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Proposed Changes Get a Big Thumbs Down

Fishway Work

Rumors, grumbles and a whole lot of bull crap usually escapes up from the river and travels across the phone lines to our President, members of the Board Of Directors, the Ministry of Natural Resources and eventually to my office. Over the course of a year we hear a lot and discuss a lot. We agree…most of the time. Sometimes we disagree. If I have a problem or a concern, I take it to Karl and he takes it to the directors.

About this time last year I expressed a concern about people submitting material to the Steelheaders newsletter to push their own personal causes or for that matter their businesses or other financial interests. No matter where you go, how hard you work or what you achieve, there are going to be armchair critics that want to give advice or criticism and exploit your work. These same critics for the most part, have usually done nothing for the fishery; seldom, or never giving labour or financial support to our causes.

Down In the trap!
A few weeks ago, word filtered back to me that a meeting was being planned to discuss fisheries management for the Saugeen River. Interestingly enough, it was apparent that the Ontario Steelheaders and Lake Huron Fishing Club seemed to be the last to hear about such a meeting. In fact, we weren’t even on the list of those expected to be present at the meeting. After a number of contacts with the Municipality of Brockton, the Ministry of Natural Resources, our president Karl Redin, our Directors, Mike Hahn Vice President of the Lake Huron Fishing Club and other experienced ‘dedicated’ volunteers that have worked on our programs over the years, the Ontario Steelheaders have made the following recommendations concerning the Saugeen River.

  1. No changes whatsoever to present sanctuaries and seasons for steelhead (rainbow trout) 
  2. No changes to daily or possession limits to steelhead (rainbow trout)
  3. No implementation of catch and releases zones on the Saugeen River
  4. No implementation of Fly Fishing Only zones on the Saugeen River

The recommendations were presented to Richard Radford, Chief Administrative Manager of the Municipality of Brockton and those who were expected to attend the meeting. I also have to note that our recommendations were fully supported by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Hatchery Work
It didn’t surprise me that most, if in fact any of those originally planning to attend the meeting had ever taken part in our fish transfers, egg taking, fishway improvements or hatchery operations…Where were they when we were freezing in the trap?.. Or building fishways? Or working in a hatchery?

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The New Ontario Steelheaders/MNR Endeavour

Anyway, here’s a little last minute update. Back in June a couple of years ago, I sat with Shawn Carey, the area supervisor for Grey/Bruce, and Dave Reid the head biologist/manager of the upper lakes. Over a couple of beers (I had the brew, they had the diet cokes), I suggested that they could complement our program by raising a few fish of their own for our cause. I asked for the use of Saugeen adults only for egg and sperm use. I suggested 8 inch sized smolts only, and requested that all yearlings be stocked at Walkerton. I also asked that these fish be marked with an adipose only clip which would coincide with our regular program.

What the hell, it was a shot in the dark, but what could it hurt, a try is a try.

Surprisingly, the two bosses got back to me with an affirmative reply but with one condition. It couldn’t start immediately, due to the fact they had to find a home in a crowded provincial hatchery. That was the reasoning for last year’s late fall fingerling release of wild rainbow that the Lake Huron Fishing Club raised for the project. We seeded those 65,000 fish up into prime water in the Beatty late last November. The fish thrived in the new surrounds. We checked it.

This past spring we collected an additional 75,000 eggs, over and above our usual egg taking program. The adults were all tested for disease and eggs and survivors have been hatched and housed at Chatsworth Fish Culture Station since then. No disease or problems have hindered this program to date. The fish (probably stocked by our two clubs) will be released in March or April. It should also be noted that I approached the Lake Huron Fishing Club to make certain that this additional stocking will in no way alter our objectives, target numbers, and set locations presently used in our own program. These fish are an added bonus.

After discussion with Karl, a suggestion was made that the MNR might want to keep a thousand or so fish for a brood stock program of their own. At the present time MNR only utilizes a Ganaraska strain in their system, and haven’t gone back to the wild for eons to update their genetics. My thinking is why not have two strains in the system? …..possibly our Saugeen/Chambers Creek strain that could again, possibly be used in the future for stocking some of the bigger systems on both the Huron and Georgian Bay sides.

saugeen-steelhead-release Right now, all is fine at Chatsworth and we should be looking forward to some great additional fish to be stocked at Walkerton come spring. Working with the Ministry of Natural Resources has really been a coup for both parties and possibly anglers across Ontario. For the first time in eons we now have a new strain of rainbow added to a government hatchery and program….CONGRATULATIONS!

