Still Cash to be Hooked by South Fork Anglers

Some people still fish to catch a tasty meal, but many anglers nowadays fish purely for the fun and relaxation that it provides. Aside from the bass tournament types, most anglers don't look at fishing as a way to make money. But biologists at Idaho Fish and Game have come up with a plan to help bolster native Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations while providing anglers the chance to make a few dollars. Rainbow trout introduced into the South Fork of the Snake River have proven to be major threat to the survival and genetic integrity of native Yellowstone cutthroat trout because they hybridize and compete with cutthroat. The hybrid offspring are able to reproduce so that successive generations of pure cutthroat become fewer and fewer. Fish and Game has worked on a variety of methods, ranging from regulation modifications to electric barriers on spawning tributaries, to help keep native cutthroat abundant. In 2010, with the aid of funding supplied by federal sources, biologist Brett High and his crew were able to begin tagging rainbow trout with tiny coded wire tags, each tag having a cash value ranging from $50 to $1,000. The tags were embedded in the snout of rainbows caught and released back to the river and could only be detected if the fish head was taken to the regional Fish and Game office to be scanned. "The strategy was to encourage anglers to harvest more of the rainbows they are already catching," High said. Records show that the total value of potential incentive tags placed in fish since the beginning of the program has been nearly $400,000, but that number is deceptive. "Annually, a large proportion of the population dies of natural causes, resulting in lower carryover from year to year," he said. Since 2010, there have been 74 winners, and Fish and Game has paid $8,350 in incentive money. This year Fish and Game has picked up the responsibility for paying for incentives. It is difficult to estimate how many tagged fish are still swimming around in the river. "There likely is at least $150,000 worth of incentives still out there," High said. Because the overall goal of the South Fork Angler Incentive Program is to encourage harvest, it is important for anglers to remember that while Yellowstone cutthroat trout are strictly catch-and-release on the South Fork, all size and bag limits have been lifted for rainbows and hybrids. Because the tags can only be detected by using a high-powered scanner, fish must be taken to the Fish and Game office to be checked. For anglers not able to make it into town, freezers are provided during the summer season at the Conant and Byington boat ramps. Fish heads can be bagged and tagged and anglers will be notified if they have a winning fish. Anglers who don't care to eat trout, but want to help the needy can donate their cleaned fish at either the ramps or regional office. The struggle to maintain the Yellowstone cutthroat trout is ongoing, but battles are being won daily. Anglers who want to know more about how they can be part of conservation efforts and at the same time possibly win a few dollars may call the regional office at 208-525-7290 or view a short video at: http://tinyurl.com/asva6wz.