Athabasca Rainbow Trout - Listed as Threatened by SRD

[walking buffalo]

Has this been posted here yet? What are your thoughts on this matter?

http://srd.alberta.ca/

You will see the link.

Yes it has. But it doesn't seem like to many guys are thinking it's an issue. I'm all for the welfare of the Atha-bows but i also see this as potentially leading to needless closures and lost opportunity when it's habitat issues more than it is angler issues. Culverts and logging (specifically all the logging roads with no runoff control) are the big issue here.
I simply think this designation is a bit overboard. Go catch and release if fish numbers are lower than they were 100 years ago in some creeks but designating these rainbows are threatened? Not sure if it's really warranted.

[bossmann]

i dont know much about them but i do know that there are several streams that i once caught good grayling now they are infested with athabasca rainbows. 10 years or so ago i would maybe get 9 grayling to one rainbow. now it is completely reverce. 1 graying to 9 rainbows. i rarely get any rainbows over 10" although the grayling are regularly 10-12" and some times bigger.

another thing i have been told that years ago when the mink farmers netted slave lake to feed there mink they would catch one or 2 rainbows a year. they tell me that they where a decent size some as big as 4-5 lbs. i always thought that was kinda interesting. wonder if those are athabasca rainbows?

[McLeod]

Originally Posted by bossmann

i dont know much about them but i do know that there are several streams that i once caught good grayling now they are infested with athabasca rainbows. 10 years or so ago i would maybe get 9 grayling to one rainbow. now it is completely reverce. 1 graying to 9 rainbows. i rarely get any rainbows over 10" although the grayling are regularly 10-12" and some times bigger.

another thing i have been told that years ago when the mink farmers netted slave lake to feed there mink they would catch one or 2 rainbows a year. they tell me that they where a decent size some as big as 4-5 lbs. i always thought that was kinda interesting. wonder if those are athabasca rainbows?

It probably was an a big Athabow as they can grow that big in still waters

Most streams where the two fish exsist together the Rainbows prefer the upper reaches the grayling lower down.. Not to many places where they would generally overlap but where they do that can be fun.
I suspect these areas can change year to year based on recruitment and waters qualities ..

[The Fish King]

I think that the athabows do need some measure of protection and that they should be finally recognized as a separate subspecies. That being said, I do not think that they will close waters..but instead they will make existing waters that have a bag limit catch and release.
Also should be noted...I fish the coal branch every year at least twice since I was 3 and since they made most of the streams C&R, the rainbow size and quality has just shot up. I caught my biggest athabow this year in the maclead..pushing 15 inches, and we were catching upwards of 75 fish a day. So I think a closure would be a rather poor and uneducated move but I guess we shall see what happens.

[McLeod]

All Athabows in flowing waters should be Catch and release.
Some of us have been saying this for years.
Grayling in lower Alberta also need the same protection.
It is unfortunate that we have to go the extreme of having to be a threatened specie before any action is taken.

Originally Posted by The Fish King

I think that the athabows do need some measure of protection and that they should be finally recognized as a separate subspecies. That being said, I do not think that they will close waters..but instead they will make existing waters that have a bag limit catch and release.
Also should be noted...I fish the coal branch every year at least twice since I was 3 and since they made most of the streams C&R, the rainbow size and quality has just shot up. I caught my biggest athabow this year in the maclead..pushing 15 inches, and we were catching upwards of 75 fish a day. So I think a closure would be a rather poor and uneducated move but I guess we shall see what happens.

The size of rainbows showing up again is promising. We managed a few big ones this summer as well. All released of course.
The genetic work that was completed concluded they are not distinct enough to be considered a sub-species. To me, it does not matter if they are considered a sub species as they obviously are well adapted to that area (small, very cold unproductive creeks) and should still be considered provincially significant. I do appreciate the number of guys that target these fish and appreciate them for what they are. Hopefully all that is needed is a few minor changes to accomplish whatever goal the provincial government ultimately has in mind.

My feeling is they should promote brook trout harvest in that area. Require fisherman who are willing/wanting to keep brookies out of the problem streams to complete an online fish id exam and carry along proof of completion with them while angling. The printout could also have a little diagram showing bull trout and rainbow trout features to further ensure accidental harvest would be minimized. I think poaching is currently frequent in that area and illegal harvest of bull trout and rainbow trout would likely not increase significantly by accidental misidentification if proper steps were to be taken. Hopefully they also look at grayling re-stocking in some streams. It's been catch and release for a lot of years already in some of the area streams and it does not appear as though they're recovering that well on their own. That concept should, at a minimum be investigated.

[thumper]

I think Alberta has proven we can do a good job with the Bull Trout recovery with it's c & r regulations, while keeping waters where it occurs open for fishing. Hopefully we can do the same with AthaBows, without the need for draconian 'endangered species' measures involving closing waters to all fishing.