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A Last Minute Update …and a Couple of Personal Opinions

Saugeen RainbowBoy oh boy have we made something spectacular out of the old Saugeen River. When weather and water come together we’ve changed and improved the steelhead run into one of the finest if not the finest steelhead stream on this continent. In my humble opinion the runs are well over 50,000 fish when you combine autumn and spring. How do I know? I do my math and observe the fishways and upstream ‘tribs’ more than most. Again, we were averaging more than 300 fish in a lift with the trap down for just a little more than an hour. Think about the long term, when that trap is out of the water r 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for weeks at a time. And those fish are running non-stop from mid-September all the way around the calendar til late April, or even mid-May. Think of the total number of fish that are caught daily behind Steelheaders Park from mid-September til late May. The returns have been outstanding!

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Fishway News

As we all witnessed, spring came early to Grey & Bruce Counties, bringing with it some fabulous runs of rainbows. Unfortunately shortly after, we experienced very low water conditions occurring much earlier than ‘normal’. Low flows left many fish stranded throughout the landscape with the combined effect of significantly less nursery habitat available to the year class of 2012.

On the brighter side, in early June MNR Fish & Wildlife Technician Dustin Veenhof placed Temperature loggers at 4 different locations on the Beatty Saugeen (Concession 12, 14 + 16 and below the dam at Orchardville). Loggers record and store temperature readings every hour.

Maple Hill Fishway
On average, temperatures remained below 20C, while on a couple of occasions the temperature did creep up to 25 or 26C. Rainbow trout temperature range is 12-20C, with 26C being fatal. Some rainbows can locate refuge in deep pools, cold tributaries or springs somewhere in the river during the hottest days. This is typical for a lot of local cold/cool water systems, and although it may not be perfect, it is still possible for them to thrive in this river system. Fish can still survive ‘out of temperature’ for a period of time but development, size and weight is directly affected.

For the most part these temperatures suggest the main Beatty Saugeen River is suitable for brown trout and even better for rainbows. Remember this in the context of one very hot summer with very low flows, these results are very encouraging! As with all fish species, environmental factors play a huge roll in annual recruitment.

The Good:

Low water levels also allowed the completion of phase 2 of Maple Hill fishway. Although rainbows did navigate this fishway in the spring, recent improvements should increase effectiveness. The current stop logs allow for adjustment of water heights through-out the fishway. Once observations are complete and fine tuning occurs, concrete will replace hemlock stop logs.

MNR is still on course for the placement of temporary cameras on the Walkerton and Maple Hill fishways to monitor next spring’s migration.

Early indicators suggest more exceptional angler opportunity on the Saugeen this fall! Enjoy!

Jody Scheifley Fish & Wildlife Technical Specialist Ministry of Natural Resources Owen Sound

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How to Fish Trout Beads

Trout beads are an excellent choice of bait when fishing for Steelhead. Although they have been around for years, this type of bead (rigged tandem bead-to-hook) has been traced back to the 60’s and perhaps earlier in the United States. With their increased popularity to produce fish throughout their Alaska and the West Coast origin, they are now going main stream in and are gaining popularity in parts of the Great Lakes Regions with the highest demand presence in Up State New York, USA. As many Ontarians Steelheading across the border, and the power of online media and forums, Troutbeads are now quickly gaining popularity in our local rivers, yielding many fish to the bank and at times may out-fish roe.

Since Steelhead and Salmon naturally lay their eggs in Rivers, beads offer an excellent way to imitate one of these single eggs being swept by the current down stream to an eagerly-awaiting steelhead looking for a meal. Beads may also benefit as being the next best alternative bait to natural eggs gained by one having to harvest steelhead and further dampening the ever-depleting numbers in our local rivers.

