Dolly Varden Catch 'n Cook

[Rikkles Fisher]

We stumbled across an awesome dry fly bite and tried dolly varden for the first time!
https://youtu.be/qROxEbLTKYs

[EZM]

Just to understand this .... you caught and retained a "dolly varden" and ate it ........and this was in Alberta ...... and it's on video?

Based on what (I thought I knew), Dolly varden are a sea run species - versus landlocked (like a bull trout) - so do we truly have Dolly Varden in Alberta? Bull trout are zero harvest are they not?

just asking .... not accusing .......... maybe I'm not up to speed on this or some other regulation ...

[Smoky buck]

There is one lake in Alberta that was stocked with Dolly varden and you can keep them. I know for a fact he is fishing this lake because I have done really well fishing off the rockslide you see at the start of the video. I would hike into that lake a few times a year when I lived in southern Alberta

He is all good :happy0034:

Rikkles where did you hear about that lake getting poisoned?

[Rikkles Fisher]

Just to understand this .... you caught and retained a "dolly varden" and ate it ........and this was in Alberta ...... and it's on video?

Based on what (I thought I knew), Dolly varden are a sea run species - versus landlocked (like a bull trout) - so do we truly have Dolly Varden in Alberta? Bull trout are zero harvest are they not?

just asking .... not accusing .......... maybe I'm not up to speed on this or some other regulation ...
There is a lake in Alberta with Dolly Varden and you can keep them, no worries you were just not up to speed!

[fish99]

that must be chesterlake , nice hike passed the bears on the way up to the lake . we found the slide area to be best area for catching, well worth the trip.

[Rikkles Fisher]

There is one lake in Alberta that was stocked with Dolly varden and you can keep them. I know for a fact he is fishing this lake because I have done really well fishing off the rockslide you see at the start of the video. I would hike into that lake a few times a year when I lived in southern Alberta

He is all good :happy0034:

Rikkles where did you hear about that lake getting poisoned?
Thank you sir! And I don't think they are going to give us much warning like they didn't with Katherine lake unfortunately.

[EZM]

There is a lake in Alberta with Dolly Varden and you can keep them, no worries you were just not up to speed!

Probably won't be the last time I am waiting at the wrong bus stop ........ sitting there blinking, snot whistling, wondering why I'm there all by myself and it's all quiet.

[Smoky buck]

Thank you sir! And I don't think they are going to give us much warning like they didn't with Katherine lake unfortunately.

First time I have heard any mention of poisoning that lake was in your video. The fact they have been there so long and not spreading or hurting the resident cutthroat population in the lake they leave it be

Poison would be a waste of lake that is a good little fishery for both species

[Rikkles Fisher]

First time I have heard any mention of poisoning that lake was in your video. The fact they have been there so long and not spreading or hurting the resident cutthroat population in the lake they leave it be

Poison would be a waste of lake that is a good little fishery for both species

Let's hope it doesn't! Unfortunately I feel it will have the same demise as katherine. It sure is a great fishery, I think there is too many in there and not enough food source though because those dollies are sure stunted and skinny!

[Smoky buck]

Let's hope it doesn't! Unfortunately I feel it will have the same demise as katherine. It sure is a great fishery, I think there is too many in there and not enough food source though because those dollies are sure stunted and skinny!

Not all of them :)

The bigger ones are more predatory. If you research the species they shift away from insects as they get bigger

[Rikkles Fisher]

Not all of them :)

The bigger ones are more predatory. If you research the species they shift away from insects as they get bigger

I'd love to see one over 16 inches in there! But I bet there hasn't been any since 8-10 years after the original stocking. Agree to disagree on that my friend I think all big char species will still feed on some insects sometimes even though most of their diet will be smaller fish. We also try crankbaits with success there but still no large dollies, because of the similar size of many of the adults and how skinny most of them are my guess is they are stunted but I'd love to be proved wrong with a pic of a 20 incher or something lol would give me more hope and get me even more excited then I already am to go back!

[Smoky buck]

I'd love to see one over 16 inches in there! But I bet there hasn't been any since 8-10 years after the original stocking. Agree to disagree on that my friend I think all big char species will still feed on some insects sometimes even though most of their diet will be smaller fish. We also try crankbaits with success there but still no large dollies, because of the similar size of many of the adults and how skinny most of them are my guess is they are stunted but I'd love to be proved wrong with a pic of a 20 incher or something lol would give me more hope and get me even more excited then I already am to go back!


Last time I fished Chester was in the early 2000’s but we did get a few a year around 2-3lbs out of there during that time. I will ask my buddy in Calgary if he has photos but I don’t. Average for both species in that lake were around 10-14inch back then but yes bigger were in there

You are welcome to disagree with all I say and I did not say they stop eating insects they stop being a primary food source. My education regarding fish(especially trout and char) goes far deeper then reading reports as a fisherman. DFO seemed to value my opinions in the past but you don’t have to

Best of luck out there and if my buddy has pics I will post them for you

[Rikkles Fisher]

Last time I fished Chester was in the early 2000’s but we did get a few a year around 2-3lbs out of there during that time. I will ask my buddy in Calgary if he has photos but I don’t. Average for both species in that lake were around 10-14inch back then but yes bigger were in there

You are welcome to disagree with all I say and I did not say they stop eating insects they stop being a primary food source. My education regarding fish(especially trout and char) goes far deeper then reading reports as a fisherman. DFO seemed to value my opinions in the past but you don’t have to

Best of luck out there and if my buddy has pics I will post them for you

Well then I agree with you if you say they do still eat some bugs lol and I hope some of those 2-3 pounders exist! It is possible 20 years later that all is remaining are stunted ones, and yes please show me if you get ahold of any pictures that would be great thank you!

[patrol1957]

first off great video thanks for sharing didn't look like enough fish to eat just me I guess.

[Rikkles Fisher]

first off great video thanks for sharing didn't look like enough fish to eat just me I guess.

Thanks alot I appreciate that! Yeah we just wanted to try it for the first time and with all that rice and vegetables it filled us up pretty good!