trout unlimited
Showing posts with label trout unlimited. Show all posts

Fish-shocking survey reveals trout sabotage in Smokies

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

No comments
WBIR posted a report on their website last night detailing how biologist and volunteers from groups such as Trout Unlimited recently discovered several large rainbow trout swimming in the streams near Tremont.

Rainbow trout are a non-native species that were introduced to the Park by loggers looking to off-set the loss of native brook trout before the Park's establishment.

In recent years the Park has been trying to eradicate rainbows on the Lynn Camp Prong and restore the native brook trout.

"We have found some rainbows and some big ones," said Bubba Allen, volunteer from Trout Unlimited. "It is pretty clear that people have been bringing rainbows back up here so they can fish this stream illegally."

The size of the fish combined with other identifying characteristics clearly indicates that the adult rainbows were recently stocked in the streams by man.

"There were some rainbows around 14 inches in length," said Allen. "Someone had to have brought them up here."

You can read the full article by clicking here. There are a couple of interesting comments at the bottom of the article in which people are suggesting that maybe the rainbows are coming back on their own..... Not being a fisherman, I have no idea if these comments have any merit.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Read More

Four Trails Closed for 12 Days

Saturday, August 30, 2008

No comments
Due to the scheduled native brook trout restoration project, four hiking trails will be closed from 8:00PM September 7, 2008 until 8:30 PM September 19, 2008. The four trails impacted are the Middle Prong Trail, Panther Creek Trail, Lynn Camp Prong Trail and the Greenbrier Ridge Trail. Additionally, backcountry campsite number 28 will also be closed.

All four trails and the campsite are located along the Middle Prong Little River and its tributaries in the Tremont area.

Park biologists plan to treat an 8-mile long section of Lynn Camp Prong with a fish toxin in order to remove the non-native rainbow trout. They plan on re-stocking it with native brook trout captured from other park streams. Once the rainbows are removed, a large cascade downstream from the treatment area will block their return.

Park Fisheries Biologist, Steve Moore explained, "In the years after logging had ended, non-native rainbow trout were stocked into Lynn Camp Prong, and many other streams, where they breed and grow faster and out-compete the native brookies.”

Funding for the project, which covers the cost of the chemicals and labor, came from a $14,000 donation from Trout Unlimited.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.
Read More