There is an abundance of different sizes and colors; however we will feature here the Troutbeads.com brand as one of the most popular main stream bead. Made from high density plastic, these beads offer the best quality and finishes, known under the trademarks Troutbeads, Mottled, Blooddot and Glowbeadz. You can find these in most Ontario tackle shops specializing in steelhead float fishing tackle ranging in price from $2.25 to $4.00 Pkg. To make your selection easy, some popular-best sellers are the Egg yolk, Caramel roe, Orange clear, Peach fuzz, Chartreuse Pearl, Cheese Pearl, Cotton Candy just to name a few.

Trout Bead Rig
A good way to start fishing beads is to simply drift them below your float just like any other artificial or organic bait. Drifting them in faster current seemed to work best for the beads where steelhead may be holding behind boulders and undercuts waiting as it drifts by. You can use the smaller 6 or 8mm size with smaller hooks during cold winter conditions when steelhead are sluggish, not as active and their feeding somewhat slows, looking for smaller size bait. Come Fall and Spring when water levels are up and fish are actively moving in warmer water, they start looking for big meals and you can move up to 10-12mm beads with larger hooks, using bright colors for increased presentation and visibility to the fish. This is not a rule however, and at times any bead will work well and when a particular bead size or color may be thought not be the best selection you may quickly realize it was the best producer that particular day …so it’s a good idea to have a good selection at all time in your vest, as it pays to try different colors in a day’s fishing.

Trout Bead Setup: Stopping the Bead
There are several ways to keep the bead stationary on the line. Some fishermen use a method called “Pegging” by first passing your leader through the bead hole and jamming the point of a toothpick inside the bead hole keeping it on the line where you wanted, and then tying your hook usually about 1 to 2 inches below the bead for best-natural presentation. Another method is to use a “Bead-Knot” and begin by passing your leader through the bead hole then coming around and passing it through again. Once through, you then wrap the line around the loop of the line 7-8 times and pull straight. This causes the wraps to disappear into the bead hole and then finish off by tying your hook below the bead.

Both methods seem to work fine, some thinning may be required to the toothpick to get it deep, as it may sometimes come loose due to limited tension on the line or if too-much tension it’s possible you could damage the line. The Bead-Knot also works fine. Care should be taken not to curl when pulling the wraps tight by lobbing the knot.

Trout Bead Rigging
A new bead rigging tool introduced recently is based on the same concept using a toothpick. The pick itself though is made of flexible silicone called “PEG-IT” available from Top Brass Tackle and a similar product from troutbeads.com. The Peg-It is probably the easiest way to peg your bead quickly and easy, consisting of a thin-tapered peg, about 11/2” long looks just like a toothpick. Its key-feature is its elasticity …that once you pass your
Trout Bead Accessories
Trout Bead Accessories
line or leader through the bead and then push the narrow end of the peg-it into the bead hole until it sticks out the other end, you then pull it to stretch and jam the peg in the bead hole then clip the excess off at top and bottom sides of the bead keeping the bead securely wherever you want it.

The soft silicone peg will not damage the line and the bead can be moved up and down the line easily, yet hold firm. The Peg-It will also work for other type beads with a larger bore diameter to a maximum of about 2mm.

Packed in 15 or 50 count with a retail price range of $2.95-$5.95 available now in most specialty tackle shops, including in our pro-shop using this link http://www.centerpinangling.com/steelhead- flies.html#troutbeads See you in the river & happy fishing!

Article by: Jim Maragos-centerpinangling.com
Special thanks: Cameron Howthorne-troutbeads.com

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Jessie James and His Gang Are Back!

Jeez, autumn! A little rain, a little cold weather and it was predictable that the rainbows would be running the Saugeen. As expected, Jessie James and his gang were also back, prowling along the banks of the Saugeen.

Yes I know, Jessie James and his gang have all been dead and buried for more than a hundred years. Still, I like to refer to these present day guys as the James Gang. It seems fitting to me. Both groups broke the law. The guys now buried stole from banks. The guys now living steal from our fishery, but still walk the banks. Really, they’re still nothing more than poachers.

A few years back poachers could be referred to as rippers and runners. They’d rip the fish up and run away with their spoils. Not to say that some aren’t still around. It’s obvious today though that poaching is a little more refined and so are the outlaws. Even with long rods, light lines and float reels some of these clowns can really put a dent in our fishery, especially on the Saugeen. Our biggest problem on this river is the taking of more than the limit.

