Bow trout fishery threatened

[MtnGiant]

Originally Posted by huntsfurfish

You work?

Nope....I just say that to sound like a regular joe.

Im independantly wealthy

[Gust]

Originally Posted by BeeGuy

Dont stop till the bodies drop!

Uh wouldn't the first 'refuge' be Fish Creek?

I'm sure we can expect significant mortality and displacement.

But hey, all that nasty didymo should be in SK by now.

I don't think there is any refuge in fish creek for that amount of water, it's not like fish could just up and turn into it during the deluge, maybe behind a cement picnic bench.

Howver, the fish coming down on the caboose of the cresting river will make our lower, inner-city bow, a fun place to catch lake trout.

To Mtngnt,, the ambleside channels were flushed.

[Fishnafterwork]

It's too bad about the trout in the bow but there are a few things I am looking foreward to...
1. Like mentioned before carburn hogs
2. Downstream sturgeon feeding real well right now
3. Any one who has seen any of the spillways flowing during this flood knows where the big holes are gonna b
4. Could we maybe expect the odd pig trout as a by catch sturgeon fishing ?...

[Fishnafterwork]

Originally Posted by MtnGiant

I got off work early and was gonna head down to the river and take pics of where I would think the our fishes could take refuge.....but man o man traffic is heavy. So maybe tomorrow......my worksite is South of Calgary tomorrow....so I'll make a point to stop and check the conditions....if I can get near it.
But the areas Im thinking of are from the Southlands area to the Fish creek areas.
There are several off shoots and tributaries and channel ways (where the pike normally hang out). I would imagine that they are heavily swollen but not violently running?????? Not sure for sure.

Not too sure about there but I know the golf course At 22x was violently flowing....from what I saw.... Very little refuge ... And what wasn't crazy was well ... Let's just hope they find their way back to the channel as waters recede

[MtnGiant]

[QUOTE=Gust;2018057]I don't think there is any refuge in fish creek for that amount of water, it's not like fish could just up and turn into it during the deluge, maybe behind a cement picnic bench.

Howver, the fish coming down on the caboose of the cresting river will make our lower, inner-city bow, a fun place to catch lake trout.

To Mtngnt,, the ambleside channels were flushed.[/QUOTE]

Have you had a look see for yourself?

[Gust]

Originally Posted by Fishnafterwork

It's too bad about the trout in the bow but there are a few things I am looking foreward to...
1. Like mentioned before carburn hogs
2. Downstream sturgeon feeding real well right now
3. Any one who has seen any of the spillways flowing during this flood knows where the big holes are gonna b
4. Could we maybe expect the odd pig trout as a by catch sturgeon fishing ?...

My first biggest trout was caught downstream of Bassano,, there were bigguns caught quite regular,, they are on their way, and they are angry, dizzy and hungry.

After Carseland stops stinking like the world cup of out houses, and fish start heading upstream later in the season, that area is going to be something else, wowzers.

[BeeGuy]

Originally Posted by Gust

I don't think there is any refuge in fish creek for that amount of water, it's not like fish could just up and turn into it during the deluge, maybe behind a cement picnic bench.

Howver, the fish coming down on the caboose of the cresting river will make our lower, inner-city bow, a fun place to catch lake trout.

To Mtngnt,, the ambleside channels were flushed.

I wouldnt expect to find any more lakers than could normally be caught in the bow.

They do not fair well in the river when conditions are good. Present conditions would do in any getting flooded over the dams.

[Gust]

[QUOTE=MtnGiant;2018069]

Originally Posted by Gust

I don't think there is any refuge in fish creek for that amount of water, it's not like fish could just up and turn into it during the deluge, maybe behind a cement picnic bench.

Howver, the fish coming down on the caboose of the cresting river will make our lower, inner-city bow, a fun place to catch lake trout.

To Mtngnt,, the ambleside channels were flushed.[/QUOTE]

Have you had a look see for yourself?

I grew up fishing the bow, if the golf course flushed (saw it yesterday) and knowing the river well, ambleside flushed, it could not not flush. That area is a fave of mine,, though the rainbowing riffs are going to be quite something now/future. I think downstream of 22x, you should be able to find a few trout just up the hill.

I would like to see where the highwood meets the bow right now, but figure best not to head down there. Anyone know anyone at natures hideaway?

[takeiteasybird]

http://http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tec...tist-1.1339687

[Wild&Free]

Originally Posted by takeiteasybird

http://http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tec...tist-1.1339687

dead link

[aulrich]

Lets remember that before we put the dams in flooding was a yearly thing and the fish survived just fine. if it's like 2005 we will have deeper, faster and colder water in the bow.

So the guy is right the water shed did change, so what, it has always been changing and that is the general BS the guy is spouting when he make it seem like this "change" thing is new

[Wild&Free]

Originally Posted by aulrich

Lets remember that before we put the dams in flooding was a yearly thing and the fish survived just fine. if it's like 2005 we will have deeper, faster and colder water in the bow.

