Spirit Lake planting before treatment

[BagABigOne]

Does anyone know why the state would plant 4000 tiger trout in Spirit Lake 2 months before they kill it. OK I've vented now I feel better.
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[Jazzperch1]

why are they killing it off? fishing always good up there
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[pookiebar]

Ha that is funny!! They probably just had some fish left over from chucking them in other lakes and figured, why not? []

Hope those lakes recover from the treatment, but something tells me it will be a while before we see significant numbers of the Colorado Cut Throats they are trying to re-establish there.
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[riverdog]

They probable figured most would be caught before it's poisoned. Those 11 inch fish are put and take with only a few in long enough to grow much anyways. Not like a remote less fish lake where some do live and grow with time.
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[Fishrmn]

http://wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/news/42-uta...anned.html

Hope those lakes recover from the treatment, but something tells me it will be a while before we see significant numbers of the Colorado Cut Throats they are trying to re-establish there.

Which is why they're gonna plant Tigers. They can plant enough to maintain a fishery until the Cutts take hold. Looks like Spirit Lake will always receive Tigers in the future plans.

The fish were probably planted before they knew for certain that the chemical treatment was scheduled. Looks like it has been in the planning stage for years. I guess they could have avoided planting fish for several years, knowing that the rotenone would be available someday.
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[pookiebar]

Yeah I was thinking about the other lakes not so much spirit lake. The stream will probably be sterile for a long time too. I think all these "threatened" species BS is just that.
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[brookieguy1]

It's really not BS. Even if the questioned species are not threatened, when the feds say they are we better listen. If we don't set aside a few areas and recruit these species, the feds can shut down a whole drainage or region from fishing, stocking, or anything else. Just as well set aside an easily maintained little area like Spirit Lake to keep the feds off our backs and leave the rest of the area off their radar. Plus a few CO Cutts and tiger trout are no worse than what the area had anyway. They never hurt any big brook trout, so all is well.
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[Fishrmn]

The barrier has been in place since 2004. I guess we can be glad that they didn't stop stocking as soon as the barrier was built. That could have been 8 years of tough fishing already. Another 6 or 8 years of little or no reproduction while the Cutts establish themselves would have meant 15 years of tough times in the Spirit Lake drainage. I guess it won't hurt as much to lose a couple of thousand Tigers. Maybe they'll increase the limit in the mean time to get some of them harvested before the rotenone.
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[pookiebar]

That is true, guess I should just look at the bright side of it all. []
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[pookiebar]

You are bringing up the exact point that I think is BS. I actually applaud Utah for having the foresight and financial ability to handle these programs on their own, and especially on their own terms.

But the part that I see as BS is that the Feds have the power to force a state to do this. The EPA just needs to be done away with!!
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[Jacksonman]

Didn't we just have a topic about trying to find the funds to plant tiger trout and/or brook trout in the berry?

Seems like very year there are tens of thousands of these fish wasted in other lakes. This post and the brookies planted in Fish Lake this year as examples.

I have a hard time believing that we couldn't better manage what resources w already have, move some numbers around, and get a decent amount of tigers and sterile brookies planted in the berry at no extra expense.
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[riverdog]

Not sure how many of you have been to Spirit Lake. It's been a decade since I was last there but what I recall is extremely heavy fishing pressure even during the week. There's a campground plus rental cabins nearby. The place is hammered. I seriously doubt they'll be too many of those 4000 left by the time the treat it. They have to pick a time to last stock it and 4000 almost a foo tlong fish 2 months before seems reasonable to me. Tiger trout are going back in after treatment as well. Campers and those that have the Forest Service lease for the Cabins aren't going to be too happy if they're aren't any fish to catch. Personally I'd rather catch the CR cutt as they are a very pretty fish and don't stunt and ruin waters like brookies have done so commonly throughout Utah. Now I agree it's probable reasonable to raise the limit on fish caught maybe a month before treatment.
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[Jazzperch1]

i dno cause last time i was there everything was shutdown and you couldnt do rentals or anything, was there for 4 days and not a soul in sight except some deer. its not a running resort really anymore.
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[riverdog]

That would make a big difference in fishing pressure if it's closed down. When were you last there?
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[Jazzperch1]

oh about a hear and a half ago, that was the 2nd time id been there in my life cause when i was little i went maybe when i was7 or 8 and everything was running then from what i remember, but the last time a year or so ago it seemed pretty runned down and not really kept up, but maybe its going again i dno, but it definalty would affect it if its shutdown. still a great lake to get away from it all.
Mybe somebody on the forum had been there this summer and could chime in on it.
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[fish_fear_me2]

I havent been up there for 10 years but I did find this.

Description: 2011 Campground closed due to hazardous tree falls and removal. May reopen in August,2012. Call the ranger district for updates. Elevation 10,100 ft. 24 campsites at the western end of the Uinta Mountains. Trailhead from Spirit Lake goes into the High Uintas Wilderness. Hiking and horse riding on the trail. There are a number of lovely little alpine lakes in the area. Nearby resort offers a restaurant and boat rentals. Enjoy fishing, boating, canoeing, and hiking. Watch for wildlife including moose in this area.

It appears the camp ground is closed. I cant tell if the lodge is still running. Maybe the ranger office would have that info.
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[Fishrmn]

It isn't just a matter of money, or available fish to plant Tigers in Strawberry. It's about management. There is not enough demand for Tigers, nor is there a biological reason to put Tigers in Strawberry. The DWR has asked, and the fishing public has responded that they want Rainbow Trout in addition to the Bear Lake Cutts.

I'm sure there are some who want Tigers in the "Berry". But there are a lot more who don't want to reduce the number of Rainbows to make room for Tigers.
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[Jacksonman]

Just saying one of the primary arguments was cost, and that this is an example that smarter management could mean no additional cost.

I also don't agree with the conclusions you just stated as fact. More and more fishermen are enjoying large tiger trout AND more species in the same water and are getting tired of 14 inc bows.

I think the pro-rainbow groups is like the anti-gay marriage groups - consist mostly of old-time traditionalist that will be dying off in the next 10-30 years causing the balance to tilt the other direction.
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[Fishrmn]

I don't know if you made it to one of the open houses, but I did. One of the things discussed was putting Tigers in Strawberry. Money isn't the issue. Alan Ward said that if enough anglers want Tigers, they'll do what is necessary to get Tigers in there. When they ask, they get an answer. That answer is resoundingly: Rainbows.


I'm not promoting either side. I don't care what anyone's sexual orientation is either. Marriage isn't a combination of two like items. When one describes a marriage of flavors, they aren't talking about vanilla and vanilla. If people want to have a legally binding cohabitation agreement, go for it. It ain't a marriage unless there is a husband (man by definition) and a wife (woman by definition).
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[doggonefishin]

RE"I think the pro-rainbow groups is like the anti-gay marriage groups - consist mostly of old-time traditionalist that will be dying off in the next 10-30 years causing the balance to tilt the other direction."


Whew! That was quite a jump from tiger trout to a hot button social issue. Anyway, back to the point. From what I've seen from segments of the flyfishing community and others, there is a drive from some anglers for agencies to go away from the "Frankenfish" and back to more conventional trout, especially natives. Trout Unlimited had an article about frankenfish about a year ago that was not complimentary. ( it did however talk about much more than just fish like tigers.) I've personally become bored with frankenfish too I suppose. While I'll never turn down harvesting a few splake from Fish lake, for the grill, the novelty of tigers is long gone.

And I'll have another chicken sandwich please.
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