Hermitage Pond Stocked??
 

I felt sorry for all those people fishing at Hermitage Pond today because according to the ACA website from an earlier thread here on the forum, Hermitage was still TBD. Since it's Sunday I called 311 and the Agent told me it has been stocked. I asked her to double check and told her about the ACA website so after putting me on hold for awhile she came back and assured me that 3000 Rainbow Trout have been stocked in Hermitage pond recently. That pond is very popular so this is good news. I know my 6 3/4 year old grandson loves it.
I'm still going to contact the ACA on Tuesday. Funny their website hasn't been updated, though it might be my computer skills. Or perhaps another agency has stocked it for the City.

Webmaster is away fishing?

I'd read somewhere there was uncertainty on when and even if they would stock it with the whirling disease spread. Maybe the fear of a bucket ride to the NSask followed by a migration into connecting waters? I'd be lying if I said I had any clue beyond my baseless assumption.

I hope it is stocked though. It can make for a fun evening

Was down there this evening no sighn of any fish being in there if they had stocked it you'd definitely see at least the odd riser it was 8-830 when I was there

Yah, by 8-8:30 in the evening a freshly-stocked pond should have fishing jumping all over the place.

I agree. I took a walk around the pond and chatted with a lot of the anglers. No one has seen or heard of a fish being caught there this year.
Water is very clear and the park itself is much cleaner (except for the litter bugs), since they got rid of the majority of Canada Geese.
If you are casting a line into a pond or lake that has no fish in it, are you still fishing?
You'd think the City would put up a sign at the entrance if it is not going to be stocked.

Was out wed
 

Kayaked on wed night saw one little riser, no way that it was stocked, but it would be good for some hook washing!

Put a sign up???? Oh so it's someone else's Responsibility to keep you informed instead of doing something yourself?? How awfully "Millenial" of you...
Any self respecting adult is capable do he research themselves or put in the leg work and get a line wet. You found this site I'm sure you can find the stocking reports....
Lol... "city should put up a sign"...lmfao

You are one of the biggest trollers on this forum. Are you this miserable with everyone? Have you ever posted something positive? Pity you don't know even a fraction of what you think you do. So you think it's ok the City has a sign telling people a pond is stocked when it's not? Or that 311 is telling people it's stocked when it isn't? Whatever. I'll find out more tomorrow from ACA.
Since you seem to know everything, why don't you enlighten us. The City has a sign up saying pond is stocked, and is telling people on 311 that it is stocked, yet ACA says it has not been stocked. Which is it Ida?
"Put a sign up" makes you laugh? That is funny, because they do have a sign up.

I guarantee I know a lot more than you... which is a shame because you've lived long enough you should have acquired some common sense by now.

A very informative posts immediately following this one, as well as plenty of good info shared...just sick of people expecting a hand out or a free ride and you seem to want both. Sad for someone your age to act like this "millennial" generation.

Nice try at backtracking. I noticed you didn't answer the question, but continue to attack me personally. Doesn't bother me at all. You sound like a spoiled punk with no responsibilties. I just didn't like seeing all those families and children fishing in a dead pond. At least it was a beautifull May long weekend weather wise for everybody.
So tell me oh wise Ida, is Hermitage stocked or not? You seem to think you know. I say it isn't.
Anyways, it's obvious your just trolling like ussual. I will do some more resaerch tomorrow when everyone who really does know what's going on is back at work. Some of us in the Edmonton area would like to know.

**** you must be OLD as **** calling someone a punk... how about whippersnapper?? I guarantee my quality of life is far beyond your, my pockets are deeper and I love life and animals more than you could ever fathom. & pray to god I don't end up a old miserable ***** like you Ninja.

Not smart enough to see my response to your questions??
.."just sick of people expecting a hand out or a free ride and you seem to want both. Sad for someone your age to act like this "millennial" generation."

And of course it's not been stocked it was on the list of 11 and likely won't be this year. If they choose to believe the City then its their own fault since they have nothing to do with the stocking. Do you Feel sorry for everyone who is out fishing and doesn't catch??? That's half the sport, besides it's not like their aren't fish in there from last year and plenty of suckers to boot.

I'm beginning to think your egg was oiled or shaken. Or did I have you banned last time around? Either way your starting to rant. Pathetic. Only a punk tells everyone how rich and smart they are. Or are you just a kid who doesn't know better? Anyways, you don't care about sportsmen or their families thats your buisness. Your probably a litterbug also. As for me, rest assured that I will get the correct answer soon as I can and pass the the info along. That was the point of this thread.
You ever think of starting your own think tank, or maybe a blog called "ask Ida"?

Just got off the phone with 311 support desk. They apologized for for giving out wrong info, and are going to suggest to Parks to change signage to reflect new situation. The pond has not been stocked yet, and they don't think it will be this year.
I think this would be a great oppurtunity to poison the pond and get rid of the sticklebacks that have really been a problem for last couple years.
Suckers in Hermitage pond???? Can always count on Ida for the lulz.

Why are sticklebacks a concern? Keeping the trout too well fed?