So the guy is right the water shed did change, so what, it has always been changing and that is the general BS the guy is spouting when he make it seem like this "change" thing is new

With regular flooding the changes in a river are less dramatic over time. This is a big change over a short time span. Only time will tell however. Maybe it will do away with the non native trout species and leave the native ones behind to rebuild.

[Gust]

Originally Posted by MtnGiant

Nope....I just say that to sound like a regular joe.

Im intermittently wealthy

VLT's will do that to ya.

[takeiteasybird]

Originally Posted by Wild&Free

dead link

http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/flood...tist-1.1339687


Let's try this...

[fish gunner]

Let look at this with some distance .
Best case, the bow as suggested by another has been deepened and scoured and we have an improvement in area's. This bodes well in short term. Fish may have been displaced however habitat will be improved and population will return to a new better river in short order. This imo needs to be protected given the suggestions of the learned gentlmen's predictions of increased high water events in the future.
Worst case , displaced populations will find difficulty returning to their old haunts impacted in a negitive fashion . Imo as suggested by an other is this an opportunity to naturlize the sections of the basin .
How do we proceed??

[MtnGiant]

Originally Posted by takeiteasybird

http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/flood...tist-1.1339687


Let's try this...

great post....could be the thread winner

[goldscud]

I think the view that the river has been scoured and deepened will not be true downstream of Calgary. After the last big flood a number of feet of bank on either side of the river was lost. Many big trees were lost with just roots left hanging out. Small side streams became bigger and wider. My observations was that the river became straighter, wider and shallower as the tremendous power of the current streamrolled it's way to Cluny. In a number of places huge amounts of gravel were shifted and filled in deeper runs. There has been an incredible amount of dirt/silt added to the river. It will be interesting to see how all this sediment settles out. Backwaters are going to have a lot of fine sediment piled up in them. Over time the sediment will get moved along and the river will come back as it always does. Most of this years crop from the spawn will be lost, but hopefully the browns can find some clean gravel in the fall. There will be lots of fish stranded in side pools as the water drops. Looking forward to go exploring our new river with all the added features.

[Gust]

So my regular below-the-dam-spot is about 30+ feet under water,,, that is fricken terrifying.

Mind you, lotsa oxygen.

I wonder how many shopping carts are going to be jammed down at Carseland now? While working for Trout Unlimited in the late eighties, we cleaned out about 40shopping carts, 15 bike frames and countless tire-rims from just the elbow from Glenmore dam down to Inglewood.

This footage gives a good idea of volume if you're familliar with the area.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSkFxFOiXsI

I think we are witnessing an extra-awesome fishery in the making.

[Gust]

here's bearspaw;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kArHBy7LOjU

[Gust]

Ghost Dam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXAxdlFyiJg

[Gust]

They didn't have footage of Horseshoe dam, an awesome fishery for those who like using spinners only.

this is Seebee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAMmxdt93f0

[Gust]

oldman dam,,,,, makes one wonder how far down all those huge burbots have been moved,,,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNiL8...ture=endscreen

[Gust]

Originally Posted by goldscud

Most of this years crop from the spawn will be lost, but hopefully the browns can find some clean gravel in the fall. There will be lots of fish stranded in side pools as the water drops. Looking forward to go exploring our new river with all the added features.

So a search and rescue should be put together relatively soon,, who's in? Maybe we could start another thread on this to see if there is interest. I'm in. Maybe Stelfox or Trout Unlimited are looking for volunteers for this now.

The Browns do their thing in October,, whatever Rainbow fry made it through this would be a miracle at best. Bull Trout are going to suffer bigtime. Burbs are used to strong turbis water as are sturgeon.

[Gust]

Carseland.

Where's the weir?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66rVDs3qBcU

[MtnGiant]

are you enjoying talking to yourself for the last half hour???

[Gust]

Originally Posted by MtnGiant

are you enjoying talking to yourself for the last half hour???

Sharing information to those who may not know the gravity of the floods and seeing if anyone is interested in finding trapped fish and getting them back to the river isn't really talking to oneself.

The media focussed more attention on Calgary than anywhere else and aside from the carousel shot of the Center Street Bridge or the houses in Canmore, that footage still didn't capture how much was flowing.

You are new to Alberta, have you been to Bassano Dam before the floods, or Carseland?

[BeeGuy]

Don't feed the punt.

[MtnGiant]

Originally Posted by BeeGuy

Don't feed the punt.

[LongDraw]

Originally Posted by takeiteasybird

http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/flood...tist-1.1339687


Let's try this...

Laughable!

He's obviously trying to sell his position so he can get a research grant, as this will require a study..LOL!

The big flood/runoff event that we are currently seeing on the Bow watershed is akin to an old growth forest burning, a good thing.

[BeeGuy]

Yup

In crisis there is opportunity.

Some people are quick to capitalize on it for their own gain.

Such is life I guess.