Tell me you haven’t seen it. Some of these jerks will go down to the river, make a few casts and fill out their limit. They may go home and drop off their catch. Some will head back to their trailer, chill the fish in a cooler and have a beer and a nap. A few might just head back to the trunk of their car and stash their catch in a blanket. Still, they head back to river to start all over again. Hell, it has gotten so sophisticated that last autumn on the Saugeen some of the boys from Metro even had their girlfriends ferrying coolers of fish back and forth from Bruce County to the city! You have to admit, these guys are real outlaws.

Releasing Steelhead Smolts

Just about everyone on the river is well aware of what is taking place and who the outlaws are. Trust me, Karl hears complaints, the Directors hear complaints. Hell, I can sit in my office down on Lake Erie and I get phone complaints almost daily. There’s no denying poaching and poachers are running rampant. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and especially the enforcement branch are understaffed and overworked. Karl and I have both been in constant communications the supervisors and our local conservation officers. A crackdown has been promised and is presently underway…. These guys (left) didn’t dedicate a lifetime to this fishery to see it poached!

 Now here’s what you can do. Instead of bitching and complaining about poachers, report these outlaws. If you witness infractions, contact the Ministry of Natural Resources at 1-877-TIPS-MNR…..1-877-847-7667. You might even want to take a picture of these clowns carrying out their dirty deeds. A picture of their car and even a license plate photo helps as well.

Again, the Ministry of Natural Resources has promised us a more active presence on the Saugeen this year. Don’t let these people spoil our fishery. Down with the Outlaws!

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The Bucket List

Rod Jones & Cronzy in B.C.
This summer I was very fortunate to get a call to help complete my bucket list….British Columbia fishing! I was off! …and boy was I impressed with my travelling partner! He set up the whole trip, and all the travel arrangements. I would have had a hell of a time navigating through the ridiculously huge airports in Toronto and Vancouver. My friend also made arrangements for a side trip to visit his friends at Lund on the mainland; another educational experience. We went to his friends’ seafood farm that raises scallops, mussels and oysters. After picking up the choice eating, we went out in another boat and set traps for prawns and crabs. It was the first time I saw anything like that. The experience was great and the catch was our meal. It was awesome, to meet so many new friends and experience their different lifestyles.

Rod Jones & Cronzy in B.C.
The next day we headed for the Island. A couple of ferry rides and some driving brought us to Kyuquot Sound Lodge. Soon after our arrival, we were off with owner Matt Guiguet to our first fishing destination about ten minutes from the Lodge. Down went the baits! It was ridiculous how fast the rods went off. You’d just sit down and off would go another! This went on each day with different guides and lots and lots of fish! We could only keep 4 Chinook and 8 Coho, and the Coho had to be clipped to keep. We likely caught 150 or more but all were wild so had to go back. We also went jigging but after 40 minutes I gave up. Ughhh… It was all work! In that 40 minutes we landed 2 mid-sized halibut, 2 ling cod, 2 red snapper and about 6 or 7 rock fish. UN-REAL! Fishing like this was hard work!

Thanks to everyone in the Lodge, from owners, cooks, guides and my favorite guide and friend that helped me through all the obstacles and all the fun. Thanks Darryl “the Cronz!” It was a great time. Two more things on my bucket list…. Want to go?

…Cronzy’s reply:

“It was fun helping you fill out your Bucket List you Old Fart. It’s just too bad you left out a few of the fun things that took place out on the coast. I guess what happens in B.C. stays in B.C., but the combination of fish, scenery and that special B.C. medication sure kept you on your toes and in action the entire trip. As for helping you continue on with filling out that list, give me about six months. Since that last outing I’m whipped! A kid like me has a hard time keeping up with an Old Fart like you.”….

 

 

 

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Saugeen Steelhead Runs Were Booming!

 

I had to pity poor Pete Gilles and his partner standing and struggling a dozen feet below me in the trap at Denny’s Dam. They were both in almost waist deep water with roughly five hundred excited steelhead, splashing and thrashing around them. It was obvious that the Saugeen steelhead run was booming and that all the hard work carried out by the members of the Ontario Steelheaders and the Lake Huron Fishing Club was paying off in a big, big way.

So big in fact, it’s quite possible the Saugeen River just might be classed as having one of the biggest, if not the biggest runs of steelhead anywhere on the continent.

It hasn’t been an easy project to carry out. It takes work and then more work. Matter of fact, the dedicated members of both clubs have been collectively working their asses off for more than the last eight years to bring this program to fruition. These boys and girls don’t work a day or two or a month or two, but right around the calendar. That’s 365 days of the year and often under the worst of conditions.

A fish going upriver via Steelhead Express

Let’s look at last autumn for example. First, the members of both clubs combined efforts to man the trap at Denny’s to collect 500 big, brawny adult steelhead for the transfer to the prime spawning grounds of the Beatty Saugeen. Why does it seem these fish almost always have to make their appearance when the temperature is freezing and the skies are their wettest? Trust me, it’s not easy to handle a hundred or more fish in a lift. Then there’s the cost of hauling those fish tankers back and forth numerous times a day from Southampton to Hanover. Oh, and don’t forget the wear and tear on the trucks that do the hauling and the burnt up transmissions that go with that wear and tear.

It’s not just moving adults that this program is all about. We raise approximately 50,000 to 60,000 of the finest looking 8 inch plus sized yearling steelhead smolts every year. That’s one hell of a lot of loving babysitting that is carried out by the members of the Lake Huron Fishing Club. Remember again, that we added those 65,000 advanced fall fingerlings to the hatchery count as well.

To get those fish raised over at Kincardine, both clubs also had to strip and fertilize a lot of unhappy and aggravated adult steelhead to obtain a total of almost 200,000 eggs and a great deal of milt to put in the hatchery in the first place.

It may seem like a lot of fun, but it’s not…it’s damn hard work. My hat goes off to those members of both the Ontario Steelheaders and Lake Huron Fishing Club that carry out that damn hard work

Over the winter, when others may be out ice fishing, the members of the Lake Huron Fishing Club and Ontario Steelheaders can be found back in the Kincardine Fish Hatchery clipping the dorsal fins off 50,000 or 60,000 steelhead fingerlings that have to be identified before spring stocking can commence. In the winter of 2011/2012 we increased the clipping program just a little. Thanks to a pre-arranged agreement with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ontario Steelheaders, the club was allowed to obtain additional eggs and a one-time stocking of 65,000 advanced fall fingerlings was allowed. The Lake Huron Fishing Club raised them and the members of both clubs did a hell of a lot more clipping over at the LHFC’s Port Elgin fish hatchery.

Then spring arrives and the climbing up and down in the trap, the netting and the lifting and trailering starts all over again. This time around, the target was set at 1,000 adults and we accomplished that number in three and a half days.

Releasing Adult Steelhead

I’ve already mentioned Pete and his partner surrounded by 500 big fish. Well that happened back in March of this spring and the trap was only down in the water for a little over an hour. Over a four day period club members would lower the fish trap only three times a day for one hour intervals. Each of those lifts, on average, would capture more than 400 adult rainbows. On each of those lifts we generally had three trucks and fish tankers ready to transport approximately 130 adults upriver to the Beatty. As we made the convoy upstream to the Beatty, Grant McAlpine and his crew were still left to sample approximately 250-300 remaining fish for sex, ripeness and missing fin clips.

Now think on this real hard. We would only put that trap down for 3 hours a day and average more than 400 fish in each of three lifts. That means the trap was out and the fish were on swim-through for more than 20 hours a day. That run ran strong for almost three weeks. Do your math. That is one hell of a lot of fish that swam up out of that trap and all the way to Hanover.

 It’s not just moving adults that this program is all about. We raise approximately 50,000 to 60,000 of the finest looking 8 inch plus sized yearling steelhead smolts every year. That’s one hell of a lot of loving babysitting that is carried out by the members of the Lake Huron Fishing Club. Remember again, that we added those 65,000 advanced fall fingerlings to the hatchery count as well.

To get those fish raised over at Kincardine, both clubs also had to strip and fertilize a lot of unhappy and aggravated adult steelhead to obtain a total of almost 200,000 eggs and a great deal of milt to put in the hatchery in the first place.

It may seem like a lot of fun, but it’s not…it’s damn hard work. My hat goes off to those members of both the Ontario Steelheaders and Lake Huron Fishing Club that carry out that damn hard work.

Darryl Choronzey