afishinado
Moderator
Staff member
The twin valleys are split by Crystal Clear Mountain. In the valley to the west, Catch’em Creek flows cold and clear. To the east is a twin stream called Releas’em Run.
Catch’em has open harvest regulations, while Releas’em is catch & release only.
According to a shocking survey done at the end of March, both streams have an estimated population of 2000 catchable sized wild trout going into the early April trout season, with 600 trout of legal, harvestable size including 200 fish 12” or greater.
The flows and weather were great in April, and anglers flocked to both streams to try their luck. Because of these good conditions, angler usage was very high on both streams.
At the end of April on Catch’em Creek, 300 legal sized fish were harvested by anglers (that’s an average of 10/day) of which 100 trout 12” or greater were removed.
Releas’em Run had close to the same population of trout at the end of April as in the beginning of the month.
At the end of May, on Catch’em, a total of 400 legal sized fish were harvested with 150 of that total being 12” or greater (that’s an average of just over 3 fish per day being harvested in May). Leaving 200 legal sized fish including 50 fish being 12” or greater left in the stream.
On Releas’em Run, less than 100 fish have perished, leaving well over 500 decent fish including close to 200 over 12” still roaming the riffs and runs.
The summer was rainy with moderate temperatures. Catch’em Creek saw little angler usage over the summer in to the early fall.
To the east, Releas’em Run had a steady amount of angler usage, mostly during early mornings and evenings right through the early fall. It fished well throughout the entire season.
The trout carried well on both streams with the favorable conditions going into the spawn. As the season turned to fall, the rigors of spawning took its toll on the fish, along with predators and lastly a long, hard winter with anchor ice forming in the shallows.
Winter slowly gave way to spring, and the stream levels were favorable at the end of March for a shocking survey, which was done on both streams during the same week as the year before.
The survey results were in, and terms like mortality rate, recruitment rate, harvestable surplus, compensatory mortality, additive mortality were all considered and calculated by the fisheries biologists. Finally, all data was plugged into a formula which might go something like N1 = N0 + B - D + I - E.
The findings…the twin streams, a year later both have the same biomass of wild trout with an estimated 2000 catchable sized fish including 600 legal sized trout with 200 fish 12” or greater.
According to the fisheries biologists, harvest has little or no effect on the wild trout populations.
I guess they’re right………right?
Catch’em has open harvest regulations, while Releas’em is catch & release only.
According to a shocking survey done at the end of March, both streams have an estimated population of 2000 catchable sized wild trout going into the early April trout season, with 600 trout of legal, harvestable size including 200 fish 12” or greater.
The flows and weather were great in April, and anglers flocked to both streams to try their luck. Because of these good conditions, angler usage was very high on both streams.
At the end of April on Catch’em Creek, 300 legal sized fish were harvested by anglers (that’s an average of 10/day) of which 100 trout 12” or greater were removed.
Releas’em Run had close to the same population of trout at the end of April as in the beginning of the month.
At the end of May, on Catch’em, a total of 400 legal sized fish were harvested with 150 of that total being 12” or greater (that’s an average of just over 3 fish per day being harvested in May). Leaving 200 legal sized fish including 50 fish being 12” or greater left in the stream.
On Releas’em Run, less than 100 fish have perished, leaving well over 500 decent fish including close to 200 over 12” still roaming the riffs and runs.
The summer was rainy with moderate temperatures. Catch’em Creek saw little angler usage over the summer in to the early fall.
To the east, Releas’em Run had a steady amount of angler usage, mostly during early mornings and evenings right through the early fall. It fished well throughout the entire season.
The trout carried well on both streams with the favorable conditions going into the spawn. As the season turned to fall, the rigors of spawning took its toll on the fish, along with predators and lastly a long, hard winter with anchor ice forming in the shallows.
Winter slowly gave way to spring, and the stream levels were favorable at the end of March for a shocking survey, which was done on both streams during the same week as the year before.
The survey results were in, and terms like mortality rate, recruitment rate, harvestable surplus, compensatory mortality, additive mortality were all considered and calculated by the fisheries biologists. Finally, all data was plugged into a formula which might go something like N1 = N0 + B - D + I - E.
The findings…the twin streams, a year later both have the same biomass of wild trout with an estimated 2000 catchable sized fish including 600 legal sized trout with 200 fish 12” or greater.
According to the fisheries biologists, harvest has little or no effect on the wild trout populations.
I guess they’re right………right?