Arent sticklebacks main food source in that pond? what would killing them off accomplish?

To answer your question Herm has been stocked, just not this year. Still lots of fish there just not so easy to catch as newly stocked fish. I know you fish Herm at the river lots now maybe you get to venture out a bit! Good luck

I haven't been there this year yet, but do you think there are some fish left over from years past? I thought if they are not be aerated now like the other local ponds that that would be it for anything left over and they would be winter killed - or most of them anyway. I was at Leduc last night and I got some small new stocks but no big ones - they always have some big ones. Then in Beaumont I catch a 12'' and then see an 16'' swim by my feet? Those can't be new stocks?

The lake winterkill hard every year but ...and it's a big but ...I have seen the odd older rainbow caught there never did myself but I know the odd one does survive some years but I'll bet you'd fish for days before ya caught one

You guy's are killing me. Sticklebacks a main food source for trout? Seriously, your killing me. I thought this was a fishing forum.
Fly's, bugs, snails, micro's, weeds, etc. Sticklebacks kill every lake they are in (esp. a put and take pond) just like Perch do. Even worse, you cannot get rid of Sticklebacks like you can Perch.
Anyways,... it seems a shame. I have fished every stocked pond for 50 (100?) sq. kms. of Edm, and Hermitage was the first pond I would suggest for a nice pleasent day of fishing and fun for a family. Heck, you can roll a wheelchair to the shore, or on the dock. Beaumont or Cardiff #2.
Whatever.. I'm almost out of points.

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Sorry TM, did I leave out other species eggs and larvae when I typed "and so on" of a Trout's diet? I also missed a hundred more items.
Sticklebacks kill ponds and lakes (slough's) in AB, Just like perch. Only worse.
You probably never even heard of Hassie lake.
But your right, I'm sure a bow would eat a sticklebacks eggs. Pity the parents suck all the oxygen out of a pond that Bow's need to survive. I'd call that ironic.

I have examined many trout stomachs to try and figure out what they are feeding on. I'll admit iv'e seen the odd stickleback, but I'm not sure what a stickleback egg looks like. Please post a pic. Thanks.

Not sure what your implying by saying I've probably never heard of hassie but whatever....I guess your saying sticklebacks sucked all the oxygen out of the water at hassie and that's why the fish died off?

Sorry TM, I was getting tired of typing. Yes, many years ago Hasse was a great lake for good size trout, and a nice place for the family to spend a day. They also had a very large dock/walkway to fish off of. The Stickle backs became so thick that they depleted the oxygen in the lake. I remember drilling holes in the ice there and as much Stickles came out of the hole as water. At the time we talked to the experts and were told they were going to poison (Rotenone?) the lake then restock it. We stopped going there and I really don't know what is happening with that lake. I have since learned a little about Sticklebacks and they are as bad as perch for taking over small lakes and depleteing it of oxygen and competeing for same food as trout.
In large lakes, big trout and other fish will eat Sticklebacks. In smaller stocked ponds and lakes the trout rarely get large enough to make a meal or even make a dent in the stickleback population. Even after poisoning a lake, one biologist told me they will reapper through the ground water to start the cycle again.
I have no idea how they actually go about killing off a lake so they can restock it, and what it means for other species like birds or people that might play in it, but I would chip in a few bucks to a fund to see it happen.

Not arguing just telling my experiences and I use minnows in winter and minnow Flys almost exclusively in summer for trout and it catches all big and small ...hermitage pond I have had many times the small stocked trout so full of sticklebacks they were spitting them out on shore still alive and like 2 or 3 at a time ...when a trout eats minnows they grow faster..and I remember the sticklebacks at Hasselbeck very well same deal the trout were getting big because the unlimited sticklebacks to eat...but once the perch exploded there the sticklebacks disapeaked they actually take very little oxogyn at all levels to survive and that's why they flourish in sloughs and what not and never winterkill

I've seen them in ditches along the hiway, people's freshly dug dugouts, even mud puddles. Very hardy little beasts.

More nonsense here! Why do fly tiers go to serious efforts to imitate stickleback minnows? See for example the pattern for the McLeod Minnow.

I was polite in my response and added a ? bc I wasn't 100% sure but have seen many a fly fisherman use flies imitating them. Of course you get defensive and respond like a child.

Maybe its good you have run out of points bc many don't seem to make that much sense.

Yes, I may have been overly critical in my responce, but I was getting tired and cranky. I started this thread to simply find out about the situation at a popular local pond, and try and get some info. for myself and for other anglers. Instead some of the ussual complainers come out from under their keyboards to twist things up and instigate an argument. The "killing me" remark was really just exhasperation. Don't take it personally.
At least some more people now know that Sticklebacks can be a real problem, so thats something.
As for point's remark, that pertained to something totally different relating to this thread. Lets just say that even winning a battle can take a "toll", and leave it at that. lol I'd be better off if I could type faster.

Best thing to do regarding the stickleback minnow is learn to catch sticklebacks and get some recipes for minnows. Fried or dried you could eat them like popcorn. :sHa_sarcasticlol::sHa_shakeshout: