05-08-2008, 11:11 AM
Strawberry Reservoir anglers-get ready. Fishing at one of the nation's best trout-fishing waters is about to get even better.
<br>More than 410,000 rainbow trout are headed to your favorite fishing water in north-central Utah!<br>
<br>Background
<br>For years, Division of Wildlife Resources biologists have worked to establish a healthy population of Bear Lake cutthroat trout in Strawberry. In addition to being a beautiful and fun fish to catch, Bear Lake cutthroat trout are great at keeping Utah chub populations under control.<br>
<br>(The cost to do a rotenone treatment on the scale needed to remove chubs from Strawberry would be massive. If chubs ever take the reservoir over again, the trout fishery will probably collapse as it did in the 1980s.)<br>
<br>Special regulations at the reservoir are designed to keep plenty of chub-eating Bear Lake cutthroats in the reservoir. But if you like to keep fish, there's a downside to the regulations-many of the cutthroats fall within the 15- to 22-inch slot limit that anglers aren't allowed to keep. And others are longer than 22 inches. Anglers are allowed to keep only one cutthroat longer than that length.<br>
<br>On the other hand, there is no length restriction on rainbow trout or kokanee salmon in Strawberry. But anglers aren't finding many rainbows to catch; when they're stocked in the reservoir at their usual 5-inch length, the numerous, large cutthroat trout in the reservoir eat them too.<br>
<br>Bigger rainbows
<br>DWR biologists have some good news, though. They've found that if rainbows are grown to 8 inches before they're stocked, it's easier for them to avoid predation in Strawberry. Stocking 8-inch rainbows could be the key to providing more rainbow trout for anglers to catch.<br>
<br>But growing rainbows to 8 inches means they must remain in the hatcheries longer. And like so many other items, the cost to buy food to feed the fish is going up.<br>
<br>As DWR hatchery personnel looked forward to the 2008 stocking season, one of their goals was to raise 410,000 rainbows to the 8-inch length for Strawberry. But the cost to raise that many rainbows has escalated.<br>
<br>Sportsmen step up<br>
In response to a budget shortfall at the DWR's hatchery in Logan, there's been an outpouring of support from the angling public. (About 40,000 of the 410,000 rainbows scheduled for stocking into Strawberry this year would be raised at the Logan hatchery
<br>More than 410,000 rainbow trout are headed to your favorite fishing water in north-central Utah!<br>
<br>Background
<br>For years, Division of Wildlife Resources biologists have worked to establish a healthy population of Bear Lake cutthroat trout in Strawberry. In addition to being a beautiful and fun fish to catch, Bear Lake cutthroat trout are great at keeping Utah chub populations under control.<br>
<br>(The cost to do a rotenone treatment on the scale needed to remove chubs from Strawberry would be massive. If chubs ever take the reservoir over again, the trout fishery will probably collapse as it did in the 1980s.)<br>
<br>Special regulations at the reservoir are designed to keep plenty of chub-eating Bear Lake cutthroats in the reservoir. But if you like to keep fish, there's a downside to the regulations-many of the cutthroats fall within the 15- to 22-inch slot limit that anglers aren't allowed to keep. And others are longer than 22 inches. Anglers are allowed to keep only one cutthroat longer than that length.<br>
<br>On the other hand, there is no length restriction on rainbow trout or kokanee salmon in Strawberry. But anglers aren't finding many rainbows to catch; when they're stocked in the reservoir at their usual 5-inch length, the numerous, large cutthroat trout in the reservoir eat them too.<br>
<br>Bigger rainbows
<br>DWR biologists have some good news, though. They've found that if rainbows are grown to 8 inches before they're stocked, it's easier for them to avoid predation in Strawberry. Stocking 8-inch rainbows could be the key to providing more rainbow trout for anglers to catch.<br>
<br>But growing rainbows to 8 inches means they must remain in the hatcheries longer. And like so many other items, the cost to buy food to feed the fish is going up.<br>
<br>As DWR hatchery personnel looked forward to the 2008 stocking season, one of their goals was to raise 410,000 rainbows to the 8-inch length for Strawberry. But the cost to raise that many rainbows has escalated.<br>
<br>Sportsmen step up<br>
In response to a budget shortfall at the DWR's hatchery in Logan, there's been an outpouring of support from the angling public. (About 40,000 of the 410,000 rainbows scheduled for stocking into Strawberry this year would be raised at the Logan hatchery