/size][/#000000][/font]
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[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][#000000][size 2]During Summer 2002, anglers reported catching 1,680 pike on Watson, and keeping 158 of an estimated population of 20,000.[/size][/#000000][/font]
[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][#000000][size 2]Summer 2003 was another story. Not one angler reported catching pike on Watson, nor did any show up in an intensive search conducted by Yukon ministry officials. The rest of the fish in the lake—grayling, whitefish, lake trout and burbot—are reportedly doing just fine.[/size][/#000000][/font]
[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][#000000][size 2]Officials say there are no signs of contamination and no evidence of effects on pike living in an adjoining lake.[/size][/#000000][/font]
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