Proposed New Regulations for Oldman River

[ntsougri]

Some Very Interesting News from the SRD:

Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) has proposed major fishing regulation changes for next year for the Oldman River.

These changes are specifically to protect pure populations of Westslope Cutthroat Trout by moving to catch-and-release in areas where pure populations reside. These changes are proposed for throughout the headwaters of the Oldman River from Waterton River tributaries north to Willow Creek.

Local meetings to discuss these proposed regulation changes will be held in October with fish and game clubs from Hillcrest, Claresholm, Lethbridge, Fort Macleod, as well as the Alberta Fish and Game Association, the Willow Valley Trophy Club, Chinook Waters Fly Fishing Club, and Trout Unlimited (provincial biologist and Oldman and Nanton chapters).

Looks like a step in the right direction to help protect Eastern Slope Zone 1 Cutthroat Trout.

Yours truly,

Nickolas

[RockHammer&Rod]

Great to hear!!! It would be great if the cutties are allowed to grow as big as the bulls and, to a lesser extent, the browns.

[cmcclung]

Finally!!!! That is great news!

[Woody_16]

Sounds great!

[icefever]

Met a F&W officer this fall on the Livingstone river, he said that the area biologist has proposed that the watershed for the oldman river system be all catch and release. Definately make it easier for them to patrol; having one river C&T and the others open in the area make it hard for them to patrol and catch the poachers, I know I reported numerous poachers on the Livingstone this year

[Guitarplayingfish]

This is good news!!

[McLeod]

This should have happened a longtime ago but better late then never

[slivers86]

100% supporting of this

[kinwahkly]

great news, I fish that area quite a bit , so nice to see it protected.

[osprey]

Great news, if implemented. Given the pressure on that watershed lately this is overdue.

[ryanheartssteelhead]

Awesome. Fingers crossed. A good fishery with too much pressure. There are still alot of poachers/barb users in the area. Lets all do our best to try and report these folks. With no cell coverage there it's tough, but there's the payphone at the fire station/heli pad.

[cougarcreek]

Best new I heard this year. I have noticed the cutthroat population size and numbers go into a steady decline the last few years.

[dvers749]

Its about time they did this. we need this on more rivers and tributaries, but this is a good start!

[Pudelpointer]

These changes are specifically to protect pure populations of Westslope Cutthroat Trout by moving to catch-and-release in areas where pure populations reside. These changes are proposed for throughout the headwaters of the Oldman River from Waterton River tributaries north to Willow Creek.

....

Looks like a step in the right direction to help protect Eastern Slope Zone 1 Cutthroat Trout.

Yours truly,

Nickolas

Not looking for n argument, but the areas for which these regulations are proposed do not have any "pure populations", except in the most extreme parts of their headwaters.

If there was a true desire to build "purity" back into these cutthroat populations there would be no limit (meaning kill them all) on rainbow trout and "cut-bows". Either that or you could Rotenone the entire system below which there is genetic mixing with rainbows, and let them repopulate from upstream.

Not suggesting either of these, but I want it to be clear that these regulations have absolutely nothing to do with protecting "pure populations" of Westslope Cutthroat. It will do nothing to reduce hybridization.

If the goal is to improve the overall size, population and density of Oncorhynchus species (clarkii and mykiss)then it will undoubtedly do that.

[pipercub17]

^^^^
Purity... where is it ....long gone .......we all know that stocking a river with a non native fish is a bad idea, only took 30 or more years to figure that out
even fishing the non natives out wont fix the problem
who cares about hybridization its a lil late now to fix that !
its all about saving what we have left now.

i am all for this ..
and i still think they should make some of the rivers classified waters like in bc to help out even more !